Waterparks, rainbows, fireworks and catching frogs. That what our summer is made of!

I haven't been blogging as much as I would like. We've been pretty busy here at our household! Jake and Grayson had their weekend getaway with their Yah-Yah and Papaw and had a ton of fun swimming with their cousins and hanging out doing crafts with Yah-Yah. We had a good time too, though I missed the boys terribly. Jason and I got to go have a nice dinner and go to the riverboat. We watched the fireworks and grilled out steaks and watched movies. We slept in and enjoyed our morning coffee together on the porch.

We have been busy visiting waterparks in Missouri. There are so many small parks that are perfect for the boys. We've been having play dates with friends and the boys have been fishing with Daddy and going to the racetrack (not gambling....watching the sprint cars! We've also enjoyed a few rainbows after some nice big rains. We spend our days at the pool while Daddy is working and the evening is spent looking for frogs and catching bugs out back. I do beleive this has been one fantastic summer and the best we've ever had.

We are awaiting a visit from Mamaw and Papaw. They are coming next weekend and will be taking Jake back to Indiana with them for a little bit of "spoiling" time for just Jake who has been anxiously awaiting this trip.

Grayson got his first big-boy haircut. He's had haircuts but this time we had it shaved and "styled". He was so excited.

Jake will be starting 2nd grade in August and Grayson will be going to pre-school this year. Both boys are looking forward to the start of school (and so am I)! Well, that is it for now. Enjoy the pics I am posting.

Not just brothers...best friends

Even though there is a 4 year age difference between Jake and Grayson they are the best of friends (99% of the time). They begin each day with a hug and kiss and that's how their day ends. The boys are getting their first weekend trip away from Jason and I. Yah-Yah and Papaw are meeting us halfway on Friday and the boys are spending two fun-filled days away from us (I'm not quite sure who will have more fun-Jason and I or the boys). I've had to talk to Grayson a little bit each day to prepare him, he's not used to being away from me. I have promised to pack a little suprise in their suitcases and Grayson has requested a camera so he can take pictures to "show me what he do".

Jason and I are excited to have some "alone" time but at the same time I feel my heart already aching. It's not that I've never been away from them, but never for two nights. We are planning to do some sightseening and have a "romantic" dinner. I imagine the conversation will turn into how much we miss the boys and then Jason convincing me that we are NOT driving 4 1/2 hours just to kiss them goodnight.

This trip also got me thinking about Jake's trip to stay with Grandma and Grandpa later in July. He's going for a whole week of alone time with them and is counting down the weeks. I'm glad he gets to have some special time and think he'll do fine but have a little bit of homesick but I think the rest of us back in Missouri will be lonesome. I'm not sure how Grayson will react because he's never been apart from Jake, except for some little over nighters here and there. I'm going to try to plan some fun just "Grayson and mommy" activities and some "daddy and Grayson" so he can feel like he is doing something special too while Jake is away. I think it will be a long week and alot of tears from Grayson because he will be missing his best friends.

What a month...root canal, a new dog and Jake has a "girlfriend" oh and throw in some friends visiting as well!

Sorry it's been so long since my last "blog". We've had quite a month. I had a root canal and don't remember them being so painful but that knocked me down for over a week and as luck would have it Jason was out of town!

On another note we got a dog. His name is Lucky Lou and he is a five-year old cocker spaniel. He is absolutley adorable and has blended right in with our crew. I will try to download some pictures soon.

Jake has a girlfriend, much to our dismay. He explained to us that at age 7 he is quite old enough to have one. We chatted briefly with him last night but Jason and I need to discuss this situation and figure out the appropriate way to talk to Jake about this. I am not ready to discuss the birds and the bees, as some friends of our had to, but I'm not keen on him calling someone his girlfriend. I know it sounds sweet but I don't want him trying to grow up any quicker and I want him to have fun and be a kid with no worries and no "heartbreak".

We had friends come to visit over the last weekend. It was a great time by all...4 adults and 4 kids staying up late and chatting and sightseeing by day. It was nice to have company. We miss them already. Well, it's almost 1:00 and I promised Grayson we would go to the pool so I must get ready. I'll try to blog soon and post some pics of Lucky Lou and the boys. Love you all.

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY GRAYSON!

So I'll begin with the day you were born! Well, let's back up to before you were born. I can't imagine my life without you now. You bring laughter, joy and you completed our family. I'll admit, we were not planning on having any more babies. You were a complete suprise and I think I was in shock for a couple of weeks when we found out we were expecting you. Mommy found out on September 7th. I was sure you were going to be a girl. I had the name Gracie all picked out. You were a fun pregnancy (though I don't know anyone else would agree because I whined alot) but you were always moving and jumping around in mommy's tummy. We found out you were a boy when we had our ultrasound at "Before the Stork". I was so excited to know that Jake was going to have a brother and that day we decided your name would be Grayson Alexander Dominique Ketcham. We didn't realize just how well your name would suit you until you were born. You made your debut three years ago today. I woke up on Sunday morning, May 16th not feeling so great. I was having alot of contractions but not close enough together to go to the hospital. Daddy was working. Jake and I spent the afternoon at a park while he was riding his bike. We came home and I was still feeing yucky. Uncle Damon and Aunt Amy offered Jake and I to come stay over there if we wanted so we'd be closer to the hospital. I figured it was just a false alarm anyway and we stayed home. We still had one week until your "due date". Daddy came home and that night contractions were a little closer together. We called mamaw and papaw and yah-yah and papaw to put them on "alert". We went to bed and daddy and Jake fell fast asleep. It was about 10:30 p.m. I had just fallen asleep and I heard a "pop" and all of a sudden my water broke! I was so excited and scared. We knew it was time. We called the dr., called everyone. We loaded Jake up and took off for Bloomington Hospital. The contractions were rough and it hurt but I was so excited I could barely wait. We arrived at the hopsital and yah-yah and papaw met us. Papaw took Jake out to Aunt Kellan's to spend the night. Mamaw and Papaw got to the hospital about 11:00. The Dr. came in and thought it was going to be a while. Mamaw ended up getting sick so they had to leave at about 2:30. The nurse came in and me, daddy and Yah-Yah were all sleeping just a bit. I was feeling strange and when the nurse checked mommy, sure enough you were ready to head out of mommy's belly! It happened so quickly. You were born at 3:14 a.m. on Monday, May 17th, 2004. I can't explain to you what I felt when I saw your face. You looked EXACTLY like your brother Jake. You weighed 6 1bs and 7 oz and were 19 1/2 inches long. You were beautiful. The nurse placed you on my chest and you looked right at me. How amazing you were and still are. I don't think I slept at all that day just holding you. Your brother came to visit you at about 11:00 that day. You have the BEST big brother ever. He fell instantly in love with you and has been your buddy since the day you were born. He helped take care of you, giving you a pacifier when you cried. Stroking your face. He loved to hold you (with mommy's help). Even today Jake is so loving and gently with you and it melts my heart when I watch you two together. How did I get so lucky. Happy Birthday to my unexpected suprise that I thank God for every day. I am the luckiest mother.

Because that's How God made me...

The following is a conversation Jason and I had with Jake on the way home from the Ozarks on Sunday.

Me to Jason: I hope those weren't poisnous frogs you and Jake caught on the hike.

Jason: I doubt it.

Jake: No, mommy, there are two kinds of poisonous frogs. One is red/black and the other is green/red (I may have gotten these colors confused and Jake is not here at the moment to set me straight).

Me: Jake, how do you know so much about bugs, frogs and all those animals/reptiles?

Jake: That's just how God made me. Kevin knows alot about dinosaurs so that's how God made him.

Me and Jason look at one another and grin. God sure did creat two beautiful little boys for this world.

Happy Mother's Day

I had a really good mother's day this year, even though it was the first year I've never spent mother's day with my own mom, it was very enjoyable. We decided to drive to the Ozark's and go hiking. We stopped at a few parks, we hiked, we caught a minnow and two frogs. We stopped in a little town on the way home to eat dinner and as we continued driving we saw a little creek with a little bridge, something that looked fun to get out and maybe wade in a bit with the kids. The boys had a blast for about 15-20 minutes and then as Grayson and I were standing with Jason on a rock and Jake was off to the side splashing around Grayson says "wook, mama, a snake". Well, that did it. Jason cornered it in the water so I could get the boys out and we dried off and headed home! It was a fun and tiring day and a Mother's Day well spent with my hubby and kids!

Frogger...our pet frog

Well, we had a pet frog. Jake is known for "catching" frogs no matter where he is. He can spot them a mile away. Normally they escape after a day. This one lasted three whole days (but in Jake's defense, Grayson let it go). Jake likes to scare the bejibbers out of me with the frogs. I don't want them near me. It doesn't bother me that the boys hold them (as long as they are washing their hands after) but I don't want it jumping on me. Jake was almost grounded indefinatly once when a frog was "set free" in our minivan while I was driving. I got some great pictures of the boys and "frogger" before he was set loose.

The most pitiful little boy

Is that not a pitiful picture? Poor Grayson. He now has pink eye on top of his other sickness. We are awaiting the results of the second blood work to see if his counts have gone down. Hopefully they have and my worrying can cease a little. I'm going to go cuddle my little man.

Another Day...another sickness

Still sickness in the house. Poor Jake, he may not be sick but he is suffering for Grayson's illness. Today was parents/grandparents breakfast. Of course, I can't go with Grayson being ill and Jason, unfortunatly, had something going on at the plant. I think this weeekend I'll take him to breakfast just he and I. Not that it makes up for it and he is VERY understanding and concerned for his brother that his reply was "that's o.k. mommy Grayson is sick and we need to just make him better, there will be other breakfasts". I know that I am raising such sweet, caring and loving boys. They may be rambuctious and they may not be perfect as others expect them to be but they are mine and I love them just the way they are. There are times I have doubted myself as a parent and I know that there are those around me who have doubted me, but what I've learned these last 7 months being here in Missouri is that I am a good mom. I may jump the gun and I may get overly protective and freak out but that's me. I go with the philisopy I'd rather be safe than sorry. I know that am raising good, polite, caring, smart, energetic, creative, going to conquer the world, boys. They are a little spoiled, but so are other children whether parents admit it or not. When I see both of my boys (even as young as Grayson) kneeling down to ask another child what is wrong because they are crying, I know that I am doing something right. When both my boys don't let a day go by without hugging one another or myself or Jason I know they know they are loved and want to show that love back. When Jake is proud of himself for getting an A but not crying over getting a B I know that he knows all I expect his for him to do his best and when he knows he has done his best he is satisfied with that.
For those who may question me as a mom, I question you. I don't take time to worry about what another parent is doing or how they are raising their kids, if I did, I wouldn't be focused on my own and my kids deserve 100% of my focus. Not you.

Bad Mommy Days

Grayson is still fighting whatever sickness it is that he contracted last week. We are on day 4 of the 104 temperature, vomiting and constant diaper changing. I am going on little to no sleep and finding it hard to function each day more so just because I am filled with worry about my little man. I think that is one of the hardest parts of parenting...the worry. Two trips to an ER and the pediatrician and no "definate" answer and no explanation for the increase in the white count. We are due back at the pediatricians tomorrow if Grayson's fever continues through the night. Hopefully it subsides. I thought we were getting lucky today because it stayed at 100 most of the day but spiked back to over 103 by about 3:00 and now his right eye is pretty red and swollen. Anyway, for those keeping up with my blogs, please pray that this is just a bug and Grayson makes a speedy recovery. Lots of Love.

I sick Mommy

Poor Grayson woke up friday evening at about 1:00 a.m. and climbed in my bed. He was running a fever and just felt horrible. He started holding his stomach and screaming that it hurt "weally bad". I took him to the ER afraid he might have appendicitis. After 6 hours in the ER and a few tests (his white count was pretty high and they suspected appendicitis as well) his x-ray came back that he "might" have an infection on the appendix so we headed off to have a CT scan. The scan was clear and their conclusion was it's a viral flu. He has been so sick all weekend and is still running a high fever. We are getting ready to go back to the Dr. this morning because they were concerned about the white count as well. Pray for Grayson that he heals quickly.

Shhh...don't wake my sleeping prince

Grayson has pretty much outgrown naptime. I guess it lasted longer for us than most people and I sort of just gave up trying to force it. Since we got the new swing set and he runs all day outside he's been passing out in the afternoon all on his own. On Wedensday I was spring cleaning and he was downstairs playing. I didn't hear a peep out of him for about 15 minutes and I yelled for him and got no answer so I went downstairs to see what mischief he was into. I found him passed out in an akward position on the couch. He didn't even move when the camera flashed in his face. He looks so sweet, peaceful and adorable all tuckered out...I guess even monsters tucker out sometimes!

"Look at me I'm Mommy"

Last night I was getting ready to take Jake and Grayson to the book fair. Jake came walking down the hall saying in a silly voice "look at me I'm mommy" and when he walked in the room he was wearing one of my bras. Grayson started laughing and grabbed another bra and put it on his head. Jason decided to snap a picture (I'm not sure why because when we were first married and were snowed in our house for four days with no t.v. and we were really bored by the third day we played dress up and he let me put make-up on him, fix his hair, paint his tonails and he put my biki on and then made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone--sorry sweetie) so I figured he would never want anyone to know that the boys were playing "dress-up" with my bras! Well, the picture says it all!!!

The big back yard

Jason and I bought the boys a new jungle gym wooden gym set. We spent (um, I mean Jason) putting it together. His hard work paid off because the boys absolutly love it. Grayson awoke this morning at 6:30 and rushed to put his clothes on while shouting "I gotta swing, I gotta swing". It's hard to get them off the swing set and inside to eat!

A Star is born...

Jake had his very first "performance" for a school function. They sang about six songs (and if I wasn't so tired right now I would get up and go get the paper so I could tell you what each one was!). Anyway, he was such a ham and was livin it up on the stage with his dance moves. His smile lit up the whole stage. Grayson sat in my lap and clapped after every song and said "yah, Jake" and at the end shouted an "I wuv you my Jake". My friend Jen and her husband and kids picked us up at 4:00 today and we ate dinner at local pizza place before heading over to the school for the big performance. Gracie (Jen's daughter and Jake's "soulmate") looked so cute wearing her hula skirt. The picture attached is Jake and Gracie before the concert and during the concert! Great performance Jake and Gracie!

This is why I clean my bathrooms twice a week

So last night the boys are off to dreamland. We had a storm come through earlier but all looked well as the night progressed. I was ready to go to bed after talking to Jason when the phone rang again. Jason was calling to let me know that Chris (his employee) had phoned him and said their were funnel clouds in Festus (which is basically us). So I got the boys and headed downstairs and put them on our couch. Everything looked fine here but I called my friend Jen to let her know. She too thought it was odd because it was fine where we were. About five minutes later Jason calls again and this time he said the sirens were going off in Pevely (where he works about 6 minutes away). So I gather up our floor pillows and a few others and lots of blankets and head into the bathroom with the boys. His employee Chris calls, worried about me and the boys because things look bad out but still nothing here. He makes sure to tell me to call him if we need anything and he'll come right over (what a great guy). So I decide it's best just to sleep in the bathroom for the night. Of course it's not a huge bathroom and so we are all squished together my head practically on a toilet (thank god for my cleanliness because I had just cleaned the bathroom that day) and about 30 minutes later I had to go the bathroom. You would think out of convenience "well, I'm already there" but the thought of using that toilet that I am practically lying on was making me nauseaus so upstairs I went. I swear I hear a tornado (I tend to hear lots of things while Jason is gone including burglars, tornado's, bears etc.) We don't have to wonder where the boys get their imagination from. So, I check outside and all still looks fine. The bathroom was uncomfortable but I'll tell you the boys slept sound and did not stir once all night.

The funeral of a "Hero"

Grayson and I had some errands to run today. On our way to the bank I noticed that the whole downtown of Festus was blocked off. I asked at the bank if they knew what was going on. Through tearful eyes the woman told me it was a funeral procession honoring a soldier named Brandon Wallace who was killed two weeks ago in Iraq. This young man, who had dreams of becoming a police officer and was engaged to be married, was killed for what I beleive is fighting for all of us. Whether you agree or I agree on the war at hand, I do beleive that everything the men and women in the military are fighting for is for me, my kids, my grandkids etc. I will support them, pray for them and continue to honor them. I tried explaining to Grayson how we were going to go downtown so that we too could honor Brandon. I told him that this young man died fighting for our country, died to keep us safe. I explained this was somebody's son, brother, uncle and how his family would miss him terribly but that we should show them how much we appreciate what he has done. So we headed downtown and sat along the sidewalk that was filled with so many people with flags and signs. Normally my impatient two-year old who would be running all over and trying to go in the road stood very still as he watched the helicopter in the air until the procession began and as the hearse carrying the hero approached I placed Grayson's hand over his heart and told him this is what we can do for Brandon. He left his hand over his heart until the entire procession had ended. He didn't scream, yell or get all excited at the site of the motorcylist who were there to drown out the sounds of protesting. He stood still with his hand over his heart as the police cars and fire trucks rode by and we simply stood and paid our respects to Brandon, his family and friends and we too said goodbye to this "hometown hero".

Zoom....off to the moon

Here is a picture of Grayson and I inside our rocket ship.
Grayson and I took two trips today to the moon. The first trip we lifted off from The "Space Grayson Airport". Our trip to the moon was an eventful one...we actually left the shuttle did the moonwalk. Our second trip was at the Crystal City Pediatrics Airport were Grayson was being checked out for his rash to make sure we could complete the mission. Thankfully since it was just a viral infection causing the rash we had the o.k. from the Dr. to continue our mission. It was a bumpy ride and Grayson got stalled on Number 2 of the countdown but off we went. This was a quick trip as we were due back to earth to pick up Jake from tutoring. Not sure where tomorrow will take us!

As the days go by...

Well, Jason has left for Texas (again) and so my week of lonliness begins. I have the Southwest Airlines screen pulled up on the computer and just refreshed it and his flight is boarding. He should arrive in Houston around 6:40 p.m. I'll refresh the page every 30 minutes until he arrives and I see the words "arrived" on the screen. We'll have our usual routine here at the house...the boys sleeping in bed with me, room barricaded. One night they pick a place to go eat out. Sadly, Jake has his first "performance" at school and Jason will be missing it. I really did not want him to leave today...sometimes the loneliness gets to be too much. It's hard during the week because everyone is having dinner with their families...taking walks, playing games and while I am still here to do that with the boys but I have no adult interaction whatsoever come 3:00 p.m. when everyone's spouses are arriving home. My dinner conversation normally consists of the following topics:

Dinner is yucky (Jake)
I pooped (Grayson)
What's for a snack tonite (Jake and Grayson)
So and so farted or got in trouble at school today (Jake)
Grayson --just giggling for no reason

It's nice to have some time alone with the boys and they tend to be more cuddly while Jason is gone, but still, I'm lonely without him here.

Woo Hoo for Jake...Straight A's!

Jake received his report card and I am SOOOOOO proud of him. He received straight A's. He has pulled his reading grade up since the beginning of the year which was a C all the way to an A-! His report card is as follows:

Reading A-
Math A
Spelling A
Written A
Social Studies A
Science A-
Art S (for satisfactory)
Music S
Physical Ed S
Computers P (for pass)

For his work and social habits he go E for Excellent except for one satisfactory which was in handwriting. Way to go Jake!

How to stop a tantrum

Grayson just threw one of his tantrums. This time it was because I opened up his cheese instead of letting him do it. I put him in his room. He came out screaming and called me a "big mean mommy" and then threw a toy at me. I once again put him in his room and he screamed, yelled and threw things. I decided to grab the camera and so I went in there and started snapping pictures of his tantrum. He stopped screaming after a couple of pictures and asked to see the pictures. We pulled them up on the computer so he could see the "larger" picture of how he looked. He put his head down and said "sorry mommy" and went in the kitchen sat in his chair and ate his string cheese and drank his apple juice. I guess I need to just keep my camera with me at all times!

A picture says a thousand words...WARNING the pictures may be to graphic for those with weak tummies!

This week I (and Grayson) are focusing on potty training. The next "kids night out" at the Y is in May and so he can attend he has to be completly out of diapers. He doesn't like this but we are trying. This morning I caught him getting ready to go in his pull-up and I said no go to the bathroom and so he did. I luckily had my camera charged to catch the expressions on his face as he is "trying" to go potty. He was successful but we will let the pictures tell the story:)

Yummy Chicken Wings!

We had take-out from Chicken Charlies (which btw...is one of the greatest eateries here in Crystal City). Grayson decided he wanted a HOT chicken wing and he tore it up! He ate every little bite of it. It was funny the first few times he put the chicken wings in his mouth only to pull it out exclaiming "hot, hot, hot" and grab his water bottle and take a big swig, let out a sigh and do it all over again. Needless to say, he loved the chicken wings!

Our First "Real" Family Vacation...destination???

Arkansas! Jason wanted to go to Hot Springs. So we thought how great it would be to take the boys. I always thought it would be so beautiful...it wasn't terribly far (about 7 hours) of course if you read my previous blog about our 4 hour drive to/from Indiana you might wonder why we were doing this.

We set out last Friday (the 6th) at about 7:30 a.m. The first 30 mintues were so nice and peaceful we thought "this is nice" and then it started (but we were smart enough this time to place each little one in seperate seats. I honestly didn't think their hands could still reach one another but it's amazing what they can accomplish when they are driven to harm one another! The trip wasn't so bad...except to say I will NEVER go back to Arkansas again and so I don't offend anyone from Arkansas I won't list my reason's why.
We arrived in Hot Springs around 3:00 p.m. and drove up to the park for some great views. It was really beautiful. Back down the mountain and we all got to put our hand in the hot spring which really made you want to jump in and soak it was soooo warm! Then it was off to the Alligator farm. I have no words to explain this place...other than to say um, is there inbreeding in Arkansas? The kids absoultly loved it, which was most important, and the alligators scared the poop out of me! So I guess the 20 minute tour that cost $27 was well worth it.
We drove around a bit and decided to head to Little Rock since we were meeting friends there on Saturday anyway. We got our room at the Embassy (we would be staying there on saturday as well) and then the fun begin.
We promised the boys a dip in the pool. There were about 20 kids all unsupervised and let's just say after two "talks" with them, security coming for which I actually feared for my life when 5 little girls swarmed me and asked if I called security on them, we decided we had enough swimming. We headed to our room, after complaining to the manager who was currently trying to locate all the parents who thought it was appropriate to let kids ages 5-10 swim alone. We listened to the kids run past our room until well after midnight. I complained the next morning and the hotel did feel really bad so we ended up with one night free and we were assured that the same people causing the "ruckus" were checking out that day.
The rest of the vacation went well. Our friend's arrived that afternoon and we all had a great time catching up and letting the kids play together. We shopped at a mall (I think that's what it was...), ate, went swimming and ordered a late night pizza. All in all if I had to rate this vacation on a scale of 1-10 I would give it an 8. We were together as a family, we had a nice hotel room, ate great food, got to see friends and the kids had a blast. They came home with souveniers from Build-A-Bear (Jake has "Kool" the Koala bear and Grayson has "doggie" the dog). Next vacation? We know it's not Arkansas!

Potty training...or not!

Last night at Walmart I bought a new brand of pull-ups. The kind that makes them feel cold when they start to pee! I explained it to Grayson and said are you ready to wear pull-ups and use the potty all day long (we've been using the potty on and off for a few months but he tends to not like it) so last night he said "yah". I explained how the pull-ups work and how when he feels wet he needs to come up and he can just pull the potty pants down. He was all excited. Of course by the time we got home and got baths last night it was bedtime so I put his regular diaper on him (pull-ups are expensive and I KNOW he won't do it at night so why waste that money).
First thing this morning I said are you ready to be a big boy and put your pull-up on? His reply? "No, no big boy for me". I asked again and again "nope". I said aren't you even a little interested in being like Jake and using the potty? Again, big fat no. Then I tried to fib and reminded him of Gracie's party on Sunday and how only little boys who wore pull-ups could attend. He looked at me and said "oh" and thought about it for a minute and he put the pull-up on. I've asked him repeatedly do you need to potty and I get a "no". I reminded him again of the party...his reply? "I wear pull-up, just no potty". My mistake...I should have stressed from the beginning you had to actually potty and not just wear the pull-up!!!

Fried Whity's

Okay, your probably thinking what are "fried whity's".
This past weekend we went to Arkansas (I won't even blog about that part...other than to say why does anyone go to Arkansas???)
So anyway we met a friend of mine there that I hadn't seen, well at least spoken to in about 8 years. We met her and her husband and their kids whom my kids completly adored. They have a son Derek who is 12 and their daughter Whitney who is 9. Earlier this week as Grayson and I were reading and playing I asked him the normal questions, how old are you, who are your friends blah blah. So he went through his normal list, of mommy, daddy, Jake, Jacob, Katy, mamaw and papaw and then he goes "whity". I go who is Whity? He said "my fried Whity". I said you mean Whitney from this weekend? He goes "yah, I wuv her". I thought it was soooo cute! So now whenever I think of Whitney, I think of "fried Whity".

Family Meeting/Score 1 for Mommy

So after cleaing up a billion messes yesterday and the boys not listening to me I decided to have a "family meeting" last night when Jason got home.
Behavior has been out of control at our house. Taking food wherever they want, sneaking it downstairs, leaving their clothes lying wherever they choose, socks all over, dishes on the table, food all over the table and the floor.

Everyone now has their own chores. Besides the fact that once you get up from the table, you are done (which means, I throw your plate of food away even if your not done eating), they must clear their plates, pick up their clothes and their rooms. Jake is responsible for bringing folded towels upstairs to put away while Grayson is responsible for gathering the shoes to put away (not too hard because we have a shoe bin they get thrown into). Jason is resonsible for dishes and vacuuming and I do the dusting and scouring. Last night everyone did as asked. We even changed bedtimes from 7:30 to 7:45 because the boys were giving us a hard time and up/down every few mintues and just changing the bedtime 15 minutes we never heard a peep. Score 1 for mommy. If I have to have a ten minute family meeting each night...I'd say it's well worth it!

Now I know why my parents hated vacations

It's not so much the vacation part as the driving part. We used to go 16 hours back to NY. All we had is 4 1/2 hours back to MO. The ENTIRE trip went something like this:

Jake: Are we there yet (and this was repeated every 5 minutes)

Grayson: I want Papaw (repeated about every 10 minutes)

Jake: I'm hungry (repeated every five minutes)

Grayson: Jake hit me...Jake has my color (repeated every 5 minutes)

Jake: You wanna see Papaw Grayson...to bad (repeated each time Grayson said I want Papaw).

Laura: I can't take it anymore.

Jason: We are NEVER going on a trip again.

Arrive home after 5 1/2 hours and unpack. Getting ready to do laundry and repack to go to Arkansas which is further away. I know, I'm asking for it. I can't complain.

Now I know why my parents hated vacations

It's not so much the vacation part as the driving part. We used to go 16 hours back to NY. All we had is 4 1/2 hours back to MO. The ENTIRE trip went something like this:

Jake: Are we there yet (and this was repeated every 5 minutes)

Grayson: I want Papaw (repeated about every 10 minutes)

Jake: I'm hungry (repeated every five minutes)

Grayson: Jake hit me...Jake has my color (repeated every 5 minutes)

Jake: You wanna see Papaw Grayson...to bad (repeated each time Grayson said I want Papaw).

Laura: I can't take it anymore.

Jason: We are NEVER going on a trip again.

Arrive home after 5 1/2 hours and unpack. Getting ready to do laundry and repack to go to Arkansas which is further away. I know, I'm asking for it. I can't complain.

Traumatization

Jason's parents (also known as Yay-Yay and Papaw) decided to keep the boys overnight on saturday while we are home visiting. Jason and I had a great dinner and did some shopping and spent some quality time with eachother (and my mom and dad)!!! We met his parents at church Sunday and Grayson's reaction was as if I had been away for a month. His eyes welled up, tears came down and he clung to me. He was giving Yay-Yay and Papaw dirty looks during church. He finally softened up halfway through church (I think when Yay-Yay went and got him some snacks). Now, there was no reason for him to be upset other than he is not used to being away from me. He has fun over there and he was fine until he realized at bedtime...mommy was not there. Well, yesterday Jason took the boys for the day so my mom and I could go shop in Brown County. He went to go visit his dad and when they pulled in the driveway Grayson started screaming. He clung to his seatbelt and REFUSED to get out of the van. They tried to coax him out offering him the keys, wallets to ensure that Jason was not leaving him there. They called me and he kept crying and screaming for me. I promised him he was coming back to me to stay with and not staying overnight. After about 30 minutes Jason said he was finally able to coax him out. I think he might have to go to a therapist after this.

Chocolate ice cream--YUM

Last night we took the boys and Katy to the park and for icecream. They had loads of fun playing in the sandbox. We stopped for icecream and of course Grayson got a chocolate cone. He was a mess! It was fun watching him as he was trying to lick the cone as he was dripping. He was running around my mom's front yard and he came over to us and said "I pooped" with a grin on his face. Well, I thought he was teasing me because he had chocolate all over his face, shirt, arms, hands and dripping down his legs onto his old shoes. I got out wipes to clean him up and my mom said "I think it is poop". I told her no, it's icecream and smelled the wipe. IT WAS NOT ICECREAM!!!!!! He had pooped and it was running all down his legs. It took 15 minutes to get him cleaned up and Jason had to hose off the shoes. I'm not sure I'll be able to eat chocolate icecream ever again!!

Daddy's Home

All is well with the world now. At least for Jake and Grayson!

Payback

I figured while Jason was gone this week that the bedtimes were going to be horrible. To my suprise Grayson went out very early each night (4:00 p.m. on Monday and 6:30 Tues and Wed.) I figured I'd pay for this. I did. This morning he woke me up at 3:00 a.m. I tried to get him to go back to sleep for 30 minutes but he was ready to go (apparently all the extra sleep he had finally kicked in). So we got up so we didn't disturb Jake but less than 5 minutes after we were up Jake came out. So three cups of coffee later...I'm still sleepy! I wonder how I can coax him into a morning nap?

Where's Papaw when we need him?

The boys and I decided to go to Steak-n-Shake tonight. They ordered their usual grilled cheese with fries and a chocolate shake. Normally the only time we go to steak-n-shake Mamaw and Papaw are with us but not today. Jake said "where's Papaw when we need him". I said what do you mean. He replied "who's going to eat the cherry from my milkshake". Grayson piped in "we'll save for papaw". Papaw is lucky I convinced the boys that the cherry might not be so good to eat after two or three days. We just left them on the table.

Things that make you go hmmm...

Since Jason has been gone the boys have been sleeping in bed with me. Probably more for my comfort than theirs. I make sure to turn all the alarms on, then we lock the bedroom door and I put my hope chest against it (I know, I'm a little scaredy cat). Anyway, this morning I woke up with one of Grayson's socks on my face. Strange.

Verbs+ action verbs+ counting money=meltdown

Jake receives a homework packet every week that is due on Friday. The last two weeks they seem to have been getting harder and harder (message to parents is they are preparing them for 2nd grade and 2nd grade expects alot out of them). As Jake and I sat at the table last night doing homework he breezed through the math part (obviously does not take after mommy) but as we got to the verb parts and counting money it became clear he was not quite sure what was what. I couldn't even tell what money was what and the verbs...I mean I know an action verb is something that shows action. You would think (or at least I do) that performer is an action verb, right? Wrong, it is not an action verb and it took another mom to tell me that! Isn't a performer performing something i.e. they are doing an action? Well, after 45 minutes on just the verbs and money Jake and I had it out. He was looking to me to give him the answers and I felt he wasn't trying hard enough. It's been a long week with Jason gone and I was running out of patience. We put the homework up, he was in tears and I called Jen. Thank God, she confirmed that indeed this homeworks was HARD and she had to just give Gracie some answers because how do we expect them to know that a half dollar+a nickel+ 2 pennies= .57???? They have not even seen a half dollar (and to be honest until Jen told me it was a halfdollar I did not even know. So, after haning up with Jen, Jake and I talked and I opologized to him. I was being to hard. He tries so hard. Tutoring on Mon. and Wed. so we decided he was taking a break today. Normally Wed. is late start (8:45) but because of turoring he has to be there at 7:30 so we skipped it today. I know, I know, if he doesn't know the work doesn't it make sense to go to tutoring so why did I let him skip? He needed a break. We all need a break sometimes. We've decided that now when we are working on homework and one of us gets frustrated we each just say "take 5" and that means we leave the table and we'll meet back in 5 minutes to start again. Jake got a good night's sleep, slept in, had eggs for breakfast and was ready for school. Tonight, we'll finish our homework.

Conversation with a fly

Grayson was chasing a fly around the living room and he cornered it at the window. I left to go the bathroom and came back to find him holding an almost empty water bottle and he actually caught the fly in the bottle and put the lid on him (he takes after Jake). Here's the following conversation:

Grayson: Ha, I got you fry. Wook, (and he points to the window)now you can't go now. I pirate. AAAARRRRRGH.

FLY: I believe he died because there was still some water in the bottle:)

And no, these are not misspellings. I thought it cuter to type the way he said it rather than correct it!

Are you kidding me??????

Well Jason left for Texas yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m. (we started missing him at 9:01). The day was a bit hectic and Grayson seemed to be more wound up than usual (if that possible) and when I picked Jake up from after school tutoring the teacher said "he is a little hyper today". I asked if he wanted to take both boys home for the evening because Grayson was hyper as well and if laughed and gave me a big fat no. I said well, I'm in for a long week because their daddy left this morning and I think that's why they are acting so hyper and he said "yah, good luck with that!" I really thought the evening was going to be a alot of chaos, bickering and me ending up with a migraine crying on the phone to Jason BUT it didn't turn out that way! Grayson fell asleep on the couch at 4:00 p.m. and I actually got to have an uninterrupted phone call, spend some quality time with Jake and eat in peace. I actually got concerned around 7:00 because he still wasn't up and by 7:30 I was thinking great he's going to be up all night long I should have woke him a long time ago but he was actually snoring when I went down there and didn't even bat an eyelash as I closed the windows and turned off the t.v. so I thought well...let's see if I can just put him to bed. I turned off all the lights, put Jake in my room (the boys always sleep with me while Jason is gone) and went downstairs to grab him. He never even stirred. He actually made a couple of kissing sounds but with his eyes closed. I layed him down and we all went to sleep. Around 1:00 he wanted a drink and I thought oh, he'll stay up but he took his drink of water and went back to sleep. The next time he awoke it was still dark so I figured it was probably 4:00 a.m. and I told him to lie back down. He growled at me and asked for a drink of water and as I got up and looked at the clock I couldn't beleive it was 6:15 a.m.! That stinker had slept over 14 hours even skipping dinner. Of course he ate a bag of minimuffins in about 1 minute. I figured maybe it was from all the running outside yesterday and so after we dropped Jake off I let him out back outside to play...maybe I'll get another 4:00 p.m. bedtime!

A babysitter, a benefit, a birthday party and more!

We had a pretty busy weekend. We actually had a babysitter for Friday evening. Jason's employee Chris and his wife, Tamara, offered to come over and watch the boys on Friday evening so we could go out for dinner alone! Why would they want to do this? Well, they have 6 grown kids so maybe they just miss this stage! We did bribe the boys to behave for them in the hopes that if the boys were so good maybe they would offer again and again! It worked out great and the kids loved them. Grayson even let Tamara rock him and he gave her a kiss on the cheek (he's very stingy with his kisses).

Saturday we did some shoe shopping and got ready for a benefit Saturday night. There is a litlte girl named Emma who was diagnosed with Leukemia in November at age 9 months. For Christmas the boys (mainly Jake) decided to give up one of his gifts and we found the hot ticket item of TMX Elmo and he gave it to Emma for Christmas. We bought tickets a few weeks ago for the benefit and Jake was very excited. He always asks about her and we frequently make calls to check on Emma's progress. I'm pleased to say she is in remission (Ya Emma!).

Today we cleaned house (well, I did) and the boys all played outside. We went to a birthday party for Renee's litlte girl Kaleigh and we had TONS of fun. We just got back from getting ice cream and the boys have had their baths and are ready for bed. Jason is packing for his trip (stay tuned for lots of blogs this week while he is gone...4 whole days just the boys and I). We miss everyone and are excited to go visit next week.

Bad Daddy retraction...

In reference to the post "Bad Daddy" he insists that he did not say that. He wants it know that he said "bull crap". I don't know that it's any better but hey, I gave him the retraction.

TGIF...or is it?

Jake stayed home from school today. I had a Dr. appointment for myself this morning so I knew it was already going to be a fun day. The doctor actually almost laughed at me because I was in there because I am "exhausted" and of course the boys were running all over etc...and she looked at them and then at me and said "I would be too!". But this is more than just the run of the mill exhaustion. I'm too tired to do anything. I go to sleep at 6:30 in the evening so she decides I probably need to have some blood work done and check some things. I find out those results on Monday. Jake had his appointment for the Dr. this afternoon. They have finally put him on some allergy medicine so let's hope this does the trick. The boys just seem to be so wild today. The guy Jason works with actually told Jason the other day that he, his wife and their 17-year old step-daughter were coming over tonight to watch the boys so Jason and I could go out...I sort of him-hawed about it because well I'd really like to go out with the hubby but I don't know this couple that well and so Jason had told him no to worry about it but they insist they are. I half hope they do show up because I surely could use an hour for me and Jason. So this was probably a boring blog but I sort of needed to get my bad day out of my system.

Bad daddy...

Her's my conversation with Jake as we are driving home after I pick him up from school.

Mommy--So how was your day?

Jake--good, how was yours?

Mommy--good. What did you learn today?

Jake--nothing, how was Grayson?

Mommy-Good, he missed you.

Jake--oh, there's that thing daddy was mad at today on the way to school this morning.

Mommy--what thing?

Jake--that big white thing right there that tells you how fast your going. You can only go 20 miles per hour. Daddy says that's bullshit.

Mommy--Daddy shouldn't have said that but you don't repeat bad words. You know that's a bad word.

Jake--I forgot. Sorry

Grayson--shit.

Any wonder why my head hurts.

Stupid Phone Company

So last week I have to call our phone company, I won't name names but they know who they are, because we were supposed to have a $99 credit on our bill they failed to give us so after about 45 mintues I get that taken care of and the girl says o.k. your balance is etc...so I pay. Today I get a phone call bright and early from the company saying I am past due and due for disconnection. After about a 2 hour phone call in which I speak to five different people and come to the conclusion that there is indeed a past due amount that "their" person added wrong last Thursday when she told me my amount due (now why didn't I add myself you might ask and since I was trying to keep my 2 year-old in sight and occupied so he wouldn't destroy my house I was assuming someone who was working in customer service in the BILLING department could actually add). So as I am spending the hours on the phone today and have to do all the arithmatic figuring five times (for each person they connect me to) I finally get it taken care of and pay the $46.72 I still owed. I walk into my living room to find that Grayson has made himself a snack on my floor which was a mixture of popcorn, cereal and cheese-um chips which he so diligently smashed into the carpet. To be honest, I was really more mad at the phone company that Grayson. What was he supposed to do without my undivided attention? So I start getting it cleaned up and the phone rings. Guess who. Yup, the telephone company requiring me to pay my past due amount to avoid interruption of service. I won't tell you what I told them they could do with their service.

Frazzled Mommy?

Monday's are always a bad day for me. Jake has late tutoring and you would think since I pick him up an hour later than normal I would have plenty of time but that's not the case. Grayson always wants juice, snack or we can't find shoes or he needs to "potty weally bad" like in today's case (even though I just changed his diaper an hour ago) so as normal we are running late and I don't have time to change out of my work-out clothes(and we didn't even go to the Y today)and I realize after we walk into the school that I've forgotten to put my bra back on and am wearing flip flops caked in mud and my pony tail is pretty much non-existent . As I'm waiting for Jake I am on the ground trying to help Grayson zip up a Thomas bag and Jake and the tutor come out and the teacher looks at me and says "you look a little frazzled today...LOL". I'm still hoping that frazzled is lingo for something better like PHAT vs. Fat but more than likely it doesn't:)

Boys night out

I signed Jake up this week for the "kids night out" at the YMCA (Grayson was not yet old enough but come May he will be!). For $5 he got a hotdog, chips, drink, swam, played bingo, ran around with his friends and according to him had "the best night of his life" and being the thoughtful little boy he is he even got his little brother a little ducky at the YMCA with his money. Jen (my new friend here) picked us up and we took the kiddies over to the YMCA. I gave Jake the rules -do not leave the building with anyone other than mommy or daddy, no screaming for help in the pool unless he needs it, there's no reason for an adult to take him in a room alone (can't be too sure these days) and to have loads of fun. I gave him $5 for the snack bar. Jason had left earlier to take Grayson to McDonald's (so there would be no meltdown as Jake and I left). We dropped the kids off and of course, being Jake's first official outing I was nervous. Jen assured me he'd be fine. This was the third one for her kids. We were off to Cracker Barrel and to do some shopping and the last stop was St. Louis Bread Co. right by the YMCA where we got some coffee and sat and talked until it was time to get the kids.
We got home about 9:45 and Grayson and Jason were both asleep in our room. Jake got in his bed and waited for me to bring Grayson in (though they both have their own room they can't sleep without one another). As I put Grayson in bed, Jake tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the forehead and told him he missed him. Grayson kept right on sleeping but nuzzled close to Jake. Jason told me that Grayson looked all sad at McDonald's and barely played. He asked him what was wrong and asked if he missed Jake and Grayson said "yah". Their next stop was for an ice cream and a drive. They ended up at a gravel pit and got out to look at the mounds of gravel and Grayson thought it was "neat". Their last stop was home and some cuddle time with daddy with a few questions of "where's mama" thrown in every few minutes. This morning the boys shared a few hugs and miss you's but that was over an hour ago. Now all I hear is "give it back" and "I'm telling mommy".

Nap time...thank goodness he can't tell time

Grayson is really trying to "outgrow" his naptimes. Some days I do let him skip them only to regret it at 4:00 p.m. when he has a meltdown because because Dora didn't answer him back. Well, today I had some things to do and Jason was outside working on our fence so I told Grayson it was nap time. That led to a ten-minute meltdown. I finally convinced him to lie down with me and told him I would wake him up in five minutes. He agreed. Closed his eyes, opened them and said "five mint momma". I said I know. He fell asleep and I left to go do things I needed to get done. Thank the lord he can't tell time yet or I'd have been in big trouble when he realized he had slept two hours. He still thinks it was only five mints!)

Why I am blogging

I decided to start blogging because I want to try and remember every memory I can of my boys for when they are older. For instance a couple of months back my 2-year old painted our downstairs black as well as put beads in the toaster. I'd like to think this is not a memory I would forget but as I get older (and I'll never admit it to my hubby) I don't always remember everything now! I'd like to look back on conversations I've had with my kids like this week, my oldest, Jake, came home from school and told me they lost 5 minutes at recess because they were being loud at lunch but "he had no part in it". I found out days later that he and one of his little friends started it by having a burbing contest. When I asked Jake about this his reply was "I have no memory of that incident". I want to remember every action, every quirk they have, even their bad days. I want them to know that I cherish every moment of their lives.
So while this page is mainly for me I hope that you enjoy it!