Randomness...

_Sigh_ It's another one of those days...curtains back, blinds open, windows up. I love this prefall weather...Its prefect for playing outside all day...laying on a blanket with the bebe and watching Jackson roll around with the dogs...and sipping on tea in the evenings. The only thing I have to complain about it is... mine and Jackson's sinus' are taking a toll. But I am so grateful that we have been healthy and sickness free for a long while. Avie is showing no signs of a stuffy nose and I accredit that to nursing. She must have hit a growth spurt these last few days because I feel that my nights are spent nursing every 3 hours again...its about time for homemade baby food! I did try her on some rice cereal but she acts like its the worst thing shes ever put in her mouth. In fact I've tried it several times, and every time she flails back in her bumbo seat...if she was able to physically get out...she would! I did give her some mashed carrots I made last night and she didn't seem to mind that much...they are a little more sweeter too.

Well I don't have a follow up on Jackson and Wee Rock, because he didn't go this Sunday. He fell asleep 10 minutes before I had to leave and I wasn't about to wake him up...or I would have had a repeat of last week for certain. I do think he is starting to like Avie a bit more...his new thing is he likes to wrestler her...and no I really don't let him wrestler her...I just let him think he is (now that I write this...maybe that's not a good idea). He lays down on his back and I fly her over him, and she grabs his hair...he thinks its hilarious and so does she! Then she lands on his belly and Jack thinks she is trying to tickle him...then he tries to push her off. So we are experiencing "some" brotherly/sisterly love! Avie is just so in love with her brother...she smiles and laughs at him more than she does me....and he doesn't even try. All he has to do is look at her!

Lately I have been finding random objects placed in random places...and I'm not talking toys here and there. The other day I pulled open the drawer in my kitchen to get a dishrag and I find a half eaten granola bar instead...Another morning I go to turn the toaster oven on and there is a DD battery inside (I wonder if that could be dangerous)...and last night, I open the oven to put some cookies in and find a bell....like a ding ding ding bell! I would like to think that I watch him closely enough, that I would notice him pulling up a chair to the toaster oven, notice a DD battery in his hand and see him putting it in the toaster...all I can think is...must have happened when daddy was "watching" him. Which reminds me of last night, when daddy was in charge of watching Jack while I bathed Avie. I was headed towards Avie's room to put on her diaper and p.j.'s when I notice the door is closed. Great!... I think to myself...wonder who's in there. I open the door to a room filled cloud of white dust!...he found the powder! "What do YOU think you are doing," I asked..."I cleanin up," he joyfully responds with dust pan and broom in hand! There are puddles of powder all over the carpet, and he is trying to "sweep" them up... hence the cloud of white dust! I think he realizes that he is not having much luck with this method and tells me that we need to use the vacuum! Man this kid keeps me busy!

Avie - 4 months

Jackson 2 months

She loves to sleep with a blanket over her face

This is how Avie feels about rice cereal!

Chocolate Face!

Wait...is that really My child????

I recently started teaching "Wee Rock" at our church on Sunday evenings. Its a childrens program based on music and bible verses. I've kinda had to tweak the program for the two year old class...obviously they are not at the level of memorizing bible verses on a short term basis. Anyhoo...I had a very interesting first day! My dear son is also in my class...something I've been looking forward to...something that him and I could do together...something important that I could instill in him. Trying to be the prepared and organized person that I am, I arrived early to set up my classroom and prepare for the lesson. I had my husband drop my son off closer to start time. I got to meet my two wonderful helpers...both of them excited to be part of my class and privileged of my child development background. I have a lot to show up to! I met Brandon for the trade off and Jackson seemed so excited about Wee Rock! The arriving activity is Play Doe...and Jack is the first to play. Everything is going well until the eight other two year olds arrive...and my son turns into an undomesticated child....literally! In his two years, 3 months of his life he has forgotten everything I have taught him! By the end of the class I really wanted to beat him....I spent more time...correcting him...breaking up brawls with him and other kids...retrieving craft materials from him...returning paper hearts that he had stolen from other kids....removing him from the tops of tables...turning off the water in the sink (why they have a sink at a childs level I will never know)...and trying to coax him to sit with the rest of the group. I was tired, exhausted, and most of all embarrassed...and no, I have never before observed this kind of behavior in him. I pretty much got Jack and ran out of there once all the other kids were gone. I got in the car and took a much needed deep breath. There were so many things that I wanted to say and do to him. But I began by asking him if he liked Wee Rock, he responded with "uh huh"....then I asked him what his favorite part was, he said "da wee rock". Although his behavior was completely unacceptable I tried to think of why he behaved the way he did...maybe he was jealous of the attention I showed the other children...maybe he doesn't know how to "play" with other children...maybe he needs to get out more often. I started telling him things that he did that were inappropriate...not listening, taking toys, pushing and hitting friends...and let him know that I was very upset with him, he responded..."I sorry mommy"...at least he was remorseful. Then I told him the things that I liked seeing him do. I had to think hard..."the heart you colored was so pretty,"....."and I am so proud that you tee teed on the potty."

So for now we will start out fresh...a new day...let's just hope that it's a better day....and let me just say that no amount of education and classes can prepare you for parenthood!

Just when we think they got it

Well we are back from vacation. We took a trip with my family to Perdido Key and had a wonderful time...although I am still recouping. I always seem to get in this down and out mood after vacations...I think because we are constantly doing things to keep busy on vacation and when I get home its back to the norm. Jackson loved the beach...he really could have stayed playing in the sand and pool the whole time. Avie on the other had didn't care much for the beach. I think the wind bothered her...but she did like the pool when it was warm. My mom and Joel taught her how to stick out her tongue...and now she does it all the time, and expects me to make a bunch of "hoora" when she does it:) Another new thing she has started doing is smacking her lips...she likes the sound it makes...drives me nuts. She also has good control of grasping things and putting them strait into her mouth. She can actually play with a few toys now.

Let's move on to Jackson now, since he has been my headache for the past few weeks. I guess I am starting to experience what they call the "terrible twos" although I never imagined it would be a teenager shoved in a two year old body. He has started back talking me lately...which has turned his rear into a permanent shade of pink! I feel like all I do is spank all day. We were also doing so good with the potty training, but I made the mistake of putting pull ups on him while we were on vacation. I new we would be traveling for long periods of time and it would be hard to stop so many times. Soooo we have been retraining for the past few days and I feel like I am back at day 1. After the second day and numerous accidents I finally decided to let him run naked for the rest of the day not to mention I had no clean underwear for him. He is usually great with poohing on the potty and always tells me when he has to go....well not this day. I observed him straining in the middle of the floor and looked at him with a stern eye and told him he better go get on the potty if he needed to pooh. He did run to the potty only to tell me that "it's not ready yet mommy", so I made sure to tell him to come get on the potty when he was ready. Mean while the door bell rang and it was some young lady doing a survey. Trying to hide my naked child that was crawling under my legs to take a look...I apologized...there was no hiding this child....told her we were potty training...she gave me some weird looks and continued quickly with her 4 question survey about air pollution. Upon completion of the survey I go to pick Jack up and notice that I have brown streaks on the couch and pillows. Disgusted I carry him to the bathroom while trying to dodge turds on the floor. I sit Jack on the toilet and tell him not to move while I go clean up the mess. I can hear him rehearsing his lines..."I not going get a spanking mommy"..."Oh yes you are" I yell to him. "But momma you my best friend" he says. Its hard to believe that they can come up with "excuses" at this age! Or maybe its just because he's a male!

Brandon finally makes it home....late...but home. He notices that I am exhausted and had a rough day. We both sit on the couch while he eats dinner and he gets up to put down the blinds that are up. He pauses then looks at me and says..."do you have any idea how a turd got on the window ceil?" I just busted out laughing! "I guess I missed one," I said. Then I got to thinking about the surveyor that came by earlier that day...a mental picture popped in my head of Jack's bare butt in front of the window and a turd...that lady was probably thinking...potty training...lady you have a long way to go!

Jackson and Avie with their Nana & PeePaw

Daddy & Jack in a big hole they dug

Momma & Avie in the pool

Miss Avie

Jackson in the sand

Summer days are gone too soon!

Its soooo crazy that this summer is almost over...we've done a lot, but not nearly everything that I had planned! We recently went hiking in Tunica Hills. I know!... after it was all said and done, I asked myself...why did you bring a 2 year old and a 3 month old on a 3 hour hike! It was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Avie did great...she just sat in the baby sling on my chest while I toted her around. Jack was a tough boy...I have to brag and say that no two year old could have hiked up and down hills like he did! He occupied himself with sticks and rocks and the sounds of the locusts in the trees...which kept him going because he thought that they were snakes coming to get him. We finally made it to one of the larger water falls and somehow ended up at the top of it, thanks to my husbands wonderful since of navigation. It would have been perfect if Jack wasn't so curious about trying to see the bottom....made me so nervous. Luckily its so dry this time of year that the streams were shallow and Jack was able to play in the water. We decided to hang out and play for a while since we had a long hike back. Avie enjoyed putting her feet in the water as well. The hike back was somewhat dreadful...we were all so tired. Jack was very irritable and was moving at a snails pace. We finally made it back with tears, sweat, headaches, and very sore legs.

Sunday we went to church...a Sunday morning that I actually dreaded. Jack has started throwing a fit when we leave him in the nursery...it started shortly after Avie was born. He has been at my moms the past few weekends, so we haven't had to deal with it....up until last Sunday. Brandon decided that he was going to bring him because "its just me" that is making him cry. Well after I dropped Avie off in her classroom I was headed to our class, and I see Brandon coming out of Jacks class (FYI he left a good 15 minutes before I did to bring Jack, so he has been in Jacks classroom for a good while) and Jack screaming is soon to follow... And I am happy to know that "its not just me". It's a horrible feeling as a parent...knowing that your child is screaming in agony for you! We both stood in the hallway waiting/hoping his screams would subside. They eventually did. But guess who leaves in the middle of Sunday school and before church to check on jack...daddy does:) I knew it would get to him!

Did I mention my wonderful sister came too!

Couldn't have done it without her.

...And this is when the tears started

"Mommy I lu you!"

I made it up at 7:15 this morning. Eventually I will make it to 6:00 a.m. This is my new goal, to wake up at 6:00. I figure I can get so much more done while the kiddos are still asleep and by the time they get up at 9:00, I can spend the morning with them instead of cleaning up the house; besides, I enjoy watching cartoons too! I am an awful morning person though, which is why I couldn't live without coffee. I turned into an obsessed coffee drinker after I had Jackson!

Avie has all of the sudden discovered that she has a voice...she has been babbling like crazy, mostly to offset her brother, I'm sure she feels she can never get a word in. Jackson spent the weekend with Nana and PeePaw and when we were on our way home Sunday from picking him up, Avie was so happy to see him back in the backseat next to her. She would look at him and grin....well he fell asleep 2 minutes out the driveway...so she would show him. She must have tried talking to him for 20 minutes trying to get him to notice her...it was too cute! She really loves her brother.

Jackson has just started at random, telling me..."I lu you mommy!" Its the sweetest thing ever and makes my heart just melt. I remember the first time he told me...it was about 3 weeks ago and I was putting on my makeup, and he came up to me, wrapped his arms around my leg and said, I lu you! I actually got happy tears in my eyes=..) Another time...just yesterday, I was getting so frustrated with him because he wouldn't take a nap. Finally I decided that I would just lay down with him, so I snuggled up beside him on the couch and he turned over to face me and put his hand on my face and said, "Mommy I lu you!"

avie.3.months

4th of July Weekend

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend, spent with family and friends. Friday my accident prone son took his second trip to the ER for an out of socket elbow. It is mostly my fault if not all my fault, but no parent likes to admit that they pulled their childs' arm out of socket. Jack was sitting in Avie's swing and we were listening to the radio and I wanted him to come dance with me so I pulled him out of the swing by both of his hands and at the same time he pulled back...which lead to the elbow coming out of socket. He cried in my arms for a while and made sure to tell me that I hurt his arm...made me feel terrible! I really didn't think it was going to become of anything until he cried every time I touched his arm and when he wouldn't get down to play when his friend Sammy came to see him. So long story short I did end up taking him to the ER and the x ray revealed an elbow out of socket. The doctor came in and rolled it back into socket and after many tears and some Motrin we were sent home. He was sleeping before we pulled out of the parking lot...

Our friends from Shreveport arrived earlier and I felt terrible for having to leave Avie with them. It was now dinner time and we decided to get pizza in St.Fransisville and let the boys ride the ferry across the Mississippi...they absolutely loved it! Jackson woke up like nothing had happened. There was a game room at the pizza place we ate at with Guitar Hero...Jack picked up the guitar and started playing like he was a rock star...I knew he was going to be just fine!

Saturday Sandra and I went to get pedicures while Brandon and Jeff went hiking at Port Hudson with the boys. Avie slept on my lap most of the time....I think the massage chair put her to sleep. It was good to catch up on girl talk that I so desperately needed. After lunch we went out to my moms and went swimming and then grilled burgers and dogs. It was a wonderful time. On the way home the guys bought fireworks that we would later find out was a waste of 60 bucks! They had good intentions for us to sit in our lawn chairs in the back yard on a 4th of July night and give us a fireworks show. Little did they know that Sammy was going to be deathly afraid of the fireworks and Jack was more than bothered by the smoke and flames that the sparklers let off! So...inside we go...I hope the guys enjoyed popping the fireworks by themselves.

Sunday I spent the day cleaning the house...it looked like a tornado hit it. Jack even made the comment that his room was a mess and he needed to clean it up. I think he found toys that he didn't even know he had!

Despite the mess we did have a great 4th of July weekend and were glad our friends came down to spend it with us!

The bunch at my moms swimming

Sandra and Sammy doing sparklers and Jack in

back ground throwing a fit.

This face is unexplainable!

This is after he said smoke and fire was on him

from the sparklers!

Fun Times

Well, I'm back. I am having a much needed cup of coffee right now, while bouncing Avie in her bouncy seat! We've had a pretty busy week. Aunt Tottie came and stayed with us all last week, and it was so great! I love it when she comes...not only can I get things done, but it is so much easier to go places with an extra hand! We also made a trip to Shreveport during the weekend for Sammy's 2nd birthday. The boys really enjoyed playing together! Brandon had a wonderful Father's Day and received his gift a whole two days early...he can thank Jack for that. As soon as Brandon walked in the door from work, Jack announced loud and clear that he bought him a drill! He was so excited about getting a drill for his daddy. We also made him a book titled "Daddy and Me!" It has pictures of Jackson and his daddy doing their favorite things together.

Sunday we went out to Nana and Pee Paw's and went swimming, while daddy stayed home and "cleaned the house," I don't know how fair that was. Jackson followed Pee Paw around the whole time! They worked on tractors, rode tractors, found bird nests, ate bubblegum...all kinds of fun things that Pee Paw's do! Jackson absolutely loves his Nana and Pee Paw and I am so thankful for them.

Monday I woke up feeling icky with sinus stuff, we just stayed inside all day. Today I'm feeling better, but not completely back to myself again...hopefully by tom.

Here are a few pics of our outings the past week.

Miss Avies' first time in the pool!

Jackson and Samson

Me and the kids at Avery Island