Forgive me if I'm a tad bit sarcastic tonight. Consider yourself warned.
Apparently this blog has taken a back burner once again. I'll not make any excuses for my absence, except it might be that I've had nothing to say.
"Nothing" might be an exaggeration, as I've had several one-liners in mind, but as you've noticed over the duration of this blog, one-liners on this blog are not common.
Would you be surprised to know that I am actually a woman of few words? Those of you that don't know me in real life might find that hard to believe, considering the posts that run on forsweetever around here, but it is true. I am not one of those women that have 10,000 words per day. 2,000 might be more accurate.
My husband, on the other hand, takes up the slack. That man can talk, y'all!
I can pick on him right now, because he's in bed with the flu. Actually, the flu test came back negative, but how else do you explain body aches, chills, and fever?
I better not pick on him anymore, because I have been praying that the Lord would protect the boys and me from this illness. As a result, I might oughtta mind my p's and q's tonight.
As the boys and I ate dinner this evening, Liam asked, "Mommy, if a stranger ever tries to take us, do we scream and punch?"
(I must pause here and let my mother know that she doesn't need to worry that some traumatic circumstance brought about this topic of conversation. Mom, he's fine. Nothing happened.
Liam is actually thinking of next school year, when he will pick up his brothers from their kindergarten classes and bring them to me. He thought that meant that they, the three amigos, were walking themselves all the way home, but I quickly informed him that I will be at the school's front door next year, just as I am this year.)
"Boys if a stranger ever tries to take you, you scream, kick them in the privates, and run for dear life," I said.
That statement brought the house down in roaring laughter from three little boys. Liam literally fell from his chair to roll on the floor.
The next 15 minutes were spent with each boy repeating, "Scream and kick them in the privates," and new bursts of laughter.
How's that for a one-liner?
I'm thinking that I didn't make much progress in the stranger danger talk tonight, so I need to relocate our DVD.
What is it with little boys and their fascination with such potty talk? God must find it quite funny to have given me three boys.
Very funny.
I believe I've now used my allotted 2,000 words for this day, so it must be time to curl up with my pillow and a book.
Good night.
More Than A One-Liner
Out of the Mouths of Babes
The boys have recently been talking about when they "grow up" and what they hope their lives will be like. Here are some excerpts:
Liam (6 years): Garrett, where do you want to live when we grow up?
Garrett (4 years): I want to live with the Aggies and my coach.
L: No! Don't you want to live with me?
G: Yea, but we have to live with the Aggies.
L: Mommy, will Garrett live with the Aggies forever?
Me: Well, people live in Aggieland during college, which takes about 4 years, but most people move away after that.
L: See, Garrett, we can't live with the Aggies forever. Do you want to live in Colorado or Florida?
G: Um, Colorado. No, no, I want to live near my Mommy.
M: [kisses that sweet baby]
As we were riding along in the car today, this conversation took place:
Liam: Garrett, do you want to be a baseball player when you grow up?
Me: [Silently: Does the crow fly?]
Garrett: Yes, I want to play for my Aggies.
Jack (4 years): We-y-ull, I'm gonna be a Polizei sometimes when I grow up. Yep, I'm gonna be a Polizei. I'm gonna be the Polizei because I'll be good at it.
Liam: You already are the Polizei.
Jack: We-y-ull, I'm still gonna be the Polizei sometimes.
Liam: Mommy, you know how many dogs I want when I grow up?
M: No, how many?
L: FOUR! [with his eyes wide]
M: Whoa! That's a lot of poop to pick up.
L: Can I bring them home to meet you sometimes?
M: Sure, as long as you clean up the poop.
L: Well, I'm gonna have 4 Dalmatians, and I'm gonna name them Sam, Sally, and...I don't know yet.
Jack: We-y-ull, I'm gonna have 2 dogs, and I'm gonna name them Samuel and Peter.
M: Will you have Dalmatians, too?
J: No, I'm gonna have.... Hmm, we-y-ull, I'm gonna have sheepdogs.
M: Will you have sheep, too?
J: Yes, I'll have sheep and 2 sheepdogs and they'll be named Samuel and Peter.
Garrett: I'm not gonna have dogs. I'll just come see Mommy's dog, but do you know how many babies I want to get, Mommy?
M: No, how many?
G: 100 babies. [with eyes wide and arms spread wide and far]
M: Whoa, that's a lot of work! Are you going to adopt those babies, because you said you're going to "get" 100 babies?
G: Uh-huh, I'm going to adopt 100 babies. And I'll buy a machine that will help me to carry them.
J: They don't make machines like that. They just have strollers that carry 1 or 2 babies at a time.
G: Well, I'll make a machine to carry 100 babies. And I'll stay at home with them. And then, when I get tired, I'll sell them and go to college at Texas A&M.
All About Mommy
I've seen this interview going around the blog world as well as Facebook. I thought it would be fun to hear my boys' answers. Perhaps only my husband and mom will enjoy it, but just in case the rest of you are interested.....
1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
L: I love you.
J: To obey.
G: Obey.
2. What makes Mommy happy?
L: To clean up.
J: To obey Mommy and Daddy.
G: Get in my seat quickly.
3. What makes Mommy sad?
L: When I grow up.
J: When I disobey. (Do you see a pattern here?)
G: Not obeying.
4. How does your Mommy make you laugh?
L: You tell me jokes.
J: When you do something very funny.
G: When I be funny.
5. What was your Mommy like as a child?
L: A girl.
J: She obey.
G: (frustrated) I don't know.
6. How old is your Mommy? (33)
L: 38
J: Um, 46.
G: I don't know. Um, 76.
7. How tall is your Mommy? (5'1")
L: Taller than us.
J: This tall. [squeezing thumb and forefinger together]
G: [looking me over from foot to toe] 07.
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
L: Play games and hug me.
J: To go to Sonlight (our homeschool co-op) and to clean.
G: To clean up the house.
9. What does your Mommy do when you're not around?
L: Go to the ice cream store.
J: Be sad.
G: Clean up the dishes.
10. If your Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
L: Rich.
J: Tell them your name.
G: Getting mad.
11. What is your Mommy really good at?
L: Hop scotch.
J: Being a school teacher.
G: Reading your Bible because you're smart.
12. What is your Mommy not very good at?
L: Playing pillow fight.
J: Not good at playing baseball. (Excuse me?! I think I'm better at it than he is.)
G: I can't 'member.
13. What does your Mommy do for a job?
L: Clean up the house from us.
J: Help us.
G: Worship God.
14.What is your Mom's favorite food?
L: Enchiladas.
J: Strawberries.
G: Hamburgers and carrots and vegetables and apples and peppers.
15.What makes you proud of your Mommy?
L: When you sing.
J: When you surprise me.
G: Going to the Aggie game.
16. If your Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
L: A vegetable.
J: Superman.
G: A good girl.
17. What do you and your Mommy do together?
L: Play with each other.
J: Play and laugh.
G: Go to the store with Didi (my mom).
18. How are you and your Mommy the same?
L: We both lay around. (I'd like to know when he's EVER seen me just "laying around"!)
J: When we be right.
G: We like to be together. Because you're a cute girl. (Yes, he's my charmer.)
19. How are you and your Mommy different?
L: You are big and I am small.
J: I am brown and Liam is brown and Garrett is brown and white and you and Daddy are white.
G: I'm brown and white and you are not.
20. How do you know your Mommy loves you?
L: Because you're my best friend. My #1 friend.
J: When we hug each other.
G: We love each other. We give hugs and be together.
21. What does your Mommy like most about your Dad?
L: You love him. Daddy's so special to you.
J: You give kisses and hugs.
G: He's your lover. (He tucked his chin in as if he was embarrassed, which makes me wonder where in the world did he get the word 'lover' and how does he know to be embarrassed about it?!)
22. Where is your Mommy's favorite place to go?
L: Bosses' Pizza.
J: Pizza Garden.
G: Church. And I love you.
Someday they may not admit to some of these sweet answers! Someday they'll grow facial hair, have squeaky voices and sweaty armpits, and be too busy for me. But for today, I know they love me, and I love them more every day!
Thomas 101
I don't know about you, but I am not well versed at the names of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends. I know a few, such as Percy, Spencer and Toby. I really should be able to name all of them, as my boys play with them on a daily basis.
No More Sippy Cups
A life-altering event took place in our home today. All sippy cups have officially left the kitchen. I trashed four sippy cups that have seen much better days, and I packed away the remaining four.
All 5 of us are drinking from big-people cups. Some of us are only allowed plastic cups. I typically let Rick have glass.
As I was shuffling sippy cups to their new homes this morning, this is the conversation that took place.
Me: I think we're all grown up now and don't need sippy cups anymore. I'll put the nicer ones away for our next baby.
Jack and Garrett (3): Okay! We big boys now!
Liam (4 1/2): We need another baby.
Me: I know. Tell God that you want a baby.
Liam: We're going to have TEN babies. Some twins too. Boys and girls.
Me: Oh! Ten?!
Ten babies would provide some good blogging, I suppose. If I lived through it.
Catch Up for Daddy
Rick has been out of town this week. Excuse me while I catch him up on some conversations that have taken place today.
I asked Garrett to pray over our lunch. "Dear Jesus, thank you for Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for all the bwessings and evwyfing. Jesus, thank you for the cross and taking the nails. But, Jesus, please get better from the nails."
Oh, sweet Jesus, You knew we needed that sweet child!
During lunch, a conversation about heaven took place:
Liam: Will we take our toys with us?
Me: No, we won't need anything in heaven. We'll be wonderfully joyful in heaven without any of our stuff.
Liam: Will we take Winston [our dog] with us?
Me: [Long pause here, as I decided what to share.] No, God will take care of Winston.
Liam: But who will feed him?
Jack: I will feed him!
Me: God will take care of him. Don't worry. Everything will be perfect in heaven.
Liam: No bad dreams or asthma in heaven?
Me: No bad dreams or asthma, baby.
Jack: No awwergies?
Me: No allergies.
All boys: Ohhhh....
Daddy, the boys ask if you're coming home every morning. Hurry home! We miss you!
Cows and Octagons
Riding along in the car the other day, we passed a small cattle ranch. The boys began talking amongst themselves about the different cows they saw.
I listened quietly, enjoying the fact that all three of them can communicate so well these days. The conversation took a heated turn, however.
Jack: Cows can make circles.
Liam: No, they don't! Cows don't make circles!
Garrett: No, Jack!
Jack: No? Oh. [pause] They make octagons?
Being Mommy's Helper
At Bible study last Thursday, the boys were learning about being God's helpers. As that topic can be a bit abstract for young kids, the teachers talked about being helpful at home as well. The teachers asked the children what they can do at home to be mommy's helper. Apparently, my two little guys, Jack and Garrett (both 3), said, "I can stay in my bed and not get out of bed. That would make Mommy happy."
Yes, it would!
Looking at the Big Picture
Our house sits on a corner lot, and our eating area is surrounded by two large windows. This allows us to be very watchful (a.k.a nosey).
As we ate lunch the other day, one of our very pregnant neighbors was outside. She's so pregnant that her shirts no longer cover her belly.
As the boys noticed her belly, all eating stopped and many questions ensued. "Why is her belly showing", "Why is her belly so big?", etc.
I explained that she is pregnant and will have a baby girl soon. To which Garrett (almost 3) replied, "When I get bigger, I have a baby girl and be a good daddy."
And my mind immediately carried me down the road, envisioning my baby boy being a daddy, holding his baby girl for the first time. I teared up with this little vision and had to bring myself back to the present in order to keep my emotions under control. I looked deep into his little brown eyes and said, "Yes, Garrett, you will be a good daddy someday."
That small glimpse into the future reminded me to look at the big picture here. I tend to get stuck in a rut, focusing on the fits, the messes, the arguing, the monotony of our present life.
Someday Garrett will be grown and gone. Someday he will give his love and his heart to his own family.
His preschooler fits will cease. Tears will rarely come to his eyes. His chunky cheeks will be slim. I imagine he'll shave off his curls. I wonder what he will enjoy doing.
I need to remember to look at the big picture, because I am prayerfully raising these boys to be godly men. And because they are God's children, I must remember that His plan is bigger than today's fits and messes. He has great plans for these little men, and all I need to do is prayerfully and gracefully guide them in the right direction.
Doing Something Right
You know how you hear yourself through your kids' voices every once in a while? Sometimes it's the twang that Liam puts on one-syllable words, such as 'nap' which becomes 'na-yap'. Or when Jack says "Bummer" upon hearing something disappointing.
We do have our fair share of negative words around here. When Liam was about three, he went through a phase of saying an ugly word on a daily basis, and it was rather humbling to realize that he had learned most of them from my mouth.
But every once in a while, my kids will say something that makes me feel as if I must be doing something right as a mother. This happened the other day, as I went to get Garrett up from his nap.
He's always Mr. Sunshine when it's time to wake up, so I enjoy getting him up and snuggling with him for a few minutes before getting the other two. As I lifted him from his bed and snuck a kiss from his cheek, he said, "Mommy, I love you more and more."
Ahhh! My heart melted.
Tiny Talk Tuesday
Daddy was explaining to the boys that God has a plan for each of their lives. Jack (2 1/2) said, "I want to see it!" [I think we've all said that a time or two about our own lives.]
For more TTT participants, please visit Not Before 7.
Tiny Talk Tuesday
Liam (4) and I were having a discussion about Creation yesterday. Here's how it occurred:
Me: Liam, why did God give you eyes?
Liam: So I can see, silly.
M: Why did He give you ears?
L: So I can hear. [giggling]
M: Why did He give you feet?
L: So I can walk. [jumping]
M: Why did He give you hands?
L: So I can pick you flowers.
Ahhh!
For more TTT, visit Not Before 7.
Tiny Talk Tuesday
We had corn on the cob for dinner last night, and Rick mentioned his need for dental floss as we finished eating. When Garrett (2 1/2) asked to be excused from the table, he also requested "Santa Claus".
Me: Garrett, I can't give you Santa Claus.
G: No, senta cwaus!
Me: Oh! Dental floss, yes! Go ask Daddy.
For more TTT, visit Not Before 7.
A First
Didi (my mom) and I took the boys for a pizza lunch today, and we experienced a first. We were minding our own business, enjoying our lunch, when Liam (4) suddenly shouted, "LOOK! Those ladies have babies in their bellies!" Um, no.
My mom was sitting closest to him and quickly whispered in his ear that he was being rude, while I crawled under the table. A lesson about not staring, pointing, or shouting followed.
Tiny Talk Tuesday
Garrett's (2 1/2) favorite phrase is, "Don't be widicuwous (ridiculous)." Can't imagine where he learned it!
For other families' tiny talks, please visit Not Before 7.
