"Stinkies"

Graham has many "security animals" now dubbed "stinkies" by his mama.

I thought I was so clever getting rid of the paci only 3 months after he got it. I was not going to be one of those mama's dragging around a 3 year old with a paci. His auntie Mary B had given him a "deflated dog" before he was born. Think Beanie Baby with no beans. He latched onto it at some point, I can't remember when...

His Gma's then "needed" animals at their houses.

His Gma Rebbec found deflated frogs (his nursery is in frogs) and his Gma Mueninghoff had a cat or bear.

We also bought a newer blue bear mini blankie with just the bear head.

Somewhere along the way his Gma Rebbec found another frog blankie with just frog head and arms.

I was in Bergners with him one day and he was getting antsy in his stroller when we strolled by some dogs blankies. Of course I had forgotten his "animal of the day" in the car and he "HAD" to have this one. The dang thing was 25 bucks! Good thing Mommy remembered her coupon for 10 bucks off or he woulda been disappointed that day.

Why "stinkies" you ask? All of these random animals have replaced the paci momma insisted on taking away. So now instead of a paci at 3 years old he will be more like a hobo with animals clipped all over him for him to suck/chew on. I sometimes call them chewies when they are clean. Which is rarely because 5 minutes out of the wash and he has smelled them all up again. And yes, the child brushes his teeth, dont ask me how they get so smelly but they do and it's gross!

He has also latched onto one of his blankies he got from Aunt Tiff. Apparently the texture was always her kids' favorites and now it is Grahammy's too! He buries his head in it and giggles and sighs. Too cute!

Which reminds me- NOTE TO SELF- DO NOT ever again attempt to wash all "stinkies" at one time! This results in a very cranky mad at mommy little boy who screams until the wash is done and u have to give him a wet frog, dog or bear to chew on while the rest go in the dryer...

Today he has around 8 or so "stinkies" in his crib and scattered throughout the house. I almost always keep one in the diaper bag or my purse. Both gma's are in possesion of at least one to keep at their house. Did I mention that these "stinkies" have to come out of his crib with him when he gets up and all go back in when he goes to nap. It's a job I tell ya!

And now of course Lana has decided she needs security animals too. So she HAS TO HAVE a baby, bunny, and CAT in her bed and it also comes out with her and back in.

Whew! Just thinking about it makes me tired! But I have to admit, I still have the blankie I stole from my granny when I was 4! :) <3<3<3<3<3

Random Thoughts of the Day

I wonder sometimes if the person who invented Crocs did so because he didn't have any clean socks... I know that's when we use ours in this household.

Graham and Lana really do love each other. I took a picture of it the other day. It's on my blackberry so I will have to figure out how to transfer to here. (DONE!!!) But anywho, I saw it! They hugged and kissed. Then the shoved each other to the floor! Haha. That's what cousins are for right?

I host play dates here. I am not sure why some times. I hate cleaning before and after but it gives me time with other mamas and that makes me happy so I guess a living room that looks like a tornado went through it is worth it!

That reminds me, in about a month when I host play dates, I will be doing so in OUR NEW HOUSE! And we will have a separate room just for those tornadoes! So I can leave the mess til daddy gets home if I want!

I am still taking donations for the NEW HOUSE FUND! Haven't recieved any so far! One guy (Brian- Heather's husband) even called us rich because we are buying a new house. He was kidding of course but How could any one who has bought a house think that that means you are rich! Just the opposite my friend. We are emptying out too many accounts to even speak about it! Let's just say Graham better get good grades in school so he gets a scholarship to college. He owes us that much doesn't he after buying him a house???

I made dinner for the whole family again last night. It was Cinco De Mayo and our last night of Can Do Kids til fall- so we had a celebration dinner! I made tacos and enchiladas and Nachos! The kids and adults were delighted. I am always amazed how many I can feed on a buck at home as opposed to going out. Our whole dinner was made for around 75 bucks. That sounds steep but I froze some, we have leftovers, all after feeding 10 people! Not bad if I do say so myself!

Mom's pool new bigger and better pool is up and will be warm by this weekend. I am overly excited because this body is not swim suit worthy but the babies love to swim and I hate to deprive them of that just because I haven't been watching what I eat! So here I feel comfortable in a swim suit and it's big enough for us all!

Speaking of my voluptuous body- I have found myself wishing to be pregnant this month just so I can justify the 6 extra pounds I have put one. And yes, we are trying. Quietly and confidently! :)

As I am blogging, the kids are within sight down the hall in the living room, the stinkers just decided to knock the fence down that is in front of my shelves with "pretties" on it and the TV. They just wanted to turn Elmo on and DID! The little smart things!

Better go keep a closer eye on them. Meaning, I will be laying on the floor as the clobber me.

CLOSING TIME!

Nope not talking about the "one last call for alcohol", I am talking about our NEW HOUSE!!!!

We close on May 14th! Two weeks early at the request of the sellers. No reason not to, so we agreed!

Last night we made a list of the "stuff" we have to get done before we move in and the "stuff" that can or will have to wait until we are in and have more cash flow! ;)

I am excited to paint and decorate and make it our own. Right now the living room has quite possibly the most horrendous wall paper I have ever seen and there is a painted on rose vine throughout the house in random places. It is UGLY!!! So I have chosen some nice new paint colors with the help of Tiff, Mom and Patti and we will be painting every room in the house before we move in! YAY! Also getting painted are the dark cabinets in our tiny kitchen. Because everyone knows painting them a lighter color will open it up!
Graham's room will be a light blue with a green stripe all the way around it
Our bedroom is going to be a tanish/brown color I think.
The kitchen and living room will be two shades of "celery" green.
The downstairs family/day care room- is getting a coat of a very happy yellow and eventually some Dr. Suess character stencils on the walls.
The bathrooms I haven't thought about yet!
Also have two more bedrooms to think about as well!
Any suggestions anyone????

There will be a big 'ol cookout house warming party when we are all settled. I am thinking July at least. :) Keep ya posted on all the "work" going on as it happens! Thanks for all the well wishes!

Fall Down and Go Boom!

Yesterday we were all gathered at my mom's house. My step-dad's family was here from all over for the funeral today. The kids were behaving and having a good time. Graham decided to sweep, one of his favorite past times... He had his broom, and was sweeping away on grandma's front porch, with at least a dozen adults all around. He got a little too close to the stairs, tripped and rolled down the stairs hitting his head on each one. That sound of his head coming into contact with the concrete made me almost puke! I was screaming and crying right along with him. We scooped him up and he calmed down within 10 minutes but I am still shaken by it. His head just has some bad scrapes and a little bruising but he is fine. But Man, does a fall like that scare mommy half to death!!!!

My baby brother is 16

Today my baby brother is 16 today. I remember the day he was born. My parents did not find out the sex beforehand and with two brothers already at home I was dead set on a girl. Obviously, God had other plans. Will was born somewhere around noon on April 29th, 1994 when I was a 4th grader, and I will never forget the phone call at school from my dad telling me it was a boy. I said don't bother coming to get me, I don't want to meet another BOY! I sat on the playground and cried and cried! Another BOY would ruin my life! But when we arrived at the hospital I immediately fell in love. He became "my baby" in many ways. I became a little "mother" to him. I spoiled him rotten and he adored me. I would sometimes pinch his nose when he was sleeping just to wake him so I could play with him. He was an alien looking thing at first but quickly turned into a handsome little thing with blonde hair and blue eyes. He could melt my heart and do no wrong in my eyes.

Fast forward to today. He is sitting in a hospital, trying to figure out life. He will not be getting his license and most likely will still be a sophmore again next year. He has had a really tough time lately but I still remember him as 4 years old asking me to make his favorite breakfast "tream of wheat" (cream of wheat), I still remember his imaginary friends Billy and Jason and how "real" they were! I still remember him parading around the neighborhood with his poop on a stick...

And he still melts my heart. He still can do no wrong in my eyes. He is still my little baby blonde haired blue eyed boy! And I MISS HIM!

I love you William Henry Roberts! Happy Birthday!

I am too tired for a creative title tonight. A run down of our week.

1. Lana is speaking in full sentences. Not like two words either. Like fulllllll sentences... "I want to hold the baby", " I feed baby ba-ba", "Baby, Where are you?", "I want a snack", "Go Away Graham (she pronounces it Damn)", "Give it back Graham".... She is only 20 months old! Lord help us all!

2. Graham is talking too. Some of his new favorite phrases include: " snack, bye bye, hi, no (and he only shakes his head once, to one side, resembling someone trying to bite their own ear), yea, LANA!!!!, MAMA!!!!, cheese (whenever and wherever he sees a camera, please...


3. He is becoming his own little man too. Getting a personality... He is clingy towards me, and his dad, he loves to dance and be silly, and loves loves loves to climb EVERYTHING this week and proceed to jump on it.

4. Lana climbs everything too and mastered jumping long before I have ever known a child to jump... Guess where Graham gets his skills from???

5. This week has been rough on me otherwise. My baby brother, Will is in the hospital for hallucinations and paranoia and drug use. He is really having a rough time and it has been tough on our family as a whole. Please, we can use your prayers. He turns 16 tomorrow, in the hospital and we are not sure we can even take him cake...

6. He has expressed in the hospital that he would like to come live with us when he gets out. This scares me. I love him to death and have always played the role as a second mom to him but I don't know if I am ready to raise a teenager. Not to mention how hard it would be for my mom to give him up. But I pray God will let us know what HIS plan is for our family. I will take him, gladly, with open arms if it is what will help to make him happy and healthy again.

7. I got to babysit a 1 month old all day today. And even though Graham is ONLY almost 16 months old, I cannot believe he was once that little. Lana and Graham were adorable with her and it makes me feel like right now would be a good time to start trying for Baby Rebbec #2!!! I am off BC and we are not preventing it from happening but not to the point of going crazy trying. Pray that God will bless us again when it is our time...

8. I can't believe I got to # 8 and did mention OUR NEW HOUSE yet!!!!!! The inspections are on Friday and the closing date is set for May 28th. I am really excited under all the other emotions running rampant in my life right now! I think God chose this one for us for a reason! I can't wait to find out that reason!!!

9. Can Do Kids has been a blessing in my life but I can't continue on with the leadership it has now and it saddens me. I truly have come to adore those kids and I love seeing all the things they are learning about OUR SAVIOR, but it is becoming a burden on me, I am turning to a nasty mean person when I am done there because some people just irk me. The kids are fantastic and if I could take them out of the situation and away from the adults "leading" it I would be fine. I might look into the program they have at the Methodist Church instead.

Maybe this could be Nine at Night or something cool like that?! What do you guys think? My two followers. hee hee! :)

Good Night and God Bless!

My child's obsession.

My child is OBSESSED with bottles and lids.

It started with his teething tablets...

Then moved on to his tylenol bottle.

It has now progressed to milk cartons (with a screw off cap), makeup containers, lotions, sunscreen, juice, shampoo, perfume, cleaning products, bubbles, and medications of all sorts just to name a few.

It makes going to Walgreens a JOB! He screams and throws fits and hits and bites and wails to try and get his grimy hands on every bottle in sight.

It makes opening the fridge a nightmare. He wants to closely examine every bottle in the door and take the lid off and put it back on.

It makes trying to get ready with the bathroom door open (which I HAVE to do because I get so hot otherwise) an interesting feat. I have to stand just right in front of the drawers so that he cannot open them and inspect all of my makeup, toothpaste, cortizone cream, etc... He is to the point he RUNS AT FULL SPEED when he hears the bathroom door open... He screams when I slam it in his face right before he reaches it!

I know what you are thinking- get some drawer locks... We have! I just need to have my husband install more of them. But we are moving in a couple of months so why bother now?

My mom insists that his OBSESSION means he will grow up to be an engineer... Me, well I think he is slightly weird.

:)