My Boys and Me

Mike has had probably one of the hardest weeks this week.  Some of the things he has had to deal with are awful.  He amazes me with his strength, never complaining and always pressing on.  It’s really been a rough couple of months for him, but this past week things really peaked.  I can’t express enough how wonderful this man is and how much GOOD he truly deserves.  I wonder every day how I got so lucky.  I thought and thought all week what I could do for him that would make him smile, something that would give him faith knowing things WILL go his way in time.  He never “wants” for anything so I was at a loss. Then, on the Christian station on my Sirius radio, the song “When God Made You” by Newsong played. I’d never heard it before, but amazingly it says EXACTLY how I feel about Mike and explains how miracles DO happen (after all, we all know my dating history and the amount of heartbreak I went through before God brought me MY miracle). 

Mike, the boys and I love you so very much and the words of this song only say a small part of what we feel for you in our hearts. We are by your side no matter what and support you through it all.  Remember, “it takes rain and clouds to make a rainbow!”

http://www.lyrics.com/index.php/artists/lyric/newsong-lyrics-when-god-made-you-t-7504859

Click the above link to hear the song.  You may need to play around with the site a bit to get the song to play.  Click on the song title and it should begin.

Football- E A G L E S football to be exact!

Here’s a picture of my Eagle boys a year ago

And here they are now

Braeden and Mike have the same jerseys as last year, but Mikey had to go up a size (he’s not THAT small for his age)

Mike and I keep teasing that Mikey looks like he is wearing a toupee. We are at a loss as to what to do with his hair.  He has had two hair cuts and both times they have butchered his hair, but its so long and “straw-like” in the back that we can’t even comb it at times.  Any suggestions?

Friday morning as I walked outside to crisp, fresh, COOL air, I realized Fall was among us.  For us Southerners, this is a time to celebrate!  After 4 LONG months of steady 90-100 degree heat and humidity, any day with a high in the 80′s or less is something to look forward to.  Fall (even before moving to South Carolina), has always been my favorite time of year, but since having kids, I have even more appreciation for it.  This morning I brought the boys out back.  We bought them a swing-set back in April and I think its been used less than 5 times since.  I can’t blame Braeden and Harley for wanting to hibernate inside all summer, but having them out back playing baseball or playing on the swing-set without complaining of being hot or needing to change their clothes and jump in the shower directly after play time is wonderful.  Besides the selfish aspect of me having peace and quiet for hours at a time (while they are outside) as opposed to the 15-20 minutes the summer entailed, I DO like the benefit of them being away from the video games, using their imaginations and ENERGY!  Mikey is in his GLORY because now he actually gets to go outside.  I am NOT an outside person during the heat, but Mikey could care less if he was in the dessert for 3 days straight as long as he was OUTSIDE!  It is SO fun playing with him outside and watching him walk all around exploring everything and trying to keep up with his big brother and cousin.  He is tough as NAILS that little guy and it won’t be long before Braeden is crying because of something Mikey did rather than the opposite (although the only thing Braeden really does to make Mikey cry is shutting him out of the room).  Although at times I can’t blame him since he can be a little monster.  At least outside he is getting the 2 things he wants most of all, to be outside and to play with the older boys.  Here are a couple pictures of their day today.

“I am being a big helper Daddy!”

I experienced one of the best hours ever today…….as we were driving to see Mike at an event he was working, Harley and Braeden were “deep” in conversation so I turned down the radio to listen to what they were saying.  Turns out, Harley was giving Braeden a History lesson.  It was VERY amusing to hear a 10 year old’s version of American History (the little amount he’s learned of it anyway) and equally entertaining hearing a 6 year old’s take on it all.  There were a couple times I had to stop myself from bursting out laughing.  I decided I will just let Braeden (and Harley) be corrected as they continue their education, rather than interrupt their Saturday afternoon conversation.  Speaking of correcting- Braeden corrected ME this week.  99 percent of the time Mike gets Braeden up, fed and to the bus stop in the mornings. Tuesday Mike had to be to work early so I was on morning duty.  The bus picks him up 30 minutes before he has to be to school, so I opted to sleep longer and drive him.  Well, of course we were STILL rushing.  We were in the car pool line and I told him he had to “hustle” as soon as he got out of the car because he only had a few minutes before the tardy bell rang.  Quite confused, and almost appalled, he asked, “why do I have to hustle? I am not allowed to run in the halls!” To which I just smiled and told him that he was right and to take his time.  I was happily reminded that I still had ONE child that actually listens and WANTS to follow the rules

Rocky has decided that Mikey is his new best friend.  Not only is he about the same size as him, but being a cookie lover, Mikey always has the best treats.  Mikey on the other hand, is not as impressed with his newfound fame as with that comes having to protect his snacks- The other day, Mikey was walking around with a vanilla wafer in his hand and Rocky came up and took it right out of his hand.  What Mikey doesn’t realize is that Rocky does not chew his “treats” but rather swallows them whole.  Off went Mikey, running towards Rocky demanding he give him his cookie back! Yes, Mikey can RUN, he can CLIMB and now he also DANCES.  He will dance (the same beat) to any form of music he hears.  My brother who spent the summer taking dance lessons, (and is rather good) would be proud.  He is not quite a recommended partner yet, but he has potential.

Have a great week! I have 2 dentist appointments-it takes 2 days to do the work I need done and a Dr.’s appointment. YUCK!

One more picture, Braeden took this one- Not bad!

If only Mike and I actually had jobs that consisted of 9-5 work M-F; if only we weren’t so busy or exhausted all the time that we could actually enjoy a cocktail once in awhile; if only there was another word to describe what Mike and I have been up to besides “work”…..How is it that Seth is back in school 3 mornings a week, which means I am not working 3 mornings a week, yet I am STILL working just as much?  We all know how much Mike works-that has not changed-but IS hopefully about to but now I am also working a lot which makes for a whole lot of work and not much play   Before the summer I was averaging 2 days a week for Holly (and every other Friday and Saturday). I knew the summer was going to be busy and that I was going to work a lot, but thought I would be back to just 2 days a week with school back in.  Well, now Holly is having major renovations/additions done to her house and has needed extra help with the kids while she deals with contractors, decorators etc.  I guess I am a little stressed, and a little down. Mike is too. We just want things to SLOW down so we can enjoy just being a family and spending time together.  The way the economy is (and the recent “negative news” we have received in that regard), its not feasible for us to work any less, unless something changes.  SO, here’s where you, my dear readers, come in.  Mike has had some positive feedback career-wise and has been moving in the direction he has hoped for and patiently waited for, during the past 3 years (after-all, he didn’t go to school and receive his Masters Degree to be a Police Officer forever).  I can’t say much more, but ask you to think of us and our “unspoken” prayer request.  Its during times like this that I really have to remember to put things in God’s hands and to be patient and not stress.  HA, easier said than done when you REALLY want something to go YOUR (or your husband’s) way. 

On a lighter note, the boys are doing great!  They are our Saving Grace among all the negatives.  Braeden is working hard at first grade and truly seems bigger and older every time I look at him.  I think he believes he is bigger and older too.  The other day he came up to me and said, “Mama, I just heard on the TV that the Phillies need help!” I scooped him up in a big hug and said, “Oh ya? I bet YOU could help them.  You could go play for them and show them how baseball is played!” His response, “Well Mama, I don’t think I can because their bats are too big!” Not that HE wasn’t big enough or that he was just learning how to play the game, but that the BATS are too big!   And then there’s Mikey…..Oh my sweet, sweet, non-stop, frequent timeout going, bunk-bed ladder climbing, Mikey……not much change.  He entertains himself with anything and everything within his reach (and eyes anything that isn’t). If only his attention span on each thing lasted longer than 5 minutes…..There are a few things he loves more than others- baths (he says bath whenever taking a bath is mentioned and could stay in the bath and play for hours), his rain-forest jumper (yup, he still jumps AND falls asleep in it), airplanes (he points up when he hears one, even if we are inside), walks outside (by hand or in the stroller).  This morning he brought me his shoes- one sandal and one tennis shoe,  kisses- he is turning into MUCH more of a little love (Mama especially likes this), his bunny (it seems like no matter where that bunny is in the house, when I say, “where’s your bunny?” he can find it), pictures of his big brother (when Braeden is not home and I say, “where’s your brother?” he will bring me a framed picture of Braeden).  He is getting better at listening, but not at eating.  He has not had anymore teeth pop through- still just 2 on the bottom and 6 up top.  He also got his first major “boo boo” that I think actually might scar. Rocky (who is about twice the size he was when we got him, and who has also taken up camp at Mike’s parents house due to Braeden’s and I’s severe allergies to him) playfully jumped on him, knocked him down and he scraped his knee on the concrete.  He barely cried! Of all the things he likes, of course there are things he doesn’t like- band-aids are one of them.  I’ve been putting neosporin on his scrape at night and I wait to put the band-aid on when I put his pajama pants on.  He knows the band-aid is there and continues to feel his knee.  This morning one of the first things he did after I took his pants off is take the band-aid off and hand it to me.  Other things he doesn’t like- the nursery at church (we got paged to go get him while in service this weekend), his new class at daycare (LONG story, but this is his last week- Mike’s Mom will be keeping him while I work starting next week), when Daddy tries to take a nap instead of play with him (he bangs on the bedroom door and says “Dadda”- like I KNOW you are in there); being straped into anything- highchair, store cart, stroller, car seat (problem is, when we don’t “secure” him, he stands up, in the highchair, in the store cart, in the stroller, and he would in the car seat, but of course he has never not been strapped in), when its time to get out of the bath, and when a “walk” is coming to an end and he sees the house; and of course, when he doesn’t get his way- HA, that one doesn’t appear as if its going to change any time soon…….I’ll keep you posted though, maybe that’s another prayer request- that Mikey stops throwing fits…..Nah, as awful and annoying as they can be, they can also be quite amusing!

Here’s a couple pictures of the boy’s new room. Mikey is not quite ready to sleep in his big boy bed, but Braeden is enjoying having his choice of top or bottom and it works out great when Harley spends the night.

Oh, another one of Mikey’s “like’s” is the “hello” (phone).  Any time he hears a phone ring, or sees anything that looks like a phone, he says, “Hello” 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers.  More soon……