Camp Invention

Today my son, Will, came home with 4 paper clips, a golf tee, and some other little round wooden thing. He said that he needed some tape. (We should buy stock in scotch tape. That is the "go to" adhesive tool for Will.) Anyway, about 2 minutes later, he had made a dragonfly with his potpourri of items. Two weeks ago, he made a compass (the kind you use at school not the kind you use in the woods) out of a pencil, a ruler, and a rubber band. I asked him if he needed a compass because we do have one somewhere in this house. He said, "No" but that he just wanted to build a compass. And that is my Will. He is always creating something. No, the things he builds don't always actually work, like the Ben 10 car he made out of a cardboard box, but his mental wheels are always turning:)
He is an out-of-the-box kind of thinker - fairly creative - always has been. But until a few summers ago, I don't think he felt confident enough to just create something. I am not sure he really knew where to begin or how to see something beyond what it actually was. But, a couple of years ago and every year since, he has spent a week at Camp Invention. And now, he sees the potential in the practical. I am not sure what their motto is but I think that is kind of what Camp Invention is about. It is about thinking outside of the box to solve problems. It is about using your creativity to expand your possibilities. Whether it is building a floating vessel out of recyclables or taking apart a piece of electronics to then assemble into whatever a child can imagine, Camp Invention challenges the kiddos minds to see the possibility in everything. I like that, and Will has loved it. As I write this, Will has requested some popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and any and all things crafty. I am not sure what he is up to but I will soon find out.
I must admit that I don't always appreciate the tornado of a mess he creates but I do appreciate that he is creating. Even if he builds me a life size Spongebob Squarepants with moving parts, (Where in the world does that fit into my home decor?) it doesn't matter to me. I'm just thankful that he is able to see the problems and potential out there, and that he is ready and willing to take it all on. Kudos to Camp Invention:)

Party!!!!!

Well, we did it! Will got his braces off today, and I didn't hardly cry. I got a little teary when Miss Jill showed us the before and after pictures but I so didn't go into soap opera drama:). I kept it together and just savored the fun of the moment. And when I say, "Fun", I mean "fun"!
The office takes braces off just one day a month. I guess because they do it in a big way. Dr. Landers wears a tuxedo. Woo hoo! His wonderful assistants wear fabulous evening gowns. Gorgeous! There are balloons and a big banner. There is a table of fun glass jars filled with all the things a child should avoid when wearing braces. (I think we get a "C" for that effort. I mean I get Laffy Taffy but who would have thought that cheese balls were off limits? They are heaven covered in artificial cheese dust!) After Will got his braces off, he got an oriental take out box to fill with these sugary delights. Oh, and then there was Miss Jill acting as the "Party Pic Man" taking all kinds of photos. (Party Pic Man was a reference to my high school dance days:))
What a nice way to celebrate a special day. I am not sure Will caught it all in the office. I think he was distracted by the television screen in the ceiling. But once we got in the car, it began to sink in. He began thinking about those before and after pictures and he got it.
He was not a fan of the braces. Neither Brent nor I had ever made a big deal of his teeth before the braces so I am not sure he understood the purpose. He got used to them and rarely complained, but today got it. He was grinning from ear to ear. I offered him the rest of the day off from school to hang with me and celebrate. He chose to go back and show off his big deal:) I cannot even explain how happy inside that makes me.
I think I get why Dr. Landers does what he does. Up to this point, I honestly thought it would be kind of yucky working in all sorts of mouths. Today I saw how his work creates a new confidence in these kiddos. It was fun to see the delight in Will's eyes.
Today was a great day. Thank you God for giving us the resources to afford such a wonderful gift. Thank you Brent for committing to our family that you would take care of us in every way. And thank you Dr. Landers, Miss Jill, and the other very special ladies that have worked on Will's braces this past year and a few months. He is walking taller this afternoon because of each of you:)

That's Unfortunate:)

A little background maybe for better understanding but more for sympathy for the story that follows;): I am a morning person. I mean I am not a 6:00 am morning person, but mornings are good for me. It is when I historically have been at the peak of my mental sharpness. Since becoming a mom, the fact that I am a morning person hasn't changed but that peak I just spoke about has leveled off somewhat. I have four kiddos and usually one or three have found their way into our bed at some point during the night. (I kind of hate it but kind of love it all the same.) That being said, although I am not quite as sharp as I used to be in the mornings it is still when I am make the most efficient use of my time and it sets the tone for my day.
So a few months back, I was on it. I mean I was getting the kids ready for school, my husband ready for work, the house ready for any unexpected visitors, & myself ready to actually exit the car. (I usually take the kids the 4 blocks to school barefoot and in my pajamas never really considering what I would do if the car broke down or if I was in an accident.) This was a day I was ready for. And since I was clean, I decided I might as well show that off so I decided to make a surprise visit to my in-laws at work. My father in-law has an optometric office in Shell Knob that they work at on Tuesdays. So, I scurried around finishing my last few tasks before heading out to meet them for lunch. At this time, my youngest, Mac, was about 3 months old so I needed to nurse him just before departure. As with many young babies, Mac was quite regular during feedings, and it was always a guess as to what kind of trouble we were going to be in. On this day in particular, I was about half way done feeding when I began to feel a warm sensation on my leg. After I shut my eyes and said a small prayer, I lifted Mac to survey the damage. Oh no! It was everywhere, on Mac, the bedspread, my jeans. Well, I decided to clean up in that order. I changed Mac which unfortunately involved washing his face and hair because of course, on this day, we were wearing an outfit that had to go up and over;) Then I stain sticked the bedspread and threw it in the wash praying that mustard color would come out of my light colored bedspread. (Why I continue to choose colors that are so unfriendly to boys is a mystery to me! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!) Lastly, I needed to address my clothing situation. As I mentioned, Mac was only a few months old at this point so my clothing options were limited. I still had only one pair of jeans that fit without total muffin top so changing was not an option. It was all about spot cleaning for today:) Thankfully, it all wiped up fairly easily. I was out the door within just about 20 minutes with only a wet spot on my thigh as evidence of the disaster of doo doo that just took place.
Lunch was great. My in-laws were really surprised by our visit and happy to see us. After we returned home, I proceeded to take my jeans off so that now they could be washed properly. I mean, the stains were gone, at least I thought, but the jeans needed to be scrubbed for simple peace of mind. I took them off and laid them on the washing machine. Yep! It is as it seems. I guess in my haste, I failed to check the backside. Yes, I walked around for roughly 8 hours (a few mom and pop shops, lunch at a real restaurant not a drive-thru, from the front to the back room of my father in-laws optometric office and back up front again) with mustard yellow poo in the sweet spot of my backside. No one said anything. I mean, okay, I can hope that those people at the optometric office had severely poor vision and just couldn't see the offense but what about everyone else? Maybe they didn't notice? Nah! Ot did they just feel too bad to tell me? I had two little boys, ages 3 & 3 months, on hand so maybe people just didn't have the heart. I don't know. They probably thought, "That poor girl has her hands so full she has not the time nor the sense to check the mirror." Or worse, "That poor girl ain't got even the time, the sense, nor the control to just stop and "go".";)
Ugh, Shell Knob is a small town. Thankfully, my father in-law is the only optometrist there so even if they wanted to, they couldn't hold it against him. Heck, maybe they feel bad for him, know he must have a lot on his plate with a daughter in-law like that. "Girl probably ain't got the sense to get out of the rain!" Sadly, after four boys, they might be right about all the above:)

Am I ready yet?

We have eight more days, and I am really excited and really nervous about that. We have eight days until Will gets his braces off, and he has no idea what that means. I mean, he is nine so he knows what the braces coming off means but he really has no idea. He's happy about it but happy about it because he is in the third grade and few other kiddos in the third grade, if any, have braces. So, he is not in the norm and sort of views himself as a "nerd" because of the braces. (I am not even going to tell him that one day, not too long from now, glasses will be in his future too;)) I do try to tell him though that, years ago, braces were less common so yes, they fell victim to the stereotype of "nerdiness" but that has changed. And that although he is one of the few kids his age to have them, that will soon change too. So for Will, getting the braces off means the freedom to eat all the chewy, deliciousness the packaged goods world has to offer, and it also means that he might at least get one foot out of "Nerdville".
I, on the other hand, think that next Wednesday means so much more. I see my son as amazing. (I am his mother. I should see him that way.) I see his humor, his brilliant creativity, his sweet heart. I see the man that he will be, and that is why I am filled with excitement and nervousness for next week. Because getting his braces off, for me, will just reveal more of the beautiful man he will one day be, and that is wonderful, exciting. But it also means a reminder that he is already nine years-old. Last time I checked, he was nine months and taking his first few steps, and then practically running the next day. He was five and walking into his first day of Kindergarten, smiling and certain. He is now nine, and taking another step toward becoming an awesome young man. So I am nervous.
I am quite certain that Dr. Landers, his orthodontist, has no idea what emotional bomb he will have on his hands next week. Has he ever had a mom cry about such a non-event for most people? His office has been so very kind and done such an amazing job with Will and his overbite, underbite, and tongue thrusting. They have been so patient and welcoming when we arrive and that is saying something. I have three other boys ranging from ages six years-old down to nine months. So when we enter the building, we make a scene;) I can only imagine how they must prepare for our appointments. They probably built the new building and loaded it with video games, televisions, and all the fun a kid could ask for outside of Disney World just to keep my kids from climbing the walls and their mother out of therapy! (Sidenote: The last visit, my three year-old walked in the door and exclaimed, "This is paradise!" Yep, he said that at the dentist's office. Hard to believe, I know.)
So is Dr. Landers prepared? Yes for Will, maybe for me. Am I ready for it? Most of me, the big girl in me says, "Yes". But that other part of me, that one that can still see and hear my two year-old look up at me and say, "Well yook (look) at you Mommy, I yove (love) your belt." says, "Nah."

Where has the time gone?

Sadly, it has been a few months since I last posted. I am not saying that people are waiting on pins and needles for the next post, but this is sort of my attempt at a journal for my boys. I am terrible at diaries, and my handwriting is pathetic. Typing/blogging is my best option for getting down my thoughts and recordings of our life as I see it. The boys might have other memories of how things went down but I am the mom so what I say is truth:)
So to catch up - It is early February and Christmas has come and gone. We were blessed to see all the extended family this year during the holidays. We hosted some and were hosted by others. We had a jolly time!
We celebrated Christmas a little early this year with the whole Chism family. To kick the festivities off, we did the Polar Express Train ride in Branson, MO. My kiddos have seen the movie and liked it but my brother in-law, his wife, and children LOVE the movie. So the idea of trains, hot chocolate, cookies, Santa Claus, and the mystique of the Polar Express sounded like a wonderful way to begin our holiday. And really, it was. Somehow during the boarding process, we snaked seats in this upper section of the the train car. There were so many of us (7 adults, 1 girl and 6 boys) that no one else thought it a safe or sane idea to join us up there. They were all VERY smart people. So, we had this whole area to ourselves. The kiddos could roam freely, somewhat and just enjoy the magic of the lights and sounds of Christmas. Although the ticket prices are definitely something you have to plan for, it was really a special night that I know most of the kiddos (Mac's just 9 months so he gets a pass:)) will remember...and the adults too. The rest of the weekend was full of food, presents, and laughs. We really had a great time just being, eating, and making Christmas memories.
On Christmas Eve, my side of the family came to NWA to celebrate. It is the first time in several years that we have all been together on Christmas. We usually celebrate in hitches. (Plane tickets are cheaper that way;)) So it was really special to get to celebrate with some of our usual family of 6 traditions with a family of 9 and then family of 13. We were crowded but it was fun. Will and I prepared yummy sweets for our guests. He wasn't interested in helping with the real food. He just was frank about it and told me that "desserts were his thing, not vegetables". (And I thought he was hangin' in the kitchen to be with his mom. Now I know it was really about licking the bowl:)) Anyway, the weekend was simple but wonderful. Because Nana & Pawpaw currently live in Florida, when they come to visit, we kind of just "be". We don't go out much. Again, Nana and Pawpaw live in FL so they although they love time with the grandkids, they ain't lovin' December in Arkansas. We played the game Pit which was a lot of fun. It is a great game because it takes all of about 2 minutes to explain, and it is pretty kid friendly. My niece and nephew played with us. My nephew is 9 and from time to time would not play exactly straight. I am not sure that was because he is 9 and not totally getting the game. I think he got the game but used his age to his advantage. In the end, we laughed until we tinkled, ate until we were miserable, and loved until we couldn't stand it anymore:)
Our Christmas was merry. We spent time with family. We talked about Jesus birth and celebrated it with cake. We enjoyed the magic of the season. We were blessed!

Happy Birthday Ike!

Isaac, you turned 3 this year and what a year it has been! There have been some big highs and some big lows but without a doubt, the year wouldn't have been as spectacular or interesting without you.
We call you Hurricane Ike because when you come barreling through, we brace ourselves and prepare for one massive path of destruction. In your defense, I am not sure you are much more messy than any other toddler but you are following Will and Sam who are two boys that play rather neatly and organized:) You are loud and spirited. You are pretty fearless and tough. You are quick witted and too smart for your own good. You are sweet and loving. You are funny, really funny!
You spend a couple of days a week at Kids Day Out this year. You were not keen on the idea for the first few months but you have warmed up to it and always come home with a smile on your face. Mommy is VERY thankful for KDO because not only does it give me a little down time and you a little time to socialize, it is also the place that really brought potty training home for you. Thanks to Will, I promised myself to never push potty training on you boys and just let you go as you were ready. (It helps me rest easy at night knowing that dating won't be a problem even at 16 if you are wearing a pull up:)) So, getting you out of diapers was far from my mind. But I think your teachers took a gentle approach and seeing your friends do it made you want to as well. So, you are the first of my boys to be potty trained before 3 years-old. Way to go Ike!! Now you go like a champ. Our only problem now is convincing you that you do have to hold the apparatus in order to aim with much accuracy and that wiping is required as is washing your hands.
Your brothers are into aliens and Wii games. So, you are into aliens and Wii games. I am amazed at your ability to retain names like Humungousaur and Water Hazard although you pronounce them Hugemungousaur and Wazer Hazard:) and the patience, confidence, and success you have with the Wii. There is no game that you aren't willing to tackle. I do get summoned in from time to time to try and get you out of a pinch and onto the next level. And although I do my best, sometimes I am a help and other times, you send me away I guess figuring you are more likely to get it done that me.
You love Mario and Luigi. You pronounce them "Maweo" with a slight Italian accent and "The Wigi". You were Maweo for Halloween and several days after that and that was your birthday party theme.
You are not shy about making your feelings or opinions known. You are very certain about your choices which is a characteristic you got from your daddy, not me. I am proud of you for it too. You are not wishy washy that is for sure. You are also quite vocal about how you are feeling. You scream at will and right now tell us quite a bit when we say, "No" to one of your requests, "You are making me cry."
You still talk a lot in your sleep and holler out which makes you kind of annoying to your roommates:)
You have about 6 or 7 things on your menu that you like to eat: cereal, oatmeal, pizza, chicken nuggets, milk, chicken nuggets, and more milk. You aren't interested in trying anything new. The Lord knows we have tried. So, if you forever have to order off the kids menu at restaurants, don't look at Dad or me.
Ike, you are my busy boy. You are always up to something. That doesn't mean it is a bad something, just something. You play VERY well by yourself but love a partner although at times you drive them up the wall. You know just how to get under Sam's skin, and I know you like to do it;) If there is controversy in our house, it is usually between you and Sam. You are the best of pals one minute and the worst of enemies another. One of these days, you will just be the best of pals.
Isaac, you are one crazy smart little boy. I know you will use it for good rather than evil and for that reason, I cannot wait to see the plans God has for you. You are the dancer, singer, all out entertainer in this family. You are rarely shy and love to make us laugh. You appreciate a smile and readily offer up kisses. You like to tell us when you are gassy because you know that always gets a laugh. You can wear me out physically and emotionally but my days are more fun and interesting with you in them. I love you so much little buddy. Happy Birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday Will!

Last week, your dad and I gave you $10 to take on your class field trip to War Eagle Cavern and spend in the gift shop. We told you to get what you wanted but to not feel obligated to spend it all just because you had it. As an incentive to be responsible with your $10, we told you that whatever leftover money you brought home, we would split with you. That afternoon, you came bounding in the door excited to show us the treasures you had purchased. You bought a stuffed bat ($7) for Mac, 2 small velvet bags ($1 each) for Sam and Ike, and 2 bags of precious stones ($1 each) to fill the bags. (I guess the cashier found you sweet because she gave you a $1 discount so that you could purchase all these items.) So, with the $10 we sent with you to buy something for yourself, you came home with nothing but gifts for each of your brothers.:) I guess I wasn't surprised because this is the perfect illustration of who you are.
Your classroom at school has partnered up with Sam's class this year. Every other week, your class goes and does activities and reads with their book buddy from Sam's kindergarten class. Given that scenario, most kiddos would choose someone other than their little brother to partner up with but you chose Sam. I am not sure if you picked him for yourself or if you did it because you knew that he would be disappointed had you chosen someone else. Either way, you make me proud.
Will, Dad has been traveling for work quite a bit lately. Out of your own desire and out of a bit of necessity, you have stepped up and really helped out. Unfortunately, quite a few times lately, your being the "man of the house" has caused a bit of frustration with your "mom of the house". You might be 9 years-old but your heart and your head are far ahead of that. This is part of what makes you spectacular but also part of what makes you so very challenging, not bad challenging, just "I gotta be on my game as your momma" challenging.
You have a wonderful 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Powell. She gets you and because of that your writing and penmanship have improved tremendously from last year. You are still in a bit of a rush with your work so you make silly mistakes. And you are always making plans in your head so you miss a few instructions here and there but again, Mrs. Powell gets you, so she is working hard to keep gently polishing you, helping to make you shine:)
You have played soccer and basketball this past year pretty much against your wishes. You aren't yet nearly as competitive with others as you are with yourself and you aren't currently in love with sports. But, that is okay. It is okay if you never love sports or get an athletic scholarship to college. However, we do want you to know how to be a team player, how to be a humble winner, and how to be a gracious loser. We want you to learn to honor your commitments even when you don't feel like it.
Will, although you have been in my heart ever since we first found out that I was pregnant 10 years ago, you have only been in my house for 9 years. I wouldn't say that the time flew by, but looking back, I don't know how we got here so quickly. You are a precious gift with a very true heart for others. I really think God took the goodness from Dad and the goodness from me, added them together and made one great creation.
I love your sweet spirit and your soft heart. I love your laugh, and that when you giggle too much, you almost always get the hiccups. I love that you enjoy sharing a room and a bath with your brothers, at least for now.;) I love that when you can't sleep, you come to my bed. Although you won't snuggle with me, you will share what is on your heart. I love your complexity, and I love the simple way you live by your heart. I love you bud, and I know that right now you may not be able to see all of the gifts God has blessed you with. One day you will, and God is going to do great things through you:)
Happy 9th Birthday Will.
PS - You got braces this year, and although you are kind of annoyed by them, you have been a trooper and wow, are you ever handsome:)!