Bragging on Brent

(Picture of Brent with a co-worker, the Coke Polar Bear, and Ryan Seacrest.)
I spend alot of time talkin' 'bout my kids because I do love them dearly and each day one of them does something that shocks, amazes, or frightens me. So, that gives me a great deal of material to work with. However, I do want to take a moment to brag on the other love of my life, Brent. He works very hard for our family and very rarely do I see the fruits of his daily labor except for the paycheck. But, I now have a little nugget for us all to share in. It is a commercial that he helped create for Coke/Walmart. That is what he does, marketing for Coke on the Walmart team. Unfortunately, it is only shown in movie theaters. I am sure no one in Coke knew that Brent would help make a commercial that was so much fun and would really capture the holiday spirit (the secular version:) Otherwise, I am sure they would have spent bookoo advertising dollars to get it on the boob tube. Anyway, check it out. (The jingle was written by the same man that wrote the FreeCreditReport.com commercials.) PS - You might want to pause the music listing on the side of my blog so that you don't have chaos o' music!

Happy Birthday Ike!

Isaac you are ONE!! Where did the time go? I will be honest in saying that this first year did not fly by but did more of a mall walk:) You have waited until after your first birthday to make a habit of sleeping through the night, so time and Mommy's brain were slowed a bit.
But regardless of quality sleep, you are a joy. God has really taken care of our family. He does not give you more than you can handle and He knew I needed you. You are the easy going third child I could have never hoped for. I joke when people talk about what a good baby you are and say that you are just happy that you didn't get left at the grocery store which is a good possiblity with Mommy these days. I think I make the joke because Mommy doesn't do well with compliments but also because you are an exceptionally happy baby and I can't really explain it. I would like to think it is because you feel an overwhelming amount of love from Daddy, Will, Sam, and me. Sometimes that love is shown through a baby house made just for you by your big brothers and other times it comes more in the form of a noggin embrace with a slight rocking sensation from one of your brothers but I won't name names. Either way, you just smile and roll with it.
You are interested in walking but still holding out. I am sure it will be no time before you are off chasing after Will and Sam hoping to be included in their games. You are built very different from your brothers. You are more squishy and we love it. We loved your other brothers just the way God created them but we are enjoying your fabulously fleshy legs and your round bottom:)
Your eyes are very soft like a mean thought would never cross your mind. They are just very sweet and innocent. Feel free to toilet paper our house and then point at your brothers. I will totally have your back!
You say a few words like mama, dada, and ball but that doesn't stop you from getting what you want. You just point, make a noise, and look at your handler with those sweet eyes and we wander around trying to find exactly what it is you had in mind. I am not sure if we find whatever it is that you were wanting or if you finally just settle because you know we are a lost cause.
Ike, you are truly a delight, and I am very thankful that you have found a way to overlook my shortcomings. When I put your food in a bowl on the floor like a puppy because things are just too crazy to stop and feed you like a civilized person, you eat and play right under my feet. At nap time, when I can't rock you nearly as long as I would hope, you lay in your bed, hollar once, and then babble yourself to sleep. When you didn't wear shoes during months 6-11 because I just couldn't find the right box in the attic but I knew it was there so I couldn't bring myself to buy new ones, you ignored your urge to pull your socks off so that I didn't look like a half-brained mommy, just one with a child who didn't like shoes:)
God is a great God and I see Him every day in you. You are a sweet, unassuming spirit, and I am so thankful God chose me to be your mommy. Happy Birthday Isaac!

First Haircut

Ok, after 4 comments in one week about what a pretty little girl I had, I decided it might be time for a haircut for Isaac. So last week, Brent and I took all of the boys to Tubby's Barbershop for a trim. As you can see in the pics, Ike did great! He just sat so still like all the big guys. Daddy and I were so proud of the little nugget. I think he was hoping for a lollipop at the end like his brothers received but instead he got all his sugar from Momma! Maybe next time Isaac:)

Fireman Will

There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.

Oprah and Eliot

I am not sure how many of you saw Oprah last week, Oct. 29. It was a show on miraculous kids. Toward the end of the program, they featured the Mooney family. I have mentioned them in emails to many of you. The Mooneys live in Fayetteville and attend our church. Their little boy, Eliot, was born with Trisomy 18. The Mooneys are an amazing testament to faithfulness in God.

"Not a pulpit. Not a slick presentation. Not a best-selling book. But a six-pound boy with Trisomy 18. God found great pleasure in taking a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and showing truth.” - Matt Mooney

If you haven't heard me speak of sweet Eliot before or just want a reminder of how God can work in even the tiniest of creatures, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Halloween

Obviously the boys were Alvin and The Chipmunks for Halloween this year. They decided on this last year sometime and I thought it would be a great and easy costume choice. Well about a month ago, long after Mommy had her heart set on the Chipmunks, Will began to waiver and wanted to be superheroes instead. Now, without using guilt, I talked with Will about the fact that his brother, Sam, was still thinking they were going to be Chipmunks. I also explained that Mommy has limited sewing skills and wasn't sure how to make superhero costumes on such short notice. (I didn't mention to him how wonderfully perfect I thought they would be as the Chipmunks. Will is the tall, thinker in the group. Sam is the middle, kind of energetic one. And Ike, he is the smaller, rounder, snuggler. I also knew deep inside that this might be the last year that I could get them to all go as something coordinated and cute.)
Will being the more than I could ever hope for reasonable one in our family, got back into the idea of the Chipmunks and we promised to look for superhero costumes when they went on sale after Halloween! He seemed happy with the compromise. Sam got to be Alvin. Will got an extra costume out of the deal and Isaac was oblivious to it all.
I am not sure if you picked up early in this blog about how easy I thought these costumes would be. Unfortunately, the "easy" costumes I planned were not quite as easy as I thought. I was anticipating purchasing all the parts and just putting it together. Well, I clearly hadn't thought it through so I actually had to make turtlenecks. Although the Chipmunks my boys know wear hoodies, the ones I remember wore turtlenecks down to their ankles and they don't make many patterns for turtlenecks. So I had to sort of make my own pattern up so I was pleased as punch that they turned out and didn't fall apart. (I have had a few issues lately with homemade curtains so I don't feel at all bad about the pride I feel in the costumes;))
Anyway, my Dad, Pawpaw, came to spend Halloween with all the grandkids. We convinced him to be "Dave" in our Chipmunk gang. It was wonderful to have him here to trick or treat with us. He was Isaac's handler:)

Happy Birthday Will!

Will, where do I begin? Well, you are a joy. You have been my little buddy for as long as I can remember. You were my first child so I apologize for many early parenting mistakes. Despite my best efforts to be a perfect parent and falling totally short, you are an amazing little boy and an awesome big brother! In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that you are one of the most thoughtful people that I know and you are only 7 years-old.
Ok, so you weren't the easiest baby. You really didn't care for sleep. As a new mommy, I couldn't understand why people said that babies slept a lot. I would put you in your crib and you would just lay there and look at me. Again as a new mommy, I followed all the other good mommies at that time and enlisted the help of Babywise. Well, after a few weeks of working so hard to get that schedule just right, I learned that I was still Babydumb and you were just going to do all of this at your own pace. For at least the first year, you woke up every night only for a few minutes not really to eat, just to say "hello". I guess I should have known that this was an early clue into your personality. You were Mr. Social then and you still are to this day.
You have a tender heart which worries me because I know that you will have your fair share of heartbreak. But it also blesses my soul to know that your tenderness will make you a tremendous friend, husband, and daddy. I can see it already in the way you play with Sam. You are so patient and play with him even when he is being a bit bossy and unreasonable. I see it when you run to rescue Ike from the frustrations he encounters as a crawling baby with little control over his world. I even saw it very early on in your first phrase to me. We had not lived in NWA for very long so I was a little low on friends and lonely. Most days, it was just you and me. So, when you looked up at me at only about 2 1/2 years-old and said, "Well yook at you. I yove your belt", my heart was lifted.
Will, you have a sparkle in your eye. Of course there are times when you feel defeated and in those times you throw your head back, mouth open, and just howl. (It is kind of funny to watch.) But so much of the time you see the endless possibilities in the world. You make rocket ships out of boxes and plan on them flying. You have lemonade stands and stay open for hours on end because people that pass by promise to return and you know in your heart they will because when you give your word, you keep it so why wouldn't they? You believe the tooth fairy recycles baby teeth and gives them to younger babies just cutting teeth. And although you are certain your leg length discrepancy makes you run faster, you still hope that maybe you will find another boy with one short leg and then you can just trade:)
You like organization and cleanliness. I rarely have to ask you to clean up more than once. You just stop playing, look around, see the mess, and get to it. You do mumble under your breath now and again about how Sam never helps and I am sorry he doesn't have quite your enthusiasm for tidiness. You button your shirt all the way to the top and have as long as I can remember. I have tried explaining to you that most people don't do that but you really don't care. So, I have gotten over it and now realize that everyone else is just boring. You climb everything in our house including your dad and are rather good at it. I know you have a future in Cirque du Soleil. Unfortunately, Sam sees you do these stunts and isn't quite as balanced as you which is why he has the grey tooth:(
Will, I have treasured these last 7 years. There have been some rough times. We found it appropriate that the first chapter of The Strong-Willed Child was entitled, The Wild and Woolly Will. But, we have had mostly sunny days, and I can't imagine life without you. Sam and I wander around aimlessly some days waiting for you to come home from school. You are the rubber band that keeps us together and organized. I am so blessed to be your mommy. I love you. Happy Birthday Will!

PS - I chose these two songs (Lemonade and Cartoons) by Chris Rice to play for your birthday post. I picked them because they are just positive, happy, and fun songs. Will, that is exactly the way I see you!

Pay It Forward

**This is copied from http://thelumpkinsfamily.blogspot.com/**

THE RULES: The main focus is doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward.I will send a small, fun gift to the first 3 bloggers who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and then the game will continue!!If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment!! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found, anything you want!! Just a gift that will make the person's day!!You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link back to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. Doesn't this sound like fun!!??

Happy Birthday Sam!

So, my post is a little late for this one but life got overwhelming the last week or two so I am taking a pass.

Sam you are 4 years-old now and you are awesome. You are one of those kids who just makes people smile. I never know what I might get from you. There is no hiding who you are or what you are feeling. You are my boy who will crawl up in my lap for a snuggle and hug one minute and then the next whack me in the head for no particular reason. You are not a morning person or a night time person. You are a middle of the day kind of guy. Until about a year ago you were a huge mama's boy. There was no one in the world like me in your eyes. Now, I am chopped liver and your big brother can't be beat. Most days you won't let me take your picture and find it entertaining to make me work for a photo. Shoot, we bought a faster camera just so that I could get a shot or two of you from time to time. One day when you have serious middle child syndrome and try to complain that we just didn't love you enough and take pictures of you, know that it was not for lack of effort. In fact, I get leery on Kid's Day Out and preschool photo days because they seem to always make mommies prepay. I just never know what you will do. So far, most of the time you have not even faked a smile. Don't get me wrong buddy, you are a happy little boy. But, you know what you want and want to do and anything outside of that is simply a distraction.
You are boy down to the bone. I am reminded of it everytime you smile. One of your front teeth is grey (dead) and the other one is a creamy white color (also dead). Those teeth are chipped too. You just run head first into life. Most of the time, not if, but when you fall down you pop right back up and say, "I'm okay. That didn't hurt." You take some pretty good spills but you rarely stop for medical attention. You might miss something:)
You are an amazing part of our family. You provide so many laughs. I never know what you are going to say or if you are going to say anything for that matter. You can spend hours in silence simply pointing at what you want. (When you were just beginning to talk you left part of words off. We worked hard to figure out what you were trying to say and at times you just pointed. We later found out that you spoke broken like that because you just couldn't hear. We got you tubes and away you went. Our house has not been the same since! I love it!)
I do treasure our conversations. Some days, you are very quiet but others, I can't get a word in. I can pick you up from preschool and they will say that you didn't say one word but then you get in the car and you talk nonstop all the way home! And boy, your take on the world is spectacular.
Right now you are a bit bossy but in a funny kind of way. You might ask me a question but before I can even answer, you tell me what to answer. You ask me for something to eat knowing all the while what you want. But, you want it to be my idea so you make me list off a series of items. Then when I list that one you wanted you reply, "Well, ok!" as if I talked you into something. You love silly words like diaper and underwear. I can't have a serious hygiene discussion with you because you simply think it is all hilarious!
You are a treat my friend. I love you more than I could ever explain. You are sleeping right now with a batman mask on that you got for your birthday. I see many days ahead that I will be taking a superhero to run errands.
Happy Birthday Sam! Thank you for an amazingly humbling and wonderful 4 years. Every day is an adventure with you. Mommy loves you.

PS - I chose this music (Funkytown and Bad Day) to start things off because Alvin and The Chipmunks are some of your favorites. At times I think you believe you are Alvin.

Ike

I wanted to take a moment to recognize the smallest member of our family, Isaac or Ike. He is only 9 months old so his current actions rarely make the blog. So, I wanted to get him a little face time and let you know what a truely joyful baby he really is. I love all of my boys but if I am honest with myself and you, Will and Sam were a little tough in their baby years. They seemed rather annoyed that they couldn't do all the things their little minds thought of doing. Today, they are amazing and really very good and sweet little boys. I am thankful I didn't set them out in the "Free Puppy" box.
Ike on the other hand is really quite content most of the time. He just really desires love in its truest form and asks for little else. Ok, so he wants food alot but he gets a pass there. He is a growing boy! Anyway, the boys dress him up as King Isaac so they can be his knights. We dress him up as a Steak and Shake waiter. Through it all, he just sort of grins and rolls with it. He is a delight and I wanted to give him a moment in the spotlight. I think I also wanted to get this down so that if and when he does hit a difficult period and I am ready to pull his and my hair out, I will be reminded that he has quite a deposit built up in the bank of goodness.

PS - I am sure most of you watch the news and are aware of a little storm brewing out in the ocean, Hurricane Ike. He looks to be a booger of a storm and he may actually be bearing down on the part of Florida where my parents live:( (Say a prayer for them.) I am a little concerned for us here in Arkansas too though. I fear that we also should be preparing for Hurricane Ike. He is a little storm right now but in no time he will gain strength and we better bar the doors and windows because Hurricane Ike Chism will be tearing this place up!

Lemonade

This past weekend, we went to Springfield to relax and hang out with some family. There are details that I could share and will when my blogging window is not so small (sleeping baby!). However, I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of the kids and their entrepreneurial spirit.

I think one time, a couple of years ago, Will requested to have a lemonade stand. Well, that day was like 25 degrees so I told Will that although it was a very good idea we might want to wait until it was hot so that people would want some refreshment. Hm mm, he took that to heart and now on every 95+ degree weather day, he wants to have a stand. This was the case last week but we were heading out of town to Springfield, so I suggested having one at Granny and Papa's house since they get a lot of traffic on their street. That seemed like an OK idea to Will so I am not sure it this qualifies us as a franchise or chain or even him as a traveling salesman but we were open for business on E. Vincent St. (I am thankful the government only requires paying taxes over a certain amount because I would hate to try to figure out how to pay in AR and MO;))

Anyway, here are some pictures of the little business. There was some false advertising involved when they listed the stand was for the poor. The kids might feel they are poor but I would beg to differ. There was also a little confusion on how to split profits. These kids are no dummies but with some gentle negotiating, everything worked out great and no feelings were permanently damaged.

In the various pictures you will find Sam(3), Aaron(3), Lexi(6), and Will(6).

PS - For those CFOs out there, the kids did alright. Granny and Papa have some very nice neighbors who took pity on the children and wanted to help out the "poor". I think Granny and Papa lost money though. Granny provided the supplies and lemonade making expertise and Papa ran security duty (they are 6 and 3, you never know when one of them might want to flag down a car by just jumping into the street!).

Vacations

Part of the reason why it took me a month to post was because we were barely home. We had a couple short trips here and there but our major trip was to Florida for Brent to attend a conference for work and for the boys and I to see my parents and sister. We flew into West Palm Beach near my parents' home in Port St. Lucie. Also, my sister, Heather, lives in Stuart, FL. We had a fun time both in Orlando and seeing the family. I took many pictures but I think I missed the best one. Unfortunately, my hands were full at the time. As we exited the airport at the conclusion of our trip Brent looked at me and said something about the effort required to travel with such a crew, 4 suitcases, 3 car seats, 6 carry-ons, 3 children, and 2 not-so-smart parents!

Technology

Ok, so when I found out that even my 50+ mother had a facebook account, I realized that I might need to get with the times and sign up too. So, yesterday I did just that. I filled in enough info to get started and quickly began accumulating friends. Oh fun!

It makes you feel so popular, everyone asking to be your friend. It is like school days again, well, except for the fact that I have no idea what to do now. I have these friends but I am not exactly sure what to do with them. In fact, I am not sure what facebook is about. I guess if I was single and wanted to meet strangers, this is a way to do it. It is sort of a cyberclub maybe? I am not on the hunt, so I guess this is a way to chat with my friends but I haven't figured out how that is different from email or even my blog for that matter. And, do I have to keep up on my facebook like I do my blog? You see how well I am doing at that lately;)

Then, there is this way to say what you are doing at that moment in time. Boy, does that make my life seem boring. I only wrote once today about what I was doing because I didn't feel that making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or breastfeeding was facebook worthy.

I will admit that it is fascinating to try and find people but it is also time consuming. I could sit all day and try and think of old school friends but I do have children to feed so instead I just wander through the day completing tasks thinking, "Hm mm, I wonder if she's on facebook." I guess I need to make a list or maybe my friends will find me.

And, I think you should be required to post at least one picture of yourself to help a girl out in her search. I am looking for friends and the generic grey, shadow outline of a man really doesn't help me know if that is my friend Tiffany from long ago. But on the other hand the generic man is nice in some cases because call me prude, but I really don't want a friend who posts the opening pic of herself mugging on some man. First, gross. Second, I can't even see your face to see if you are my friend!!!! Clearly, there are reasons why it has taken me so long to get into facebook. First and foremost, I am really not cool enough!

What do we do now?

Well, Will is off on his first day of first grade! It was a big day for me. I was a bit nervous about him getting up, remembering all he learned last year, having someone to sit with at lunch, getting ink all over his hands from the full page note I sent in his lunchbox, you know all the usual, first day worries, right?

Well, if my son had known how to do it, I think he would have liked to have given me the finger just so that I would take my papparazzi picture taking butt home! No, he was very sweet and very patient. My worries were for nothing. Will was, well, Will. He was fine. He was happy to go. He was willing to smile on the porch in his first day outfit with his backpack, without his backpack, with his lunch, without, you get it. He let his dad, mom and two little brothers follow him in all the way to his classroom and even smiled for one more photo:)

So, what do we do now? Sam and I are again lost for a day or two until we figure out what to do without Will around. He is the activities director. He is the social commissioner. You see, this is one of many reasons why I don't home school. Will needs a break from us. He needs us to get a life!

So, here we go...

PS - I do know that I have a third child, Ike, but he was not mentioned because he loves Will but he kind of enjoys a little extra attention!

Big Will in the Big Leagues

Will just finished up his second season of teeball. It went quite a bit better than the first. Last year, he wanted to play but then changed his mind just after the organization cashed the check. So like all good parents, we took that opportunity to teach him about commitment. I don't think he really cared about commitment so we ultimately had to bribe him. Neither Brent nor I care what activities the boys participate in but we do care about making commitments and giving everything legal and moral in life a chance.

Well, I guess last year wasn't a total bust because he was ready to try again this year. (We didn't even negotiate a deal before he took the field!) The games were 3 innings long and Will was usually interested for 2 of them. But come the last round, you might find him covering his face with his hat or using his glove as a mask. I am not sure the pros can even field balls when their vision is obstructed. So during those times, unless the ball smacked him in the head or dropped right at his feet, he was very willing to let his teammates get it;) There was also a time or two where we found him to be, what looked like, digging a hole in the dirt to China. I guess he was hoping they weren't playing teeball there! He really did seemed to enjoy it though. His favorite parts of the game are the postgame snacks and the end of the season trophy:)

Here are some highlight pics from the season. The season is made up of 3-4 games a week for only a few weeks. So it was over before we knew it. We did have some of our close friends and their children make it to a game. It was a wonderful treat and gave Will a whole cheering section which I know made him feel special! So, thank you to The Bakers and Stays for your support. I promise to be at your child's first lemonade stand or dance recital, whichever comes first!

PS - One other little funny, with only two games left, Will decided that he wanted his name on the back of his shirt. So we put "Will" just above the #7. That evening's game, everytime Will went up to bat, the crowd cheered for "Will". Everytime someone yelled his name he would literally stop midstride or midswing to check the crowd to see who was yelling his name. He looked so puzzled because he knew it wasn't his parents or anyone else he knew yelling so how they knew his name was extremely confusing!

(If you want to hear the music I chose for this slide show, put your mouse pointer on the word "slide" at the top of the slide show. A speaker will pop out from the right side. Click on the speaker and the song will begin. To stop it, repeat instructions.)

(

Our 10th Anniversary Trip to Hawaii

Since I am new to the blogging world, I am still figuring out how all of this works. So, after about 3 hours of work and neglect to my children, I have made a slideshow of our pictures from Hawaii. It is not all of them though. I do have to feed my kids sometime tonight! I hope you enjoy the pics.

(If you want to hear the music I chose for this slide show, put your mouse pointer on the word "slide" at the top of the slide show. A speaker will pop out from the right side. Click on the speaker and the song will begin. To stop it, repeat instructions.)

Video Crazy

So I just figured out that I can send the videos from my phone to my email and then download them to my blog. Yes, I am a stay-at-home mom so these fantastic advancements in technology are a little new to me. Anyway, Isaac normally has this sweet little voice but every once in awhile he goes into his lower register and that is his little demonic voice. Sometimes, he actually talks in that lower range but other times, it just comes out unexpectedly. Maybe this is insight into his personality, I don't know. But, it does make his brothers laugh!

Laughter

This is one of the worst videos you can find but it wasn't without effort. Sam hates being photographed or captured on video. So, I did my best to be subtle which means that I got some really bad shots but if you listen carefully, you will see what I had hoped to get. Will and Sam are really not only brothers but great friends. Will has an amazing ability to make his brothers laugh and Sam's laughter is just contagious. Both Brent and I pray that the boys will remain good friends as they grown up and that Will's gift of humor and Sam's gift of contagious laughter will stay with them throughout their lives.

Brain Damage

Ok, so that blob in the video is my 7 1/2 month-old in his Jumperoo. I think he is a little out of control and I know that some form of brain damage is taking place but he just loves the thing! In fact, it is his new favorite place, well besides the boob. Anyway, his brothers hate it because he gets so loud and crazy that they can't hear the tv or each other for that matter! But, we let him jump anyway. It is our way of getting back at them for the daily torture they inflict upon us;)

Cardboard Testimonies

I am not sure what I did before youtube, probably more housework and cared for my children. But, now I have discovered a whole new way to spend (waste) time. Who needs clean clothes? As for my children, they ate yesterday so they will be fine!!! Just kidding.

Seriously, check out this video. It makes you think hard about what your cardboard testimony would be and whether you could stand before everyone to share how God really saved you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Perspective

Those of you who know me well should know that exercise has never really been my thing. Up until about 4 months ago, I relied heavily on my good gene pool to stay in shape. Now that the girls have been a food source x3 and my belly resembles a balloon that got blown up and then slowly leaked air but never fully deflating (you know, slightly bigger than its pre-air day and now wrinkled and when you press on one area, it forces the remaining air to blow up another part of the balloon.), I decided that genes were not enough. So, I have begun going to an exercise class called Bodypump and I really love it. As often as I can, I go because it makes me feel better and they have child care. I will do anything for 2 hours if someone will watch my children!

Anyway, so I took the boys to the gym, and then we raced over for Will's second t-ball game of the season. When we arrived at the field, we found out that the game had been cancelled due to rain this morning. Normally, I would have praised the Lord for making rain and cancelling the game but I had already dragged my three children and all the gear that they and a t-ball game require out to the ballpark. So, as not to waste all of our efforts, the boys and I decided to play at the playground nearby for a little bit. I will remind you that it had rained this morning and now the sun was out which was creating quite the steamy evening. Oh well, we were having fun and I was already sweaty so no big deal, right?

After as much of a sauna session as we could stand, we hopped in the car and headed out. Well the boys wanted to get some dinner which seemed fine because we looked and smelled like normal fast food clientel. Unfortunately, when I asked the boys what they wanted, Will jumped in with The Marketplace Grill. I was at first surprised because he informed me the other day that The Sizzler was his favorite restaurant and Dennys is second. I think he is an old soul! Anyway, I thought why not? It is Kids Eat Free month at Marketplace so this would be as economical as any other spot. So, Will, Sam, Isaac, and I went on in to the Marketplace. The boys were amazingly good. I mean they are good boys most of the time but they are still boys so the quiet that was our table was really impressive. They ate well, colored pictures, and even gave me their steak knife as soon as they discovered it instead of first trying it out on the tablecloth. We were a sight. I was such the proud mom. I think at one point my head could have exploded from all that pride. We left without incident not even when the boys asked for ice cream and I declined their request.

As I drove home, I was still beaming so I gave my mom a call just to tell her of my awesome parenting moment and that I was certain that I would be the talk of the restaurant. She agreed that we probably would be the talk but maybe for other reasons that I had believed. She reminded me that I did go to a real sit down restaurant in my tank top and exercise shorts with my three sweaty and slightly dirty children on the Kids Eat Free night without a daddy. Hmm, kind of sad really. I bet the next time I go there, they will have a collection can with our picture on it requesting donations.

My Madness

I try to make sure that I only write when I have something interesting to say or a funny story of the boys. I guess my hope is that one day I will print all this off as little trinkets of thoughts for Will, Sam, & Isaac. Well, today I am breaking my rule and just writing because my brain is so frustrated that I must vent and you all get to hear the madness in my head. So, here goes!

As some of you know, Will has a leg length discrepency of about 7/8 inch. We have known about it for a few years now so each year we take him to the Orthopaedic doctor to have him remeasured to see how it is doing. This year we also took him to Shriner's hospital in St. Louis to have a second opinion. I don't think that we doubted our doctor here, we just wanted to know that we were doing all that we could for the time being. (As a side note, I do want to say that if you ever get a chance to support Shriner's Hospitals, please do so. The people and the work they do there is amazing and it is totally free.) Anyway, we have been told that besides our periodic visits for x-rays and measuring, we will just wait until Will is in his early teens and if the length discrepency has not improved, then he will have to have a lengthening procedure that is crazy and as Will's mommy, I cannot think about because it makes me cry.

So, in the mean time we are doing our best to make sure that we do all we can to give Will every advantage and opportunity and this is where the madness begins. Oh, but let me first say that this length issue does not in the least bit hamper Will. He has a lift in his shoe that just makes him more comfortable and really gets his hips level but outside of that he is as rowdy as any little 6-year-old! Now, back to the madness.

We took Will to a chiropractor simply because when a person has such a large difference, we figured that his poor back has to be taking a beating and we wanted him to feel great! It's hard because Will has always had this difference to some degree so he mostly feels ok because well, this is all that he has ever known. For instance, until August, he didn't have a lift that made his hips level and he rarely complained of discomfort. Now that he has the proper lift size, he won't go without it. He now knows the difference and how much better it makes him feel. So, this was also the logic behind taking him to the chiropractor, to help him see how great he could feel.

Well, it all seemed like a simple and great idea. But, nothing is simple when insurance is involved. Our insurance company denied Will's visits saying that chiropractic care for spinal manipulation in children under the age of 12 is unproven or "experimental". Now I can go to the chiropractor for spinal manipulation when it is much more difficult to fix because my bones are old and they will pay for that. But my child who has the chance for tremendous improvement is "experimental". How frustrating it is to pay every month into a system for healthcare that really only cares about treating the current problem and sees little value in preventing future ones. Maybe they hope we will be with a new provider by then.

Regardless, whether the insurance company pays their part of not, if we feel that this will help Will, that is what we will do. He is our child and we will do everything possible to give him a great life. And I promise you, if a year from now Will's spine is straight and we can attribute it to these chiropractor visits, this stay-at-home mom will be marching her 3-child-bearing hips to the steps of United Healthcare with my x-rays in hand to share with them my thoughts on their policies and what is included in my Certificate of Coverage. Ooo, I am SO scary, huh? Well, it will make me feel better anyway!

A Good Laugh

Ok, so people send funny attachments and links all the time, and I am thankful for that because I usually do get a good giggle and life should be filled with as many laughs as possible. So, now I ask the same of you. Please take the time to click on this link. I would bet a fair amount of money that you won't be sorry;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_apWD7a4ZLk

Hawaii

I have given Brent a hard time in the past for being a hoarder of Skymiles and Hotel Points. Well, I can make fun no more. He saved up enough to send us to Hawaii for our 10-year anniversary. We were gone for a week and although I love my boys and cannot imagine life without them there were some real perks to our time away.

1) I was able to go to bed when I wanted to because I knew that I would determine the time I awoke. (Sadly enough, I still got up at 7:00 am most days because my body and my boobs made me. I was hooked up to that breast pump so often I felt like a cow at a dairy farm!)

2) We only ate at one restaurant in Hawaii that you could order by number and that was just before we left the island. We were trying to reacclimate our bodies getting them ready for the real world again and I secretly just missed it.

3) When getting ready to go anywhere, I only had to factor in time for how long it takes ME to get ready and what I would wear. I didn't once have to ask anyone if they brushed their teeth, needed to go potty, wiped, or washed their hands. (If Brent failed to do any of the above, that was his issue. This Mommy was on vacation!)

We had a really nice time and I enjoyed just about every moment. I did drop my cell phone in the swimming pool:( All that being said, I think both Brent and I had just enough Hawaii by the end. Although we are husband and wife and have much fun together and enjoyed reconnecting. We are a family of five and we were missing three. I mean, Brent and I are funny but the boys, they are FUNNY!