Thank You Sunday School Teachers...

Last Sunday was promotion day at our church, but my kids obviously missed it since I was at home thinking I'd swallowed glass. So, tonight they were telling me all about it and were so excited. Ashton loved getting to go to the upstairs Basic Training and couldn't stop talking about Mr. Rick who gave them dolls he brought back from his mission trip where "he went to help those kids who didn't have bathrooms!" She fervently prayed for those kids in Guatemala or was it Nicaragua? She and Jackson had a huge debate over which one it was. I think the fact that we prayed for Mr. Brent when he went to both places on mission trips or to bring home his princessa kind of got them all confused!

I also love the prayer request "gossip" because she came home telling me that Mr. Ricky called her teacher and said he was in the hospital so she had to pray for him. I told her that I saw Mr. Ricky in Big Church because Jackson chased him down with his offering today (btw: his own money from his allowance, it sure means a lot more when they have to earn the money to give- at first they are a little reluctant but then are really proud when they get to church and put it in the bag!) because he couldn't get it out of his pocket before the bag went by. Still, she insisited we have to pray for Mr. Ricky and in fact I had to go back to her room because in the excitement of praying for bathrooms for the Guatemalan kids we forgot, and she yelled to remind me!

She also thought kindergarten Sunday School with Mrs. Heather was SO fun. They got to make banana pudding and make not one but 2 crafts! She couldn't believe how cool that was. Way to go Mrs. Heather. You won her love and affection at the craft table, well played.

Even Jackson said Sunday School was really fun. I know that doesn't make for an exciting post but any good adjective is high praise when coming from a 7 year old boy.

Will and Wesley even moved up to the crawler class. When I picked Will up (Wesley was asleep) I have never seen a child look more proud of himself over the fact that he was sitting in the "big" table with the chairs built right in eating Cheerios. He was shoveling those Cheerios in as fast as he could and just a-grinning. I almost never got his attention to even tell him I was there until I got down to his level. Of course, now when I think back on it he usually only smiles that big when he is up to something. Coupled with the fact that he wasn't making eye contact with any adults, I'm pretty sure he thought he was getting away with something!

This isn't to say they didn't love the classes they were in before. In fact, I have been amazed and humbled by all the people who give of their time and talents to demonstrate Christ's love to my children. I also know that there are several of you who read this blog who help behind the scenes too, and I truly appreciate what you do as well. I just wanted to share these cute "testimonies" from my kids and how much they love all of you. Mostly, I felt the need to take this chance to thank all of you and let you know that God truly will bless your service and these seeds you're planting are already growing to fruition in our home and will only spread. God bless!

*The validity of all these happenings were based on statements given by a 4 year old girl with a great imagination and may not have any basis in fact. This blog nor its typer make no gaurantees if there was any banana pudding or Guatemalan dolls or if in fact there is a sick Mr. Ricky in some hospital somewhere!

The Brat Whisperer...

Ok, get ready because I'm about to shock some of you. Now most of my dear friends here in "The Hill" won't be shocked by this, but maybe some of you with more sensitive sensibilities. Here goes: last night I spanked my daughter!!! Hard to imagine how this beautiful child could ever do anything to deserve such punishment, right? Well, let's just say that for the last week or so she's made me really prove how much I love her. Meaning if I didn't really love her as no one else could, she'd be on the curb! I'll just tell you that guilt has been the overriding emotion of my life. When I think of my childhood guilt is the first emotion I remember. I'm honestly getting better but still am extremely susceptible to it which is why I've developed the horrible habit of always apologizing (which some of you fuss at me for- Kyla, Angie and Jen :). If you need me to do something make me feel guilty about not doing it (if you need tips on this ask my mom or grandmother-just kidding! Now I feel guilty for writing that,seriously! SORRY!). This is kind of like my kryptonite, and my daughter has learned to use it masterfully. Now it's not, "Mommy please play with me." It's "You never play with me. You're always too busy with the babies." I lay awake at nights worrying that I've ruined her life already. I mean I knew she'd think it in a few years, but she's starting early!

Lately, she's been having full on fits and can just be unpleasant to be around at times. Last night was one of those times. Jackson and I had finished our supper so I took his hand, and we snuck off to his bedroom leaving Jon to deal with the fit she was throwing on the floor about eating her dinner. We snuggled up in his bed, and I let him read his science book to me. It was such sweet quiet time and in came Ashton (apparently Daddy didn't make her eat her food!). She started banging on his piano and singing into the microphone. I sweetly asked her to come snuggle with us but not to make so much noise. She took a baseball and threw it at me. OK, so it was a plastic one with holes all in it but still. I pretended not to see it and then she threw it again and hit me in the back of the head! Obviously, I couldn't ignore this.

So, to the bathroom we went. We had a long talk, a spanking, then hugs and kisses. I thought she had seen the light when 2 minutes later she was throwing another fit because she wouldn't put her pajamas on. This time I sent Daddy to deal expecting to hear another spanking. In a few short minutes they came down hand in hand with her dressed perfectly in her pajamas. She was sweet and smiling like an angel fresh from heaven. She came right up to me and apologized for everything she had done wrong the entire day. she went and fixed me a glass of water without being asked and asked if there was anything else she could for me.

Then came the part Jon won't let me live down. She said, "Daddy, you really taught me a lesson. You really taught me good manners. Mama didn't teach me anything. Cause Daddy you're so strong and smart. I'm never gonna touch your computer again because it's important. Mommy's isn't." Seriously- no sarcasm, said just as sincerely and sweetly as her little heart could speak. Jon is dying laughing- at me because I am sputtering and angry, no disgusted.

So, there you have it ladies and gentlemen- Jon Dodd, a.k.a. "The Brat Whisperer". He has told me what he said to her, and I don't think it is much different than what I did, but I guess I don't have his psychic connections with brats (that could be a good thing or really unflattering since he was drawn to me?).

Here's the good news for you: while the world waits for him to publish his how to handle brats guide- I'll rent him to you, CHEAP! The only problem is, it apparently doesn't have lasting effects as she came daringly close to a spanking again today, not to mention told me that the shirt I was wearing made me look like a clown. Nice...

And the Verdict Is In...

strep throat! Yeah me! Actually I'm feeling much better. Now you don't have to avoid me since I don't have mono! The second doctor visit was really upsetting. She told me I was really too old for mono. Was that called for? Why kick someone when they are already down? Then she told me they weren't sure if I had mono or strep throat so I got to choose what I wanted to be treated for. If I take antibiotics but have mono they can make me break out in a painful rash. But if I have strep throat and don't take the medicine then it won't get better. Great, thanks for letting me choose! I went with the antibiotics because I was so miserable I wanted anything. Then they called today to say I actually did have strep. Thank goodness I'm on the mend because that was the worst sore throat I've ever had. Enough whining, I just wanted to let everyone know they don't have to avoid me, for that reason anyway!

When Mommy's Sick...

Daddy may not survive! I have been REALLY sick since Saturday night. I've had a temp of 104 and my throat has NEVER been in so much pain. They are testing my blood to see if I have mono, so until they get the results they won't give me any medicine. I don't know if I can make it much longer! Anyway, enough whining!

Jackson had his last baseball game and got his trophy last night. I missed it! I'm having horrible bedrest flashbacks because last year on June 1st I had to miss his first All-Star game.

The worst part is yesterday was our 12 year anniversary. It was nothing like we had planned it to be. At least when Jon went to get me some throat spray he picked me up a card, sort of. He thought all the anniversary cards were too mushy so he got me a birthday card and marked out birthday and wrote anniversary. Of course, it had a picture of a chimpanzee on it (every girls' dream) because nothing is funnier to him that a monkey (there are some connections to be drawn there?).

Well, here's hoping our 13th anniversary is better- 13-uh oh!

9 Month Photo Shoot...

Well, it was time for our 9 month photo shoot and after how wonderful the 6 month pictures were, we went the cheap but far superioir route of using (and abusing) my sweet friend Amy. Where else would someone have the patience and, most importantly, perseverance to take pics for over 3 hours?! Not to mention Jackson was in some kind of boy heaven playing Star Wars with her son Liam for that long. Let me just say that trying to get 2 mobile babies to cooperate much less smile was EXHAUSTING! Getting even one picture would be amazing so this many great ones are nothing less than miracles!

These are the pictures Amy couldn't wait so e-mailed me tonight. I haven't even seen all of them, but here are my 20 or so favs:

Will with a rare serious face:
More like the Will we all know and love:

Wesley talking. This child has found his voice and is so excited about it he woke up at 5 a.m. talking and didn't stop until I finally stuck a bottle in his mouth at 6:30. This week alone he has learned to say, "bye-bye, uh-oh" plus know who Dada and Mama are.

Can I just tell you again how hard it is to get two babies to be still for a picture? We finally stuck them up high on a seat so they had to be still or fall off. I wish you could see me frantically spotting them and Jackson and Liam being goofballs to get these smiles!

All the previous grief was well worth it for this picture where Will put his arm around his brother!

I just find this picture absolutely beautiful. I love his little lips pursed:

Another favorite because #1 Wesley is doing the splits which is how he tends to stand and #2 Will looks like he's telling him something:

This is quintissential Will. We didn't mean to take their pictures on the stairs, but he crawled away to there and this is his all too familiar "oops, I'm busted maybe if I smile real cute she won't be mad" face!

After realizing the best way to get their real smiles was to let them think they were getting away with something, we let them pose on the stairs:

I've never really seen him (Will) do this before, but it made for a cute picture:

Guess whose nap time it was? I love that lip:

What a sweet genuine Wesley smile;

Wasn't it nice of Amy to paint her playroom walls the exact blue of the boys' outfits? Will was working this hat which was funny because he usually throws them on the floor in 1.2 seconds:

This picture had me floored because he looks so old. When did that happen?

Wesley wasn't crazy about the hat which is the opposite of how they usually roll:

The blue walls really brought out their pretty eyes:He too looks like a boy and not a baby :(

Amy disappeared for awhile, and I found her playing model with Ashton. She could be a model because she has the poses down, not to mention the required attitude! Check her out:

More pretty eyes:

My favorite overalls shot:

Amy asked Jackson if she could take his picture, and he happily obeyed. I don't know if that was because he's so used to having his picture taken, he likes Amy that much or he actually enjoys it? It doesn't matter why he did it, look at the great pictures I ended up with:

What a cutie!

OK, all you blog readers= PLEASE leave comments and tell me which ones are your favorites. If you've been to my house you know I'm running out of wall space so I need your help deciding which are wall worthy (though I think we all know they will all be scrapbook worthy!).

Wow, what a stressful but SO worth it day!

My Daughter's First & Hopefully Last, Sobriety Test...

Ashton had to have her nose cauterized yesterday due to her frequent nosebleeds. We kept trying to get her to tell people she was having her nose done! The scary part was they had to put her to sleep in order to do it well. Jon and I left all the boys at home with Nana, at 5:45 a.m.! It was nice getting to spend some time with just our baby girl. She was so brave.

We were all having way too much fun, especially when they brought her the giggle juice. I'm embarassed to tell you how much fun we had laughing at our silly girl. We were having her do the sobriety test of touching her nose and counting backwards from 10. It got really funny as the medicine started kicking in. She asked Jon why he had 3 eyes! When counting she got to 6 and said, "I didn't know there were so many 6's!" In true Ashton fashion, she never stopped talking though the words got more and more slurred until she said, "This stuff makes me talk weird." We took lots of sad, but hilarious videos. The highlight was Jon and I trying to get an inert girl on the potty! I wish I had a video of that.

Anyway, the procedure went great, though she doesn't remember much. It was the most fun and most expensive date Jon and I have ever had! Wow, scary!

Anyway, you know I had camera in hand, so:

Here she is at arrival with her comfort doggy she got to bring from home. Every time a nurse asked what its name was it changed from Carlita to Carla and more. Her puppy even got her own armband and got to try out the giggle juice first! Sporting the "costume":

It was quite a job for mommy to fit all her hair in that flimsy hat!

Those of you who know my aggravating husband probably think he insitgated the DUI test, but I'm afraid this photo proves otherwise:

His laughter: at his silly, drunk daughter (again, hopefully the 1st and last time!);

Her laughter- hey, they don't call it giggle juice for nothing!

Here is our brave girl giving the princess wave as they took her back.

And here she is all fixed and no worse for the wear! Everything went great and it didn't even seem to slow her down. The only thing was that right after we got home she just got mean. She went through the house turning things over then destroyed Jackson and Daddy's game. After she and I chilled out in her room for a little while, she was great!

Things really did great, and she is going to be so much better without all those nosebleeds. Jon and I are looking forward to another entertaining trip when she possibly goes to get her tonsils out!

Hanson Brothers Watch Out...

I thought it would be fun to post this series of photos that show what happens when the boys both want the same toy, in this case a microphone. Please watch carefully and see how many times it changes hands...

Wesley has it: Will has it:

Not sure who has it here:

Will is holding on tight:

This is after Big Sis took pity on them and gave them another mic, but the grass is always greener- so kept wanting the other's.

Isn't this a sweet duet as they gave into each others eyes? Of course, they are probably just trying to figure out how to steal their toy.Wesley is making his move, but Will is holding on tight:

Wesley prevails, but don't count Will out yet!

Will has control and Wesley has a guilty look:

Time for another duet:

Now Will steals Wesley's:

Now they have swapped and are ready for another duet:

I love my two boys! They are at such a fun age. I love watching them discover things. Yes, they were fighting over a toy in all these pics, but at least no punches were thrown and no one cried. It's almost like they don't know any better than to have a toy taken away. I'm enjoying these innocent days while they last and before the wrestling matches begin!