Sugarland Contest!!

If you are reading this, please stay with me for the remainder of this post!  I have entered a contest to win a date to see Sugarland in Atlanta on Oct. 22  I am a finalist and need your help to win!  Please go to this website  HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE! and vote for justcharitysue's video by pressing like.  That's it.  And then pass it on to your friends.  I would find it incredibly stupendous and will love you forever and ever and be your bestest friend.  Thanks!!

Yay Fall!

Wait For It.....

John happened to catch Eric calling Matthew stupid, so he was sent to his room.  After he had served time out, he was brought out to explain what the bad behavior was and to apologize.  Every time we try to get Eric to apologize to Matthew, Matthew apologizes too.  He just doesn't get it.  So here was the conversation:

John:  You don't say that word.
Eric:  What word?
John:  Stupid.  We don't say that word.  It's not nice.  You need to apologize to Matthew.
Both Children:  Sorry, (Eric, Matthew)
John:  Not you Matthew.  Eric you need to say "Sorry for calling you stupid, Matthew"
Eric:  (unsure of whether he REALLY should say the word  or not, went to apologize again)  Sorry, Matthew...

Matthew:  Sorry, Stupid!


I laughed so hard I had tears streaming and my belly ached and poor Matthew was still trying to apologize:
Sorry, Stupid!  Sorry, Stupid!


Oh, John!  You gotta think these things out!

Fathers!

Today's conversation:

John:  What day is Eric's birthday?
Me (confused):  I have no idea.
John:  No.  What date?
Me:  The 18th.
John (bright red and laughing) "You were right, Eric!!"

Blessing Bags

One day, long, long ago, John and I were traveling.  I don't know where to but only that we were young and penniless.  Okay.  Not penniless, but definitely living paycheck to paycheck.  We stopped on our journey to grab some lunch.  When we pulled in, there was a man on the corner holding a cardboard sign that read, "Hungry - please help".  It bothered me.  It always does.  I HATE thinking of anybody going hungry.  It also bothers me that able people choose panhandling.  It is a rule that we never give a stranger money.  If they have a need, we will  meet it if we can, but not by a cash handout.  We went in and ate and then headed out to the car.  I could see that he was still standing there.  I told John I wanted to do something.  We took the little cash we had left and got him a meal.  I was skeptical about the situation, and expected the food to be placed down while he continued to hold his sign and "earn money".  But he didn't.  He thanked John and immediately sat down and ate.  I wanted to cry.  Why hadn't we bought him so much more?  I never forgot that.  And EVERY time I see someone on the side of the road, I'm bothered.  And I'm torn.  I am always convinced that if I don't stop I am passing up angel after angel that God has sent to test me and I'm also convinced, if I do stop, I am putting myself in danger or I am aiding an addiction.

I bring all this up because I passed a guy with a sign the other day!  His sign read "Need 4.7 cents"  I have no idea what that means.  But the sign caught my eye, and he caught mine.  He smiled a sweet smile and waved.  I smiled back uncomfortably and kept driving and just poured out everything to God.  I didn't know what to do.  I never do.  I want to help.  I do.  But so often it doesn't seem right or safe.  What am I supposed to do?!?!  I vented my frustration and then went on with my day.  Not long after my complete melt-down with God, my friend posted this link:  BLESSING BAGS

It was the answer to my "prayer".  Carrying around gallon sized baggies with useful and edible items is just brilliant.  It was just the answer I needed.  Now I was enabled to help in safety and without enabling an addiction.  I love it!  I also love that my boys will be able to witness the act, and I hope that it will teach them kindness and compassion.

I'm anxious to gather the items and have the bags on hand ready to hand out when needed.  I would love to get together with a group of people who were anxious to do the same thing, so that everyone could contribute an item or two, and many bags could be made.  I don't know how long it will be before I'm able to actually go through with it, but I'm so excited about the opportunity to love people in this way!

The Adventures of Matthew

Oh this little boy.  He is such a mess.  And all boy.

As often as we have listened to Eric talk about the planets, we are having to listen to Matthew repeat this phrase a billion times a day:

You choking, WHIIIIIIITE? (You're joking, right?)

No.  No, I'm not.


John is having his own fun with the tyke.  I caught Matthew dancing one day and it was just too adorable.  I told John about it and John was encouraging him to dance and he wasn't wanting to.  That quickly turned into "Dance, Monkey!"  So now, whenever John wants to be entertained, we'll hear "Dance, Monkey!" and usually Matthew will shake his toushie.

But Matthew wasn't having any of that today.  He covered his little face, shook his head and said, "I don't want dance monkey!"

In Love

As many of you know, I'm a BIG music person.  I jump genres a lot and go through phases.  I've been mostly into Christian music for quite a while now.  I have not bought any albums of late, because I tend to only like a couple of sings from each.  After having discovered the Sugarland contest, and participating in it, I took a  good look at their latest album, The Incredible Machine.  I have always liked the Sugarland songs that made it to radio, but I have got to say I am IN LOVE with this album and am so impressed that they wrote every song, and that every song is completely different from the one before it.  The album is so diverse and the lyrics so interesting that this has definitely made my top 10 album list.  L-O-V-E.  I think Sugarland has a new fan.  Talent, talent, talent!  

Check out some of my favorites!









All on the same album!  Incredible, right?!  

Done With Potty Training

I told you.  I have no patience for this.  Matthew has decided he has no need of diapers, but apparently he has no need of a toilet either.  Grrrr......I have cleaned up three messes today.  2 of which occured when he had (or was SUPPOSED to have had) his diaper on!  He's been taking it off and peeing and then coming to let me know that he's wet and made a mess.  No kidding, little one.  Then he wants to go run and sit on the potty, because apparently if you sit on the potty, you get to flush it, and THAT'S exciting. 

I hate potty training.

Follow-Up Potty Training Day 1

Matthew proudly wore his underwear all morning and stayed dry!  Yay!  I encouraged him to go potty a couple of times, which he gladly did.  However, he would not stay seated long enough to do anything.  He really just wants to flush the toilet.  At naptime, I fought him to take off his underwear.  He did NOT want a diaper back on.  That's a good sign....but I insisted.  To our amazement, he stayed dry through his nap.  Don't know how he stayed dry for so long.  He didn't end back up in underwear because we went swimming immediately after his nap.  When we got home, I bathed him, and went to put another diaper on.  He fussed and said he didn't want it, but that's just too bad right now.

Eric and Matthew were playing back in Eric's room.  They were laughing and giggling and carrying on.  John and I were too exhausted to care too much what was going on.  I heard Eric start flipping out, saying "That's gross!  Eww Matthew!  Go Away!  I don't want you!!!!"  I figured Matthew was stinky.  He hadn't pooped all day.  Soon Matthew comes running in.  Diaper in one hand and a handful of poop in the other.  He tried handing it to me and John's flipping out screaming (he does not do well with poop) Matthew breaks into tears, I'm laughing...it was quite a chaotic moment.  So I had Matthew carry his present to the bathroom.  He leaned over the tub and looked up at me...noooooooo.  I managed to get him to dump it in the toilet and told him to flush it before I realized how STUPID that was, but it was too late to stop him.  So I got to clean off the handle as well.  Before I made it to the sink he rubbed his face.  *AGH*  All while John still has his face buried in the sofa screaming "ahhhhhhh!  ewwwwwww!"

I *think* potty training is going to go quickly.  He is very OBVIOUSLY done with the diapers.  Now just  to control the mess in the meantime.....

And why we end up picking SATURDAYS to begin potty training is beyond me.  We obviously won't be getting around to potty training tomorrow.....

And It Begins...Again.

Sooo....I've been procrastinating on potty training.  it's not that I love changing diapers, it's just that I don't have the patience to work on it for months on end.  I want it over in a week at worst.  Some of you are laughing at me.  But Eric was fully potty trained in less than a week.   So it is possible.  Yes he was over the age of 3 but, hey, it worked for us.  So I've been waiting for the day that Matthew decides he's done with diapers.  Looks like that might be today.

He came running and crying to me about his diaper this morning.  He said he was stinky, but was grabbing the front of the diaper.  I checked him and it was fine.  I didn't understand what was wrong.  I asked him if he wanted to go potty and he ripped the diaper off and took off running to the bathroom.  I picked him up and held him on the toilet where he happily sat for a little while then jumped off.  He didn't do anything so I went to go get his ripped off diaper since I had JUST put it on.  The urine was still warm.  He knew he had to go, but I didn't get the message in time.  I decided to put a new diaper on him, but he told me no.  I opened up a drawer that I had JUST filled with underwear yesterday.  He got excited about cookie monster and Elmo and gladly put on a pair of underwear.  Now I have an unpotty trained child running around in underoos.  I don't know how this is going to go.  My hope is, is that he will hate being wet, which I suspect he will, and we will be potty trained shortly.  And I'm praying this isn't a day of cleaning up too much urine. 

Can't believe we're already at this point! 

Little Prayers

I am loving having my little Mattmoo come up and ask to pray.  I have taught my children that they can pray whenever they want, so I am often caught off guard when they get the urge to talk to God.  I must stop what I am doing and pray with them.  I want so badly to record little Matthew praying, but can't figure out a way to do it.  Tonight, after he started biting again (only my shirt - but still..this has been an issue of late)  I fussed and then he decided he wanted to pray. 

Dear God,
Thank you for my teeth.  Thank you for cars.  Thank you for drinks.  Thank you for another drink.  Thank you for balls.  :)

I coaxed him a bit more, but I love hearing what's in his little head and heart.  It makes me smile!

Music, Music, Music

I like this song.  And it made me smile tonight.  So I'm posting it.

Plan B

Always gotta have a backup!  If I'm not chilling in Atlanta with the hubby on Oct 22 at a Sugarland concert, I'm totally going to see Anita Renfroe!  She'll be in Johnson City that night!  Anxious to get a group of women from church together.  I love this woman.  She's hilarious.

Note To Self

ALWAYS.  ALWAYS.  Deseed the jalepeno pepper when making homemade salsa.  Regardless of how spicy your husband thinks he likes it.

Is it hot in here or is it just me?  Pass me the gallon of milk pleeeeeeassse.

Mornings With Eric

Eric:  How old are you mommy?
Me:  I'm old.
Eric:  I know.  But like, what kind of numbers?
Me:  *laughing* I love having kids.....
Eric:  You do?!?

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Ugh.  So I'm writing this blog, because everyone thinks this is so funny.  I would think it was funny too if it weren't my kids.  Funny how that works like that. 

This past week has been spent working on the ULTIMATE video to win a trip to Atlanta and see Sugarland.  The video is supposed to reflect the song "Tonight" and show Sugarland what our idea of a perfect night is.  I decided to go the "picture storybook route" and capture funny, chaotic moments to help explain why the perfect night is simply just being with my husband.  My father, who is putting the video together for me, suggested that I allow them to play in baby powder to get some good shots.  I thought that was a good idea.  A controlled mess.  I could do that.  I had some old left over flour, so I set the stage for the boys.  I put approximately 2 cups worth of flour in front of them and encouraged them to play in it.  They weren't quite sure what to do with it or how to play with it, so I showed them.  "Put it on your head!"  "Get some on your face!"  "Make a mess! - Not too big of a mess....."  This was the result:

I got some great shots for the video!  This was going to be awesome!!  As I threw the boys in the tub, I explicitly told them.  "We don't EVER do this.  This was a ONE time thing.  Playing in the flour is a no-no."  In the back of my mind I knew, though, that this is very hard to explain why it's ok today and not tomorrow.  I was hoping they understood anyway.  And it turns out, flour is a lot harder to clean than I thought.  Baby powder would have been a much better idea.  Getting the flour out of the boys hair was nearly impossible, as it continued to gum up and get pasty, the wetter it got.  I NEVER wanted to do this again.  I could not imagine having to do this "for real".

Well I got my opportunity to do it for real.  The boys woke up before I did Sunday morning.  Usually, if they wake up early, they will go to their playroom and play quietly and watch TV.  A little after seven, I woke up and realized it was quiet.  Yay!  They're not fighting.  I cheerfully got up to go get them some breakfast.  You can not even begin to imagine the mess I walked into.  The kitchen was COVERED.  An entire bag of flour was EVERYWHERE.  Matthew gleefully appeared, almost unrecognizable under all the flour.  Eric quickly popped in, also covered in flour, to let me know that Matthew had gotten into the flour.  He knew they were in trouble.  I didn't know where to start.  I walked into the playroom.  It was covered too.  All over the carpets, all over the floor, all of the toys.  On the walls, on cabinets, IN cabinets....and I had to get it all cleaned up - plus get the boys washed up before John made it home and had a coronary.  I went to survey the damage.  It even made it into the living room.  All over the couch, the rug....everything.

I told them to go the bathroom and get in the tub.  I always put them in the tub myself, but Eric knew he was in so much trouble he got naked and turned the water on himself and jumped in.  The water was freezing.  I quickly swept up and vacuumed the playroom (where John would be entering) and then got started on the kitchen.  Matthew was still wandering around, so I quickly stripped him and put him in the tub with Eric.  He was not as fond of the cold water.  I went back to try to clean .  I silently prayed that John would be late coming home.  He called while I was in the midst of cleaning.  That was a good sign.  Meant I should have almost 20 minutes to get the bulk of it up.  I refused to answer the phone.  Within minutes though, he was at the door.  My heart sank.  I was already feeling like an awful mother.  I wasn't ready to handle the anger I just knew was coming.  But who could blame him?  I try to have the house in good shape for him when he comes home, and the flour being everywhere simply meant I had not been present with the children.  I had failed at my job.

Although shocked at the mess, he quickly got to work helping clean the mess up.  We swept up flour, we vacuumed up after that, I steam mopped after THAT, and then we got on our hands and knees and washed the floor AGAIN, and then we steam-mopped again.  Still washing down counter tops and walls as we went.  And of course, this all happened on a SUNDAY morning, when we were trying to get out for church.  The boys were still sitting in the tub so John went to scrub them.  I knew how hard it was to get the little bit of flour out of their hair the first time.  I had no idea how it was going to come out this time.  They had to suffer a serious scrub down like they have never received before.  It is one they won't soon forget.  But John got all the flour out of their hair. 

We got the majority of the flour picked up out of all the rooms, and got the hall and kitchen cleaned as mentioned above.  I found my camera in the process of cleaning up.  looks like somebody was trying to take pics!  At least I would be able to get a good laugh at the pics later.  Then I remembered the memory card wasn't even in there.  If they had tried to take pics, it had done no good.  I put the camera down and kept cleaning.  It wasn't until later, that John realized they had broken the camera.  UGH.

So after receiving spankings, not receiving doughnuts, having their DVD player taken away, and sent to their rooms, they were sufficiently punished.  We cleaned up what we could before it became imperative that I get ready to go to church.  We were already late, but I still wanted to make it.  Eric came out of the room and apologized for "touching the flour".  I loved on the boys but let them know that what they did was wrong.  John loved on them as well and played with them for a bit while helping them to get ready, while I got ready. 

I was so touched at John's loving spirit that moment, that I couldn't help but cry.  He really came through for me when I needed him most.  The boys were rightly disciplined, but they knew they were loved too.  And I felt forgiven for my mistakes.  I thanked John and pulled myself together and got us to church.  I knew it was unusual for us to be late, but the teachers seemed to recognize it had been a hard morning.  I made it into service and sat down.  As the relief of getting there came over me, so did the events of the morning and, once  again, I couldn't help but cry.  I  tried SO hard not to because I knew we were coming up on the "Say hello to your neighbor!" part of service, but that morning had really been my last straw.  Yes, it was stupid to be crying over "spilt flour", but the spilt flour came in addition to a week of having poop smeared on me, cleaning cereal out of the paper feed of my printer, applications, interviews, picture taking, video making, general housecleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, holding cranky kids, listening to whiny boys, curbing allergies...you name it.  And I was so done.  And all I wanted to do was sit and cry.  I thank God for the sweet sweet women at church.  One of my favorite people there was concerned.  I told her I was fine, it had been a rough morning, but the tears just flowed harder.  She hugged me and asked what happened.   And I just felt so stupid as I said "nothing!", and then quickly explained about the flour.  She asked, "But no one's hurt, right?"  It made me smile.  I know these tears were ridiculous.  She told me about the time her daughter smeared Crisco everywhere.  That's a tear-stopper!  Thank GOODNESS the boys didn't get into anything like that.  I can't even imagine.  It's one thing to spend HOURS cleaning up flour dust, but at least I know how to do it.  I would have no idea where to start cleaning up Crisco! 

I feel like there ought to be a spiritual application here, somewhere, but I'm still just recovering from cleaning up (there's still more to do, by the way!)  I imagine I'll be finding flour when we decide to move years from now.  I spent a lot of time on my knees contemplating why people ever have kids in the first place.  I am positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are born not only with a "God-shaped hole" but a "Child-shaped hole" as well.  I remember wanting a child - so badly it hurt.  I still couldn't tell you WHY I did.  I just knew it was something I needed.  I know there's some lessons I'm supposed to be learning here.  I suppose I should go study "Sacred Parenting" some more! 

I sure do love those kids all the same though.  Those sweet, sweet little boys.  No more "staged photos" though!  Unless it involves cleaning of some sort......

Nice Break

I LOVE Sugarland and I love their latest album, the Incredible Machine, but I thought this song was a nice musical break from all our hard work!

A Taste

A sampling of pictures that were taken to compose the video.  Not all pictures were used.