three babies..

we get to have jeffrey with us today, while his parents are busy packing and trying to move. (in fact, i am pretty sure jeffrey can stay here while they go away... we'll keep him) it's been SO MUCH fun! we went to some friends house this morning, where the two big babies got pulled in the wagon by moira! such sweet kids and such sweet friends.

all three babies are now sleeping... it's not too bad... especially when one kid is a 20 year old in a 2 year old body. here are some things i've heard today:

"jeffrey, it's okay. don't be sad"

"mommy, jeffrey isn't obeying"

"jeffrey, you can't do that"

"no jeffrey"

i try to remind her that i am the mommy, and i can take care of telling jeffrey if he can or can't do something. i don't need her help! (let's face it, she really wanted to close the door instead of jeffrey doing it) this might make it sound like jeffrey hasn't been well behaved, or my daughter is too bossy. neither could be further from the truth right now. jeffrey (and my two kids) have been dreams! it's so fun to have him and to watch them all play. i almost feel like i enjoy it more, because i can watch, and not be the only source of play or entertainment in the house...

good news... bad news... good news! economy's down, so our mortgage is SUPER LOW this month!!! (okay, that can fall under bad news, too, but when we haven't had people paying rent for a few weeks, i get excited!) bad news... moving to a new house with a lawn means our water and electricity bill skyrocketed!!! glad the mortgage was down!!

mother may i??

as is custom when i have my blog open, i think of things throughout the day to blog about (i guess you could call this my form of tweeting). it's convenient! so, this morning, nora did something and i was a little bummed. she said "i'm so sorry, it's my fault".

a few minutes ago, she was asking to go outside. i told her yes she could and i was so proud, because she asked and she knows she isn't allowed to go outside without asking. then, she looked very confused. i told her she could go. she went and played.

so, a few minutes ago, she was back inside (and i was in and out, setting the table to eat outside tonight). she was standing in the doorway and asked "mommy, please my i go outside?" i said "yes". what a sweet girl!! she gets it!! (for these five minutes, at least!!!)

ice cream cones...

so, nora has been admiring my "ice cream cones" all day, saying "pretty ice cream cones..." ice cream cones, by the way, are my green and white earrings! hmm... think she wants some?

also, whenever i raise my voice at her, she says "shhh, not too loud, mommy".

lions and tigers and bears... oh my!!

last october...

today...

just some randoms. this is me!!

and this is my baby daddy...

and my daddy! see any resemblances in any of these pictures? just some old photos i had... and since i was doing the tiger ones, thought i'd add these!

david, i think around 2 years old...

and nora today... kinda fun, huh? cute kids!! it changes daily, but i think she wants to be a princess for halloween... not that she knows what halloween is... but she sure has fun dressing up in these!!!

going on a bear hunt...an

a new favorite book that she can quote!!!

swing, swing, swing...

i could kiss this face all day!!!

james had some firsts today... his first time on the slide. he was quite non-plussed about that one.

and, it wouldn't be a trip to the park without holding hands on the slide!

another first... two babies on the swings!

just one baby. he actually quite liked the swings. except, it was tougher that i thought it would be to bend those casts OUT of the swing!! oops...
one of the kids swinging. we needed to get out today. so, we went to coronado and walked for awhile. then, we found a park and just played. i told nora she could only get out and play if she would get back in her stroller and take the 30+ minute walk back to the car. and, if she stayed near me while i had james. (we also had the park to ourselves until the bensons got there) she obeyed so nicely and we had SO MUCH fun! it was also a treat to play with friends there.

speaking of casts... james has basically kicked holes in the heels of his casts. he's strong!! the fiberglass and plaster are all broken and ready to be changed. thank goodness we are getting them off on thursday!!!

sweet kids...

sweet baby james. how do you not love this face? oh my goodness... i love my angel baby!

by the way... the babysitter took these pics for us! what a ham!!

we love our babysitter... she's awesome! and nora adores her... and obeys so well!

"mommy, i'm rocking my baby on my shirt"

when i'd had enough!!! the other day, there was a battle of the wills. i think i might have won. i am just hoping that nora thinks i won. so, they got to watch a "show" while i fixed dinner and got ready to go. david and i went to a marriage conference this weekend. it was AWESOME! our church paid for half of it. however, the babysitter cost 5 times what we paid for the conference!!! oh man... but SO worth it.

david and i did reminisce about what we used to get paid for baby-sitting... or the price of gas. i remember being appalled when it went over $1.00. but, it is worth it to pay someone who takes great care of your kids. on friday night, nora just waved and said "see you later mom". umm... okay!

today, i have three babies! i have jeffrey, as well. and all three are fed and in bed!! i feel so accomplished! the kids played so wonderfully together. dinner is prepped and dessert is made (jeff and chels are coming over after they finish basically moving out of their house), and i just have to put it together...

also...

it's not really fair. when playing hide-and-go seek, sadie follows me around and waits expectantly for me to be found... a sure indicator of exactly WHERE i am! so not fair! i brought the computer in with me since i am now relegated to the closet...

update...

today, i was told... "obey and go on up and down horses". umm... guess i have to go obey!!!

new friends...

such a smiling happy boy!! jace.... summer...

pictures from the ball....

a ball at our house the other day.... the girls wanted princess dresses, and kayden asked to be a prince! thankfully, i had just the cape for him! they LOVED it...

nora and sadie.... hanging out!

hanging out outside with mr jeff.

hanging out on the floor... while mommy cleaned and nora read stories to jamey

meeting our VERY DEAR friend (jeffrey's dad, and chelsey's hubby). welcome back!

what originally started out as a day in the pool... with the 100* heat. the kids transformed into playing in every room of the house, and all outdoor toys! it was so nice to see it all used and loved! they played hard, and nora slept hard afterwards! it's so fun to see her growing up into this big kid!

also a little heartbreaking. she was the middle kid. there were the older two, closer in age and a little more mature (3 1/2 and 4), and the younger two (14 mo and 18 mo), james (who slept the whole time) and nora. they all played really well, but at times there was this glimpse of her not fitting in. just because of age. the older kids could play pretend better. nora was just content to walk around in her princess dress! (while totally appropriate for her age...)

maybe it was just me being super sensitive. i don't even mean that the kids did it intentionally or were mean at all!! okay, enough on that.

so, last thing for discussion. i. am. a. mom. every so often, that thought just bowls me over. like it has this week. i am the adult, in charge, responsible for the budget, feeding my kids appropriately, making sure they get enough of the right things to eat (for james, that's not too hard yet!!), making sure no one takes them and that they don't run off, that they aren't exposed to things they shouldn't be, but are exposed to the right things. that they laugh enough, feel loved enough, feel safe enough, know that mommy and daddy are MADLY in love with each other, that no one hurts them, that they don't live in a little bubble, that Jesus loves them and why and what He did for them, the abc's, numbers, colors, shapes, how to have fun, how to laugh, love, smile, cry. there isn't time off, there isn't someone coming to pay me at the end of the day and send me home. i am it. (david too... lest we forget!!!) i am in charge. i am the mom. i am the one who kisses boo-boos and fixes things. i am the one they turn to for help, love, guidance, protection. i have to be strong. i have to keep my cool. i have to show them, by example, how to respond. someone said this week that, the things you do in moderation, your kids will do in excess! it's been baffling my mind this week that i am the adult. i feel so young, but at the same time feel so old! too young to be a mom, but realizing that i am not in college anymore.

alright, if you've hung on through that whole conversation... here are a few juicy tidbits from nora!!!

while playing yesterday, she wanted me in jamey's room. i wasn't going in fast enough. she said "mommy, obey. now." (and very emphatically, i might add!!)

a few days ago, while doing something, she told me to "use my nice words" (meaning please and thank-you).

last night, my girls came over (hence the boys outside with kids!!!). nora walked into the room and said "hi everybody". after chatting everyone up, she turned her head bashfully to me and said "i'm being shy". umm... no??

alright, you got a long one today, because my kids haven't decided to be on the same schedule. nora is still sleeping, but james has been up for an hour. yesterday, it was the opposite. why can't they be on the same schedule?? (at least we have naps down!!) and james is playing contentedly while i pour out my heart to a computer! thanks for "listening".

attitude....

okay, so this morning was a rough one for nora. she woke up too early... after several rounds of disobedience, i told her that if she didn't obey (and for what i can't remember), then she would go to bed. it was 9:15am. so, she walked back to her bedroom and told me she wanted to go to bed. she even let me put her pull-up on. i left. i was out in the garage about five minutes later (with the door open to the house, so i could hear any problems), when nora walked out and said "i'm ready to obey now". seriously.

more pics later...

sleeping...

meant to post these yesterday....

i took these right after i finished posting last time, and tried to upload them, but i had my iphoto otherwise engaged... couldn't multitask! it was a lovely, restful afternoon. nora slept for 3 1/2 hours! (then not so much this morning. she called me in and asked me to cover her up at 6:30am. it gets cold in her room. then she asked me to lay "right here" while pointing to the other pillow. i did. when i closed my eyes, she told me, in a very sad voice, to "keep your eyes OPEN, mommy").

as an aside... yesterday, i was feeding james. nora came up and grabbed my hand and started shaking it. then she said "so nice to meet you". seriously... she's only TWO!!!

good morning, sunshine!!!

i have the habit of leaving james' bedroom door cracked at night, so that i don't make a lot of noise coming in and out. i had just laid him back down after a 6am feeding, and went in to get nora. (maybe it was 6:30) i ran into my room for a minute, and came back to find nora like this... not sure if he was awake and playing, or if she woke him up... but i won't be leaving his door cracked anymore!!

she LOVES her brother, though!!!

in daddy's shoes today... she wanted to go for a walk (that consisted of going out the back door, into the garage door (that you can see cracked), then back into the house (just to the right of where she is standing...)

a picnic... of sorts...

cheese!!!

james got to sit in nora's chair today!! he can sit in the high chair!! actually, his casts make it only slightly difficult! we may have to invest in a second! he enjoyed being at the table with us... and soon enough, he may get real food!!

so, i put the kids down for a nap. nora wasn't a huge fan today... and i kept hearing her door open and close. at one point, i realized that some toys that had been laying in front of her door were missing. so, when she went to open it again, i was standing in the kitchen. she had just gotten it opened and glanced down the hall, where she could see me standing, hands on my hips. she closed that door SO FAST!! the look on her face was priceless. so, i decided to wait to see if she did it again. she did, and that hesitant little head peaking around the door had me laughing so hard, that my stern pose did nothing to intimidate her!

i did walk back and tell her it was naptime. haven't heard anything in awhile.. maybe i'll go check!

quotes...

simply because this cracked us up last night...

not even sure she realized her paw was on the remote.

nora's new favorite thing (have i mentioned this???) is driving my car. she will play with my earpiece, pull down the visor and open the mirror, turn on the lights, "turn on" the music.

she LOVES to close the door to the car. this is a new reward for obedience when we are out. she can "drive" when we get home.

(for those of you worried... i take my keys when i get out!!)

this picture is after the one on her tummy... she looked up and said "take a cheese"

after snuggling with her brother...

she wanted to lay next to her brother and snuggle.

naptime today... she wasn't a huge fan of going to sleep, but i closed the door and heard her playing. this is how i found her a few minutes later...

some quotes i have been a fan of recently...

while throwing a temper tantrum... several times this week... "but i'm crying mom". me- "yes, i can see that. now, let's talk about this when you are done crying"

sunday morning... "you get to go to sunday school this morning!!" her- "no, i think i'll stay home". umm... no!

"one day... i am going to drive and drive and drive the car-car. then i go goodbye."

while ichatting with my mom, my mom asked for nora to sing her the goodnight song so my mom could go to bed. nora said "no, you're too big. so sorry".

so, today i noticed that james' toes seemed to be in a different place in his casts. that could mean that his feet are moving up and wouldn't heal right. so, i decided to go in and have the doctor check it out (and possibly recast him). then, i realized that my double stroller was in david's car. and i would have both kids, because it was last minute.

i asked to borrow my neighbor's stroller, but we never connected. i decided it was okay, because the double might be awkward in the cast room. i would put james in the umbrella stroller and let nora walk.

so, got the kids up from their naps, got all ready to go, and fulfilled my promise that i would paint nora's toes when she got up. i figured this would be great... paint them and let them dry in the car. i grabbed everything to go, and about 15 minutes into our drive, realized that i didn't have nora's shoes (she wasn't wearing them because her toes were wet...)

bummer... i told her and she said "just go grab them real quick mommy". umm... yeah, i'd like to! so, she was in the stroller and i carried jamey. sweet boy got a new cast on his right leg. then, i let jamey ride in the stroller while carrying nora. she was an angel at the hospital... i was so proud! but, it must have been a sight (in fact, one sweet lady asked if she could help!)

one more...

by our pool... two for you today, byssa!! i expect a plethora of comments!

the dog...

chilling by the pool... yes, the dog thought my lap was a good place to hang!!

"what's up mom? why so many pics??" note the dog in the background, guarding her baby!!!

so, daddy and nora were in the pool... and i was in photoshoot mood!

there are at least ten more awesome pics of the boy!! he's so cute...

mind you, he has a low-grade temp and really runny nose. don't think he feels good!!! but he's still an ANGEL!!! and couldn't you eat that smile??

sweet girl saying "cheese"

in the pool with daddy!!

"run and run and run" around the yard! (not sure who loves it more???)

loving relaxing with daddy in the pool!

regress much???? (nora in jamey's carseat)

a vid of us at the pool with jeffrey and his mom! jeffrey's mom was told to lay by the pool, and watch james! (read- relax and let us watch her kid!!) we had a good time!!

so, today was a great day! and i realized that i haven't blogged much about my dog recently. she's still a dog... but she's no marley. and there are so many ways i love her! first of all, she barks when someone comes to the door. just once, but it's a good alarm system. and who would want to mess with a dog that sounds like that??

then, there was today... i had the BEST morning! got to be the photographer for a homecoming of a hero. we welcomed back jeffrey's dad today, and i got to tag along to just take some pics. so, after jamey and i hung out all morning on the airstrip, and took some pics, i beat david and nora home (from church). so, i figured, i would make a fabulous lunch. i made this awesome broiled halibut that david loves. and, everything came together perfectly. it was all ready about five minutes after they got home. i was pulling the halibut (with a nice cheesy topping) out of the oven, when it slid off the broiling pan and onto the tray in the oven with slats on it (shelf/tray...???). and then, through the slats and onto the bottom of the oven. i could have cried! so, david salvaged enough for us to eat. we had a great meal.

and, when i had let the oven cool sufficiently and went to clean it (by the way, the fish smell was as bad as you might imagine... ), there were still nice large chunks of fish. guess who got to come clean it up?? (oh, forgot to mention that most of it had fallen into the drawer beneath....)

so, then, i had less to clean up and could just really scrub what the fish had fallen onto and the dog had licked clean!!! yes, the number one reason i love my dog!! oh, and see previous pics... i love how she guards her babies! and how she loves me....

more on the hero. this group of guys has been gone for almost seven months. in various places (i could tell you, but i'd have to kill you) around the globe... sacrificing their time, and sometimes their lives to keep our freedom. thanks guys! i can't say enough how awesome you are. and i know, when you come back, more husbands and daddys leave. so thanks to you, too! home of the free, because of the brave! we don't say it enough.... we don't acknowledge it enough. what you do (my own husband included) is tough, demanding and you miss the comforts of home and family. you do it without complaining.

i can't even begin to describe what it was like for me to get to watch this plane come in and land... then to watch faces as their hubby and daddy gave them big hugs. i was near tears all morning. thanks for letting me be a part!!!