I Don't Think He'll Make It To 3

Will woke up this morning at 6:30 am, which is way too early for anyone in this house. Just a bit of foreshadowing.

We drop Jack off at school and then Will and I head to the gym. Halfway through the Power class, one of the nursery ladies comes to get me to tell me that Will has poop. I don't know why they aren't allowed to change diapers, or maybe they don't want to and really, who could blame them. But that was the end of the workout for me. And we were just getting to the arm work, which I need. =(

Since we had awhile before it was time to get Jack, I decided to run to Michael's to pick up some supplies for Jack's Sunday School teachers' thank you gifts. I'm going to try to pretend that I'm Bakerella and make Oreo bon-bons covered with the white chocolate and drizzled with pink and green. I needed the pink and green candy melts and some of the Chinese take out boxes in spring colors.

When we get to Michael's, I put Will in the basket part of the shopping cart and he throws a fit. He stands up (refuses to sit down even after I tried to 'help' him), closes his eyes, and screams at the top of his lungs while his entire body is shaking. I am not exaggerating one bit. I wheel over to the candy section and the kid is still screaming. Everyone in the store is turning to see what horrific injury this child must have endured to make him scream BLOODY MURDER. I overheard one mother reassuring her child, "It's okay, sweetie. The little boy is okay." Really? Well, what about his mother? Umm, not so much...but thanks for asking.

I head to the check-out lanes, and wouldn't ya know, there is a line. So we stand there with Will continuing to scream with his eyes closed, face red, and body shaking. All the other customers are turning to take in the spectacle. And I would have given anything at that moment for a margarita, even the screaming kid. One of the Michael's employees took pity on me and ran over (yes, ran) to open up a second lane so that he could get us the heck outta his store! I didn't blame him one bit.

Will continued to scream all the way to the car, all the way home, all the way up to his room, and all during his timeout in his crib. He screamed for a solid 30 minutes. I was just waiting for him to pass out from oxygen deprivation, but apparently, this child has screaming skillz. Lord, help me!

Later, I was changing his diaper before naptime and Will says, "I a sleepy boy!" No kidding, dude! And then he played his favorite game of 'I give good hugs and kisses', which is him giving me bear hugs and smooches on the lips. They know exactly what they are doing!! They know it! They know when they have pushed their luck too far, when they have pushed you to the edge. And that is when they turn on the charm, and do something that is so adorable that it melts your heart.

So I have forgiven him, but I won't forget this meltdown. Not for a long time!

So This Is Where My Baking Talent Went....

I accidentally happened upon this blog, and I am trying very hard not to be envious. Unsuccessfully.

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

However, I do find it reassuring that Bakerella openly admits that she has baking disasters. Ahhh, she is human, unlike Martha Stewart who just rubs me the wrong way.

What I especially love are all of her adorable cake pops. And if they didn't look like they would take forever and a day to make, I would try them for a school or birthday party. Well, if I had any baking talent whatsoever.

Now, this looks more my speed:


It is one of Williams-Sonoma's cake pans. I think it looks like something a novice baker could do. The tricky part would be getting the cake to release from the pan in one piece. It always looks easy when they do it on TV, but you know how those things go.

Maybe if I just start small with an Oreo cookie ice cream cake, then I could work up to the cake pops.

Maybe....

Our Little Monkey Does His Tricks

Today was Will's last Tumble Tots class (until the fall), so I took some pictures so you could see how well he is doing. He has loved "gymnastics", and I think part of that is because Jack takes gymnastics, too, so he feels big.

Will's favorite activities are the floor obstacle course, the "Jumping Will" song and getting stamps at the end of class. During the class, he has learned to jump and do a forward roll, as well as, wait his turn and follow directions. Will has also overcome his fear of the balance beam. Before one of the classes, he told me that the balance beam was scary and dangerous and he thought he would fall. I reassured him that Ms. Ema and I wouldn't let him fall. (Ms. Ema said that expressing those concerns is quite unusual for his age, because usually children of this age are unaware of such dangers. So maybe Will is advanced for his age?!?!) By the last class, Will would allow Ms. Ema to help him walk on the beam (before he would only let me help him), and he didn't have a death grip on her. He also did a flamingo pose on the beam, which is standing on one leg. Alot of progress for our little guy!

So here is a glimpse at Will's class:

Floor Work--

Spider on the Wall

Crawling through the tunnel is always a favorite!

Cartwheels

Every week they alternate between the uneven bars and the balance beam. This week was the bars.--

Will is not a big fan of the high bars, so I am surprised that I got of picture of him where he looks like he is enjoying it!

Swinging like a monkey on the low bar...he loves to do this!

Jumping on the Tumble Trak. I couldn't get a picture of him in mid air, but he can actually jump. =)

Ta Da! Getting his achievement ribbon at the end of the session amid cheers from his adoring fans!

I know I have posted quite a bit about how much I love this gymnastics program and the director, Ms. Ema. We have seen wonderful results with Jack and his hypotonia issues due to gymnastics. And even though Will's muscle tone is fine, the gross motor skills, balance, and coordination work has been very beneficial. If you are looking for a fun, energy-burning outlet for your children that also improves balance, strength and coordination, I highly recommend a good gymnastics program!

Our Neighbors Need Your Prayers

I have had a heavy heart all day, and need you to pray with me for our neighbors.

Last night, a severe thunderstorm came through our area bringing with it over 1800 lightning strikes and hail. It was frightening, and I am not rattled by storms. This morning I woke up to learn that one of our neighbors' home was hit by lightening. The family made it out of the house safely (which is a miracle itself), but they lost everything.

And this family has been through so much already. They are Brent's and my age with two young children, ages 4 and 2. The husband is a Bama grad so you know he is a great person! The wife went to Auburn, but we'll forgive her for that unfortunate decision (haha). The husband is the president of our neighborhood homeowner's association and has provided good leadership, even amongst those long time residents who think "why do we need to change anything? This is the way it has always been and it has worked just fine for the last 25 years!" You know that mentality. And he has stood his ground over some issues, and I admire him for that.

Last year, the wife battled colon cancer. The neighborhood was wonderful in providing regular dinners for the family while she was undergoing chemo. The updates that we have gotten since she finished chemo are very encouraging. Scans look clear.

So just as they were emerging from that trial, the lightning strikes. They must feel like a modern day Job. I can't even describe the devastation of the home. The second story is completely gone, and what is left of the first floor is gutted from the fire and still smoldering 24 hours later. It is just hard to wrap your mind around it.

One of the neighbors took pictures of the house last night as the firemen were working. If you are interested, here is the link: H fire 4/23/2009

So please pray for the H family. Please pray for those two precious children.

A Fun Dip Day

Remember Fun Dip from when we were kids? Well, it is back and the next generation loves it just as much as we did. The Easter Bunny left some in Jack's basket and he was kind enough to share with his little brother. And little brother LOVED it! But that shouldn't come as a big surprise because the boy loves him some sugar! Will declared that Fun Dip is DE-WICIOUS! I have to agree. And the best part....the Lik-a-Stik!

CVS Deals

More deals to be had at CVS this week! This week has the potential to be totally free once I get a mail in rebate back.

So here are the deals that interested me this week:

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Capsules $2.oo
Earn $2.00 ECBs (Limit 1)

Edge Infused Shave Gel $2.89
Earn $2.89 ECBs (Limit 1)

Revlon Lipstick Buy One Get One Free
(2) $2/1 coupon from 3/15 newspaper

Natural Dentist Mouthwash (16-oz.) $6.99
Get $4 ECBs (limit 5)

(2) $2/1 Natural Dentist Mouthwash coupon from the internet
$10/2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash mail in rebate (bummer! The MIR is no longer available for printing. Glad I printed it out a few weeks ago.)

Math: $13.98 - $4 coupons=$9.98 + $10 MIR=$0.02 + $8 ECBs = $8.02 profit
Better than FREE after coupons, ECBs and MIR!

**Even though the MIR is no longer available, the mouthwash is $0.99 after coupons and ECBs. Still not a bad deal**

So these were my purchases:

Bayer aspirin 2.00
Edge gel 2.89
Revlon lipstick 7.99
Revlon lipstick 7.99
mouthwash 6.99
mouthwash 6.99
=34.85 total
-7.99 buy get one free lipstick
-2.00 revlon coupon
-2.00 revlon coupon
-2.00 mouthwash coupon
-2.00 mouthwash coupon
-9.98 ECBs from last week
=8.88 (+ tax) cash + earned 12.89 ECBs

So this week, I spent $8.88 (+ tax) out of pocket and have 12.89 ECBs to spend another time!

Plus, I mailed in my mouthwash rebate, so when that $10 comes back, it will be like a free CVS trip =).

Weekend Wrap-up

We had a fun weekend! Honey and Happy came to visit! The boys were so excited to see them; Jack and Will ran out to greet them with big hugs. And they came bearing gifts...2 tubs of fresh oysters! Yummmm, they speak my language.

Saturday morning, we started off with our usual Starbucks fix. And then went out for a country breakfast/brunch. When our waiter introduced himself, Hank said, "Nice to meet you, Josh. After serving us, you will be considering a career change!" And truer words have never been spoken. The boys split an order of French toast and bacon. The French toast came with a little cup of powdered sugar on the side. I fixed Jack's French toast with the powdered sugar and syrup. Will got what little was left of the powdered sugar and no syrup (hey, I know better than to give syrup to a 2 year old!). I don't think Will had 2 bites of the French toast, but there was powdered sugar EVERYWHERE! All over Will, his fleece pullover, the table, the booth seat, ME!! Josh returned to see if we needed anything; why, yes! Lots of wet napkins. And Brent said, "Don't worry, we're great tippers!" Josh assured us he had seen worse, but we didn't believe him. He also said, "Better to make the mess here than at home!" Amen, brother, A-MEN!

Saturday afternoon, we went to a 40th birthday party for one of the partners at Brent's firm. It was a Crawfish Boil, BBQ, and Bluegrass party at the lake. I think I ate 5 pounds of crawfish by myself. No joke. They were good! There was a giant inflatable slide that both boys enjoyed. Jack was up & down, up & down, up & down that slide like a little monkey. And once the big kids moved on, Will and the other little ones had the slide all to themselves and had a ball! Jack met a couple of new buddies and they spent the afternoon making a "lake" on the beach of the real lake. He had a blast! There was also a swing/slide playset and tire swings that the boys enjoyed, and I think we definitely need one for Lake Martin. The weather was perfect and it was fun to just be able to relax with a cold drink, crawfish, good music, and fun company. Makes me so ready for summer weekends at Lake Martin. So when do you want to join us?

Sunday morning, everyone woke up exhausted! Well, actually I had to wake the boys up at 9 AM so that they could get a quick bath before church. Lots of tired tears, but we made it. Swung by Starbucks on the way home, and then we just hung out at home all afternoon to rest. Raw oysters and oyster po'boys for dinner. I can't tell you how good those oysters were! A-mazing! So fresh and they were HUGE! We ate like kings =).

So that is it: A wonderful weekend with Honey and Happy, who are now enjoying good food and wine in Charleston. We'll see them again in May for more good food (and lots more crawfish and oysters for me!) and fun with the cousins! We can't wait =).

Wow!

How beautiful and inspiring to be able to watch someone fulfill their dream. And to do it in such a big way, too, is just awesome!

Have you seen this video of 47 year old, unemployed Susan Boyle auditioning for Britian's Got Talent?

Don't think she'll be unemployed much longer!

Man, the goosebumps! In fact, I was even a little teary at the end.

Yummy! May I Have Seconds, Please!

Yesterday morning, I asked the boys what they wanted for breakfast.

Will pipes up, "Monkey Arms!"

[Puzzled look from Mommy.]

Again, Will says excitedly, "Monkey Arms!"

It was then that I figured it out....

He wanted LUCKY CHARMS!!

I think I just might have a future in the CIA cracking enemy codes.

CVS Deals

Another good week at CVS...very little out of pocket and lots of ECBs generated!

So here are the deals that interested me this week:

Softsoap Scrub Body Wash $4.99
Earn $4.49 ECBs (Limit 1)
$1.50/1 coupon from the CVS Reinventing Beauty magazine

Colgate Enamel Protect, Sensitive Whitening Toothpaste, or 360 Sensitive Toothbrush $3.99
Earn $3.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
$1/1 coupon from the internet and $0.75/1 coupon from the 3/29 newspaper

Pantene Pro-V Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styler 2/$7
Earn $2 ECBs (Limit 3)
$3/2 coupon from last week's newspaper

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks or Froot Loops $2 (Limit 4)
$1/1 coupon from last week's newspaper


So these were my purchases:

Transaction 1:
Pantene Shampoo 3.50
Pantene Conditioner 3.50
Colgate Toothpaste 3.99
Softsoap Body Wash 4.99
=15.98 total
-1.00 colgate coupon
-1.50 softsoap coupon
-3.00 pantene coupon
-10.00 ECBs from last week
=0.48 (+ tax) cash + earned 10.48 ECBs

Transaction 2:
Colgate Toothpaste 3.99
Kellogg Corn Pops 2.00
Kellogg Corn Flakes 2.00
=7.99 total
-0.75 colgate coupon
-1.00 kellogg coupon
-1.00 kellogg coupon
-4.49 ECB from previous transaction
=0.75 (+ tax) cash + earned 3.99 ECBs

So this week, I spent $1.23 (+ tax) out of pocket and have 9.98 ECBs to spend another time!

Easter Recap

Well, it's not the best picture, but it's the best we got!

We had a fun Easter weekend celebrating with my side of the family. Saturday morning, Brent and Dad took the boys fishing. Jack has the potential to carry on the family fishing legacy; he is a very patient fisherman. Will was a little too young to sit and wait for a bite. And the fish weren't biting that morning so it was a bit of a bummer. Saturday afternoon, Jack dyed Easter eggs while Will napped. It was such a pleasure this year to dye eggs! Jack was old enough to be able to do the dying all by himself, so Mom and I sat and talked with him while he took care of his eggs.
On Sunday morning, the plan was for Mom and Dad to go to early church and then they would keep Will while Brent, Jack and I went to Mass. Well, once we got everyone dressed in their Easter outfits, Will was certain he was going to Mass too. Told Grammama that he didn't want to stay with her. Grrrreat! So off we go. I did bring the new books that the Easter Bunny left in their baskets as entertainment. And Will was better behavior-wise than Christmas Eve Mass, by just a little bit.

Before Mass began, I was trying to entertain him by pointing out the stained glass windows. For one I said, "Look Will, a baby!" The baby was wrapped in a cloth and Will said, "Baby has diapers! Baby has poops in his diapers!" The two girls sitting behind us thought that was pretty funny. He did try to take some money out of the offeratory plate. And when he wasn't given anything to eat at the Eucharist, he protested quite loudly, "I want some! I want some! Can I have some, please?" Everyone on the first few pews got a good chuckle out of that. Typical two year old behavior, but I was reminded why we use the nursery every week!

The cousins enjoyed playing together after church, especially all of the time they had to play in the backyard. The daddies got smart and locked the door from the backyard so that we could enjoy an uninterrupted dessert! That just might become a new family tradition ;-).

We Could Have Been on HGTV Today

It is Spring Break for us this week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we went to visit Gramma and Granddaddy. The boys played with Gramma and Granddaddy's toys, Jack and I got our teeth cleaned, and we went to the Children's Museum. There is a very cool exhibit at the Museum right now. North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty has built a stick village. He collected sticks and branches from around the city and used them to build a stick sculpture. The sculpture is five primitive houses...very cool. It took over 1000 man hours to build the sculpture and they expect it to last 1-2 years, until nature takes its toll. The boys had a blast going through the 'houses'. The design of the sculpture was planned so that some of the houses lean, because the artist thought that added interest.

Brent has taken Thursday and Friday off, so we have enjoyed spending the day with Daddy! All of the boys were outside all day and had a blast. Our big excitement was that we had the backyard resodded. When we moved into the house, the backyard was 90% weeds and 10% bermuda. Brent conquered the weeds and nursed the bermuda into a presentable backyard. The problem was that the backyard was too shady for bermuda, so the lawn was always a little thin and patchy. Then we went into the draught and the lawn struggled. And then came what we refer to as The Unfortunate Fertilizing Disaster of 2008. Suffice it to say that too much of a good thing will kill what little bermuda survives a draught...just a heads up for ya! So for about the past year, we have had what we affectionately called 'the White Trash Trailer Park backyard'...hard, sun-baked dirt! It has been soooo lovely to look at. And all of the dirt that the boys drug in after playing in the backyard was just an added bonus!

Today, we had the drainage pipes buried deeper, the backyard leveled, and Zeon Zoysia laid down, which is a more shade-tolerant grass. And it has been a most welcome transformation. Brent has assured me that the yard is pretty much done now (ha ha ha!), with the idea of an outside fireplace down the road "once we have done some work on the inside of the house." I am learning that you are never done with your house, inside or out. There is always something that needs to be fixed, maintained, or updated. Thus, the term 'Money Pit'!

Here is a pictorial recap of the day:

We have sod! I love how they are holding hands =).

Our landscaper was such a nice guy. Jack got to sit in the bobcat. Will thought it was "too scarewy!"

Before:

After:

CVS Deals

Another week at CVS...a bit more out of pocket this week because I was stocking up on makeup.

Here are the CVS deals that interested me this week:

Easter Grass $0.79 (ECB given Sunday and Monday only)
Earn $0.79 ECB (Limit 2) (after Monday, no ECB given)

Skintimate shaving cream $3.49
Earn $3.49 ECB (Limit 1)

Colgate MaxWhite or MaxFresh toothpaste $2.99
Earn $2.00 ECB (Limit 1)
0.75/1 Colgate coupon

Cover Girl Makeup spend $20 get $10 ECB
$1/1 coupon from this week's paper

Pringles chips (excludes fat free and Select) $0.88
$1/2 coupon in this week's paper

Excedrin 20ct extra strength $1.99
$2/1 coupon printed from internet

Schick Intuition Plus Razor & Refills buy one get one free prices starting at $9.99
$4/1 coupon from paper

Glade Air Freshener $0.99
Buy one Get one Free coupon from paper


So these were my purchases:

Transaction 1:
2 Easter grass 1.58
1 Skintimate 3.49
1 Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste
=8.06 total
-0.75 colgate coupon
-7.00 ECBs from a previous week
=0.31 (+ tax) cash + earned 7.07 ECB

Transaction 2:
4 Pringles 3.52
2 Glade air fresheners 1.98
2 Excedrin 3.98
1 Schick razor (free)
1 Schick refill 10.99
1 CG eyeshadow 4.99
2 CG foundation 15.98
=41.44 total
-1.00 (Pringle's coupon)
-1.00 (Pringle's coupon)
-0.99 (Glade buy one get one free coupon)
-2.00 (Excedrin coupon)
-2.00 (Excedrin coupon)
-4.00 (Schick coupon)
-4.00 (Schick coupon)
-1.00 (Cover Girl coupon)
-1.00 (Cover Girl coupon)
-1.00 (Cover Girl coupon)
-7.07 ECBs from previous transaction
-1.00 ECB earned previously
=15.38 (+ tax) cash + earned 10 ECB

So this week, I spent 15.69 (+ tax) out of pocket and have 10 ECBs to spend another time!

Hooray!

Jack got into SJ, which was our first choice for school! All of the Catholic schools mail out acceptance letters on the first Friday in April, you receive them on Saturday, and then all the schools are out for Spring Break the following week. So any disgruntled parents have a week to cool off before they can call the schools. Pretty smart plan, if you ask me.

So needless to say, I started stalking the postman Saturday morning. What was cute was that when I opened the letter from SJ, confetti spilled out of the envelope. A fun surprise! I have just been giddy, I am so happy. Jack seems to be taking it all in stride, not overly excited. I think that is because he really has no idea what kindergarten is about. I have been explaining all the fun things they will do at SJ that is similar to preschool...gym, art, music, computer, spanish, eating lunch at school, etc. And today at church, I pointed out that the playground is where he will have recess in kindergarten, the cafeteria is where he'll eat lunch. Hopefully by the time he is ready to go this fall, he'll have a better idea of what to expect and be excited to start elementary school.

Saturday night we went out as a family to celebrate! We had ourselves a cajun feast: crawfish bread and fried gator for appetizers; for dinner I had a crawfish platter, Brent had boiled crawfish, and the boys split a fried catfish kids meal; then for dessert, Lost Bread (it actually had some other name that I can't remember) which is French bread soaked in an egg custard and topped with fruit and whipped cream. Everything was soooo good. And the best part was that the boys were so well behaved. Brent and I couldn't believe how good they were! The owner even complimented them on their behavior and gave them some special treats: hushpuppies and extra french bread for appetizers and beads and dabloons before we left. It was a very enjoyable dinner for everyone.

So now we have a reprieve on stressing about the school situation until Jack heads to high school. Now that Jack is in SJ, Will is in too, when it is time for him to go to kindergarten. And that is a good thing for our little rock eater!

Growing Boys into Men

Yesterday, Antique Mommy wrote this post, which I thought was beautiful and bittersweet.

And it touches upon what I think is one of the most important parts of parenting. Finding teachable moments in the seemingly ordinary, everyday life events. And I hope I am doing just that, although there are many nights that I lie awake and wonder if I am missing opportunities.

I pray that Brent and I are raising our boys to be men of character with God-seeking hearts.

The Hunt

Will had his first Easter Egg Hunt today. It was moved inside because of the rain, rain, and more rain, but that didn't dampen the spirits. Will had fun...and I do believe we have a natural! Will is one of the oldest in his class, so he 'got' the idea of hunting eggs, plus I told him, "Go get the eggs, they have treats inside!" Well, no need to say more...

So here is the hunt:
Don't you just love the basket hooked over the arm?!?

Some of the other children were more interested in exploring this new room that they were in; not Will, he was a man on a mission, who ended up with a basket full of eggs. His teacher wanted to make sure that every child left with a dozen eggs, so some of his loot was swiped but there was still plenty of chocolate.

Checking out the goodies:

TREATS!

And just to hone his egg hunting skills, Jack orchestrated several more hunts for Will this afternoon. I think we are ready for the big leagues!