In another life

How many times have you wished you possessed a talent or hobby that you don't currently have?

There are many things I wish I was better at or even remotely good at.

Now, we have all had those moments when a friend is showing you some fantabulous scrapbook that she has put together, or a photograph she has taken, or an adorable dress she has sewn for her child and you think about the empty scrapbooks you own in a dust covered bin in a closet, the pictures you have taken that are precious to you but won't win any awards, and the fact that you can't even fix a hole in a sock if you had to.

I am not talking about jealousy here, as I am sure that happens too.

God has just blessed us all with different talents, hobbies, etc

I really do enjoy rejoicing with my friends over their talents.

What used to stress me out, now has become a little game I play.

Rather than become overwhelmed by what I can't do, I think of what I would do in another life.

Now, this is funny/entertaining because 

1) I don't believe I will have another life (here on earth) and

2) It is a positive way to dream about having hobbies that I could possibly possess if I took the time, I mean made the time, I mean planned to take up when my kids are older?

Plus if I put them down on here, maybe I will be inspired to actually attempt some of them!

So in no specific order here they are:

If I could sew, I might make super cute things like these pacifier clips from this blog:

(If you are a seamstress you could click here for step by step instructions and make them yourself)

I am also in love with this bag from The Polka Dot Chair:

Isn't it so fun?

The flower is so cute and girlie!

(If you are a super savvy sewing sweetie you could purchase the pattern for only $5 here)

Or maybe I would take pictures like these lovely ladies I know:
Monica, Stacey, and Emily.

Or I might even take up skydiving. I have always wanted to go and have to say it is on my bucket list.

I would also like to run a marathon, but Richard would be the first one to tell you how much I despise running, so that probably won't happen.

I would also like to learn how to play the guitar.

These are just a few of my "in another life" dreams...for now I will attempt to keep up with my family of busy boys and dream about what I may do another day.

So what hobbies, talents, or things do you wish you could do?

Big, Big, Giveaway!

Lisa Leonard is doing a BIG, BIG, Giveaway!

Remember the treasured necklace that I love that I wrote about here?

All you have to do is click here and comment on your love for mason jars.

I have a friend who used them in an outdoor wedding for drinks and they were adorable. 

I love seeing random treasures in them, or buttons, or fun decorations. 

They are fun to enjoy an adult beverage in after a LONG day too!

Check it out...maybe you'll be a winner!

(Don't worry, if you do win and you don't want the necklace I would gladly make the sacrifice for you and use it...just let me know)

Where's Laura?

Isaac had a late nap today, which sounded like a good idea at the time, but now he's wired and it's 9pm.

I was doing dishes and he was entertaining himself in the kitchen when he kept saying something over and over and I didn't realize until he had said it a few times that he was saying Laura.

It didn't sound quite like that, but I looked over to see him holding a picture of my sister Laura.

Here is a video of me trying to get him to say it again...

(You'll have to pause the music at the bottom of the page in order to hear it)

Bieber Fever

Jonah had an ice cream social at school during the book fair last week. 

He and I had checked out the book fair a few times during the week and had purchased some books.

The ice cream social was from 7 to 8pm which is bed time for almost everyone, so Jonah and I took off around 7 and decided we would enjoy some ice cream and be back home faster than if we all went. 

The ice cream social was in the lunch room and we got our ice cream, loaded it with toppings and Jonah picked a seat at a table with a few older girls at the other end. 

He was looking around trying to find some of his classmates and I looked over and saw the 2 girls next to us giggling and drooling over this poster

I chuckled to myself remembering days when I would giggle with my friends about these cuties:

(who really don't seem cute at all now....funny how that works)

I am not "up" on the popular songs and artists these days and would not be able to pick Justin Bieber out of a line up or name any of his songs. 

But, the poster did have his name on it and I have heard of the "Bieber Fever" going around.

Jonah noticed me smiling and asked what I was thinking about.

I told him I remembered looking at a poster with my girlfriends and giggling like those girls. 

He rolled his eyes and said, "do you think they love him too?"

I asked him if he even knew who was on that poster.

He rolled his eyes again and said, "Justin Bieber."

I was shocked! How does my sweet 6 year old know who Justin Bieber is?

When I asked Jonah how he knew who Justin Bieber was he laughed and said, "all the girls in my class want to marry him mom! They are in LOVE with him!"

Then he leaned closer and whispered, "I don't think they know he is A LOT older than them so that probably won't happen."

I guess you can get Bieber Fever in Kindergarten too!

Oh Jonah, I love your practical mind and wonder if you will ever have a celebrity crush?

Probably not. Well, maybe if she was a superhero. Either way, you are adorable and I love you! 

 I love how you spell everything these days " Y-E-S  M-O-M" is your response to most requests I make.

I also love the codes you use for things like "C-nator = cold lunch"

I am very impressed by your cup stacking skills, which you said Conner taught you at school. (We will have to get a video of this up here, it is quite impressive)

Mostly Jonah I have been so impressed by your love for learning and your impressionable nature. 

You have come home from school and demanded we throw out all the water wings because you learned they aren't as safe as life jackets.  That we all get new toothbrushes so we don't get sick since we all just had a cold.  You also have been reading labels on food and choosing healthier options just because you learned about it in school!

I pray you continue to grow and learn, but don't let others change who you are. 

I guess I can count on you to keep me posted on all the new fads as your brothers grow up so I won't be "out of the loop" when one of them comes home talking about someone or something I have never heard of!   Love you buddy!

It's funny now, but it sure wasn't then.

Do you ever have one of those days where anything that could go wrong does, and it feels as though nothing could possibly go right? 

Saturday was that day for our family.

(It seems like on these days anxiety levels are high, things are easily frustrating, and situations are slightly blown out of proportion.)

--------

We were planning on leaving early that morning and driving to Minneapolis to visit our friends Clint and Katy.  We had talked Friday night and due to some sick kiddos at their house, we weren't sure if we were still going. 

Saturday morning rolled around and we had decided we should just stay home. I had done a little packing the night before, but a crazy week at our house and spoiled my BIG plans to be prepared to leave by 8am. 

Katy called me Saturday am and said we should come so we quickly started getting things put together to get on the road. 

Looking back I am not sure why I wasn't more alarmed at the warning signs...

While we were packing/getting ready Isaac was a lot fussier than usual, 

and wasn't interested in breakfast (red flag #1 and #2)

We just kept on getting stuff packed and ready. 

Due to the rushed nature of the morning I was feeling a bit frazzled and kept forgetting things.

(I was of course very calm, patient, and not stressed while we were frantically running around)

Just ask Richard. 

FINALLY we were packed and in the car (1030am)

Isaac had been ready for a nap for awhile, but we had been holding him off so he would nap in the car.

So, when I offered him a bottle, and he didn't really drink much, 

I figured he was just overly tired (red flag #3)

We had to make a pit stop at my parents house on the way out of town to borrow their DVD player as ours hadn't been working in the car. Then we decided to get the car washed quick. 

Richard pulled into the carwash and followed the prompts from the automated person and we sat back to enjoy the car wash, ( a cheap thrill for our boys).

(I also should say that the car wash was not easily accessible, and we had to pull forward, back up, pull forward, etc to get to it)

After our car was sprayed with water and then covered with the multi-colored soap the rotating arm got caught on our mirror and stopped the car wash. 

So Richard pulled out of the carwash (with our car covered in soap) and had to run inside to have the clerk give us a new code so we could try again. 

So we took our rainbow van back through again and we successfully completed the car wash. 

Now it is 11:15 and I realized we forgot our Garmin at home. 

Richard sweetly agreed to head home and look for it. 

After a 10 minute search, we were unable to locate it and Isaac had fallen asleep so we finally hit the road (11:30)

The trip to Fargo was fairly uneventful, other than keeping the boys' volume down so Isaac could sleep. 

As we started passing the exits for Fargo I suggested we just grab lunch (as it's now 12:30) and figured the boys would be hungry before the next major stop. 

So we agreed on Arby's...a little late so Richard took the next exit, went back around and we pulled in for some lunch. 

Due to some miscommunication, he headed inside and waited for me to come in, while I sat in the car and waited for him to come out. 

We finally got our story straight and went in to order. 

The employee running the till misunderstood Richard when he asked for 2 kids meals and after we got our order we had to order another one. 

We had everyone set up with their lunch, the boys were watching another movie and Isaac had just woken up. 

I tried to offer him something to eat and he kept shaking his head no at me (red flag #4)

Despite being 4 hours away from our destination still, I was just starting to feel relax and breath easier.

Then it happened. 

Isaac looked right at me and without using any words confirmed my worst fears. 

His sweet, sad, blue eyes told me he wasn't feeling good.

At this exact moment all the red flags from the day became evident and before I could react he started throwing up all over himself. 

Now, I won't go in to great details here because it makes me queasy just thinking about it, but it was nasty!  I have fortunately not had to clean up a child covered in vomit in the car quite like that before. 

Poor Richard was driving and I was yelling at him to pull over at the next exit, while trying to decide how I was even going to start to clean up this mess, and keep the boys in the backseat distracted so they didn't get sick. 

Looking back, it was truly a miracle they didn't hear or smell their brother's final flag of defeat being waved. 

They were watching a movie and enjoying their chicken nuggets. Thank you Jesus for distractions.

We also were thankful that we hadn't passed the last exit for Moorhead and were familiar with the area (this is where my baby sister goes to college and where my family and celebrated Isaac's first birthday a few weeks ago).

After a valiant clean up effort by Richard and myself that involved: 

-using almost an entire package of baby wipes

-carrying my naked baby, wrapped only in a blanket, into a gas station full of people only to discover they only had an outside bathroom and bringing him back to the car to drive across the street to a hotel

-carrying my naked baby into the hotel (again full of curious people) into the women's restroom and bathing him in the smallest sink known to mankind. Using a blanket for a towel and laying my giant baby down between the sinks to dress him.

-Buying some towels for Isaac to sit on (as his seat was soaked from our clean up efforts), garbage bags for the dirty items, and air freshener (so the rest of us wouldn't be sick from the smell) at the Walgreen's next door.

Then we hit the road, only this time we were headed back home again. 

We had to call Clint and Katy and tell them we wouldn't be making it, and explain to our tearful boys why we couldn't still go to Minneapolis.  It was hard, but I am just thankful it happened so close to home and before we made it to their house to share our germs!

Poor Isaac slept all the way home and the boys enjoyed another movie. 

Then we got home (4 hours after we had left), unpacked the car, and set up the sick ward for Isaac.

As if that wasn't enough of an adventure, Richard went to change the oil in his pickup and during the process managed to spill oil all over and run into some minor road blocks. 

Just as he was thinking of heading to Minneapolis alone a few hours later, Isaac threw up again and Elijah started feeling sick. 

So he decided to stay and help me care for the sick house. 

We were unable to keep much in Isaac but he did enjoy a Mr. Freeze during the rehydration process. 

He was so lethargic and would just let you hold him.

It was weird, but kind of nice at the same time. 

I think he is starting to feel better today.  He was still whiney, feverish, clingy, and not quite himself.

I did find him with some of his brother's valentine candy this afternoon...

I think it's safe to say he is almost back to normal. 

Elijah and I are the only others who have been "hit" by this virus. 

Praying it stays that way and everyone starts feeling better soon. 

Hope you enjoyed a good laugh on our behalf. 

Conversation starter

We helped great friends of ours, Nate and Amy, celebrate their son's 4th Birthday last weekend. 

It was so much fun to see them and we feel they are "part of the family" when we get together. 

We were bowling and visiting and enjoying each other's company.

Even though we don't see them as often as we'd like, the boys know who they are and are comfortable around them and really enjoy being together.

Our friend Nate shared with us a great story about Elijah that I just couldn't help but put on here...

He said he and Elijah were sitting down waiting for their turn to bowl.

He turned and asked Elijah what was new.

Elijah replied, very matter-of-factly, "Well, I started wiping my own butt."

That kid cracks me up!

We are very proud of him for this achievement and apparently he is too!

Love It

March came in like a lion and winter is still here. 

It is still bone chilling cold, and we are still trapped inside most of the days.

While these are depressing thoughts, 

there have been a few things that I have been loving lately...

Festive decorations: Love it!

My new lisa leonard necklace that I have been waiting to get forever: Love It!

It's called treasured. Perfect for the way I feel.  Blessed with my boys who I treasure.

A little boy who loves whole milk: Love It!

Graham Cracker Face: Love It!

Brothers: Love It!

Elijah and Richard reading a new book I found for him ALL about Star Wars: Love It!

I would LOVE warmer weather, magical house cleaning powers, and a massage.

What are you loving these days?

A New Look

Someone has a new look in our house.

I have been in denial and not able to post these pictures.

I miss his long hair, but still find him absolutely adorable.

He looks so grown up though.

Sigh.

It was his 3rd haircut, but the longest we had ever let it get. Probably the longest we'd ever let any of our boys' hair get (minus Richard).  It was really more like a torture session than a haircut. 

We started him out in his highchair and I had to hold him down while Richard used the clippers.

Before long I had to hold him in my lap and he was clawing up me to get away from Richard.

In the end he gave in, laid his head on my chest and let Richard cut his hair while crocodile tears rolled down his cheeks.  If it would have lasted much longer, we both would have been crying. 

I am just glad we won't have to do that for quite awhile and still trying to accept my baby is growing up!