The Things you Say

The Things you Say:

Dear Austin,

As the beginning of April appeared, I was brought to the sudden realization that you are about to turn four years old! At the end of the month, it will be four years since I gave birth to you - my beautiful son. The past four years have been the most challenging and rewarding years of my life so far, and I have grown as a woman of God because of the things that you teach me on a daily basis. I am so honored to be your mom.

You not only stretch me as a person, you make me laugh out loud every day. I love our moments together, and there are so many Austin-isms that I don't want to ever forget. Here are just a few of your recent quotes:

- Nocturnal. You are completely fascinated with the word "nocturnal." Several months ago, you and I were reading a book about bats (I think) and I mentioned the word and meaning of nocturnal. You did not forget. Last week when I asked you to get ready for bed, you said, "Mom, I am not going to bed tonight. I have decided that I am going to be nocturnal. I am going to start staying awake all night and sleeping through the day instead." You were very serious about your plan - but I made you go to bed anyway.

Whenever you learn about new animals, you want to know if they are nocturnal. You also ask me on a regular basis to list animals for you that are nocturnal. I hate to admit that I typically give you the same list over and over again. "Bats, raccoons... um..." and then I normally change the subject because I keep forgetting to google "nocturnal animals."

Tomorrow morning is Easter. I love Easter. I want to do an entire post about our Easter traditions and meanings. Tonight, however, I simply asked you if you wanted to put your Easter basket outside by the front door so the Easter bunny could hop by and leave you eggs. You paused for a long time before looking at me straight in the eyes, "So mom, are you saying that the Easter bunny is nocturnal????"

So, from now on, my list will be "bats, raccoons, the Easter bunny... um..."

Inside-Out. This is one of my favorite Austin-isms. Instead of saying that something is inside-out. You say that it is "outside-in." I will ask you to go get dressed and you will come out and say, "Mom, can you help me with this shirt. It is "outside-in." I don't correct you because I absolutely love hearing you say it wrong. Well, the other day, I was watching the news and there was a news story about something being "inside out." You laughed out loud. You kept saying, "Inside out? What in the world does that mean? That is the funniest thing I have ever heard. Inside out.... Inside out..." I didn't tell you the truth because I don't want you to stop saying it like you do - "outside in."

New words that we have just started noticing you use this week:

- If I ask you a yes or no question, you always say "yes, indeed!" instead of just yes!

- This morning you started using the word "suspect." We were working on your train table and you said, "Mom, I suspect that you are going to need some more straight pieces."

When you use new words like this, Austin, I typically laugh out loud and say, "Austin, where in the world did you learn that word?" You catch me off guard! You typically shrug your shoulders and say, "I don't know, mom. I don't know where I learned that word." OR... you mention a cartoon that I recently allowed you to watch in order to get some personal time for myself and suddenly I no longer have mommy guilt about placing you in front of the tv on occasion. So, thanks for having such a great memory.

I love you, and I want you to know how precious and precocious you were at three!

Mommy

His Most Recent Smile

"A man's face is his autobiography." - Oscar Wilde

What does Austin's face say about him lately???



These are just a few of the faces I receive lately when I ask Austin to smile for a picture.







And my personal favorite from this week!



Look at that face! He looks like a grumpy old man!!!

So, until he stops this new phase of "smiling during photo ops" my blog might have to focus on landscapes for awhile!

This time of year

I love this time of year.

I love the sunshine.

I love the blooming flowers.

I love the colors.

I love the thoughts about Easter and resurrection.

I love this time of year.

A Mom to a Boy

I will be honest.

It is very hard to get a good, focused picture of the boys these days. At almost 4 and 5 years old - Austin and Andrew spend their days at full speed.

Running...




Playing...



Sliding...



They do everything at full speed, and they love to do everything together.

I want to be faithful to my calling - my calling as a mother to a boy! I want to instill in him character, integrity, passion, and a love for Christ. As I watch him run, and jump, and play... I realize that I get to play a role in the man he is becoming. I get to play a part of this "brotherhood" that Austin will have with other men.

I cannot help but think of the Biblical characters of David and Jonathan as I watch Austin and Andrew play. I think of a friendship that promotes deep love. Sacrificial love. I watch the tears that flow from Austin's face as I put him in my car to go home for the night. "I just want to keep playing with my cousin, mom..." He will cry. "I just love him so much."

And even though we won't always live fifteen minutes apart, I want to foster that bond between Austin and his cousin. My prayer is that someday Austin will feel comfortable being accountable, being Godly, being a man of character among other young men.

I have watched as my husband's relationships with other Godly men has been a lifeline during a difficult nine months. In the midst of poor personal decisions, James' two best friends (the two men who stood by his side on our wedding day as best men) have now - (seven years later) stood up to provide encouragement, accountability, and even work! They have been Godly men of character providing relief and friendship to my husband during very difficult days. I am so thankful for John and Kevin.

And as I think, I realize that I was(am) honored to know both John and Kevin's moms. Looking at the lives of these incredible women of faith, it is little wonder that John and Kevin grew into such compassionate and honorable men. And then I think... I get to play a role in this brotherhood. I get to be a mom to a boy! I get to have a son!

As Austin and Andrew run, and jump, and play (too quickly for me to even get a good picture), I pray that I will be a mother who fosters growth... in every area of my precious son's life.

Help Needed... Perhaps simply because I would spend my time blogging about such an issue...

*** This post has been heavily requested by several of my readers. (Okay, two of my closest girlfriends asked to see pictures of my new cut, but whatever...) With all of the serious events of the past year, I need to just sit and talk about something trivial - something like my hair!



Girls,

I need to talk... and since most of you now live far away, let's talk about it right here on this "mommy blog."

I need to talk about hair!

Last Tuesday, I finally got my hair cut. As women, we understand how important a haircut can make us feel. Feeling a little sporty? How about a cute ponytail? Sassy? What about a short bob that bounces when you walk? Tired? Let's just throw on a hat - or my trick... a headband AND a ponytail. (For some reason, I feel that a headband + ponytail distracts you from noticing that I haven't washed my hair that day... or two days). Cutesy? I have seen some of you pull off some very cute pigtails.

I was feeling sassy (I suppose) and asked my hairdresser for a cute bob cut... a cut that I had noticed on an adorable mom at the baseball fields a few nights earlier.

It's not terrible, but it is short. And, it has eliminated my classic "part on the side and pull everything else back into a ponytail" option.

Exibit A: Taken two weeks ago.



And here is the new cut:



Please ignore the cheesy ""smile at yourself in a mirror while taking a picture look" - and the no makeup look.

It's not bad - right? But, I have an issue with it. I am not a "one side of hair hanging in your face" kind of girl. I have a three-year-old. I spend my time on the floor playing with matchbox cars. I climb over children in the backseat to buckle seatbelts and find pacifiers (see today's earlier post). I need my hair back and out of my face.

So, for the past eight days, I have been pulling that long side back in a clip:

Exhibit B:



Again, not too bad. With appropriate facial expressions and makeup - I could get away with this look.

So, I decided to put on some makeup and ask Austin to take my picture. He gladly obliged, and this photo gives full evidence to my current issue.

Exhibit C:



By the time I put on my makeup (that is all I did!) My hair was completely flat!

Girls, I lived in Texas for ten years! This is not acceptable.

So, I immediately went back into my bathroom and grabbed my hairspray (hey, it worked on my bangs in the '80s). I spent some time poofing and fluffing.



Spent another few minutes trying to perfect my smile in the mirror look.




(none of which were successful)

Finally just tucked my hair behind my ears...



and actually tried to do something productive with my day.

Why is it so hard to be a woman sometimes???

What do you use to give volume to your hair??? Especially living in Florida???

Okay, I am going to go to bed NOW! After all, with this new haircut, I am going to have to wake up extra early to poof and fluff...

A Beautiful Day

Yesterday morning, I went into my dad's office for a few hours to get some work done. it was a beautiful morning, and I was thankful for some quiet time alone in prayer and Bible study.

The start of a beautiful day.

By noon, I had Megan, Andrew, and Austin all in the backseat of my sister's car (my Honda won't hold all three car seats) on our way to lunch.

"I want McDonald's" said Austin (in full excitement) when I told the boys they could pick our lunch destination for the day.

"Well, I want Chick-fil-A." Andrew said - just as excited.

And then it began...

"McDonald's"

"No, Chick-fil-A"

"No! McDonald's"

"CHICK-FIL-A!"

Until I just decided to break in. "Okay, guys, this is the way I see it. Chick-fil-A has much better food, but McDonald's has much better toys. So, which will it be... better food or better toys?

And within seconds we were on our way to McDonald's.

We drove to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and by 1:00 pm, the boys were fed, Megan was fed, Megan was sound asleep, and the boys were happily playing together with matchbox cars while watching a movie.

I decided to get some housework done and even spent some time outside vaccuming the pool. "Wow, I thought to myself. What an absolutely beautiful day. Three kids isn't so bad. I could have more kids. I have this in the bag."

And you can probably tell where this blog post is going...

Since Jenny offered to spend the afternoon with Mom and Dad at the hospital, I thought through my afternoon options.

"Boys, how would you like to spend the afternoon at the beach?" I asked.

"Let's go NOW!!!" they screamed! and within the next hour we were packed, dressed, and ready for an afternoon at the beach playground.

It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon at the beach...








AND THEN... It was time to go.

The rest of this post is dedicated to my sister and maintains the form of her recent post here...

Promise the boys italian ice for being so good at the beach.
Get two boys into car.
They are both mad about having to leave beach playground.
Tell them to stop complaining or we will not be able to come back to beach.
Get Megan out of stroller.
Put Megan in car seat that has one two many buckles and straps.
Put stroller in trunk that is 20 pounds too heavy.
Help Andrew buckle seat belt.
Did it wrong.
Do it again.
He yells that He can do it himself.
Austin screams because Andrew yelled.
Tell Austin that we are not getting Italian ice due to his screaming.
Austin starts crying hysterically.
Megan starts crying.
Try to find Megan's pacifier.
It is missing.
Buckle them all in anyway and decide to let them all cry themselves to sleep.
Look at my cell phone.
Missed seven texts from James.
Can't text him back. Driving.
Can't call him back. Screaming.
Austin stops crying.
Pleads his case for italian ice.
It is actually a good argument.
Megan continues screaming.
No paci to be found.
Pull into italian ice store.
Pull car over to call James.
Hear seat belts start to unbuckle.
Car steering wheel is locked.
Can't get car in park.
Take foot slowly off break.
Car starts going in reverse.
Dash board is flashing "theft."
Cannot remove keys.
Finally get car in park.
Tell the boys to stay in their seats.
Try to call James. No answer.

ACCIDENTLY HIT MY SISTER'S SPEED DIAL NUMBER.

Climb into backseat.
search for paci.
Megan screaming.
Lift Megan out of seat.
Find paci.
Realize the keys are missing.
Can't find keys.
Beg both boys to search car to help me find keys.
FINALLY find keys.
Megan still crying.
Don't know why.
Tell boys to stop climbing in the front seat.
Strongly encourage boys to get in back seat.
Lose patience and tell boys to get in back seat or no italian ice.
Andrew can't find his seatbelt.
Climb over Austin to help him find it.
Look at Austin directly in eyes.
State firmly. "DO NOT KICK MOMMY ONE MORE TIME. IT HURTS."
Finally get Andrew buckled.
Andrew tells me I did it wrong.
Look at Andrew directly in the eyes.
Say for the first time to a child, "Are you kidding me?"
Buckle Andrew's seat belt correctly.
Buckle Austin's seat belt.
Get in car.
Drive into line for italian ice.
Read menu to kids.
Pick up phone to call James again.
Phone says, "Jennifer... TIME 6:05"
Put phone to ear.
"Jenny???"
Hear my sister laughing.
Realization sets in.
"Have you been listening for the last six minutes?" I ask in shame.
Jenny laughing.
"I couldn't stop, she says... it was like a bad soap opera."
Realize I had my own form of nanny cam for the worst six minutes of parenting I've had recently.

Wonder if I will ever be allowed to babysit again.
Yet, it was still... a beautiful day.

Curious Boys and their Boat

A few days ago, Austin was reading his Curious George Anthology and came across a story where Curious George builds a boat!



He brought me the book and said, "Mom, we have to find a newspaper, and we have to build this boat!"

Fortunately, Austin's Aunt Kendra was more than eager to help Austin follow the instructions - and together, they built a newspaper boat.

Can you tell how proud Austin is in this picture?



We brought the boat home (all the way from Gainesville to Clearwater) trying to keep it very safe. As soon as Austin saw his cousin, Andrew, he screamed, "Andrew, I built a boat!"

Andrew and Austin decided that it would be a good idea to float the boat in the pool at Grandma's house.



And... although I had my doubts, that newspaper boat - actually floated for a LONG TIME!



Just long enough, in fact, for the boys to decide to change into swimsuits and go into grandma's pool.



So thank you, Aunt Kendra, for helping this little face light up with absolute delight!