Adam's Managing Me Award

 Awe... Look at my sweet little man. Adam won a managing me award for reading 100 books at home. YAY!! This was no small feet for this little man. Adam is the kid that walks out of the school with all of his papers in his hands, his backpack wide open and empty, his coat may or may not be on him depending on the day and he is full of smiles, ready to meet you with a big ol' honkin' hug. However, he constantly forget to bring his books home. He is supposed to be bringing a book home every night for homework and return it the next day. Well, that hardly EVER happens. Usually, he brings home 10 at a time and we can read them and send them back that way. It works pretty well for him. He's such a free spirit. And I love that about him. But man there are days I wish he could be more responsible. However, he wouldn't be my little Adam then.
 Anyway, he got an award for reading 100 books. He was so sweet when he got up in front of the school to receive it. He acted a little shy and kind of played with his coat. But when he sat down, he discovered all the things that he could do with his award. Things like, making it into a telescope and checking out what the rest of the students are doing. I can only begin to guess what other fabulous ideas he can come up with. Look at him, you know his imagination is in overdrive. There are day that I wish I could crawl into his head and see what
 he is really thinking and how is mind works. To see his thought process and his gears just turning. In saying all of that, he is quite the little reader. When he reads, he has so much emotion in his sentences. He makes 'Going to the Store' sound like he's going to Disneyland. Man, it's cute. I think he's just bringing life to a story. And he's really picking up some bigger words. I really look forward to our reading time at night. He's so into what he is learning about in school too. There was a penguin unit at school a few weeks ago and he just ate it up. He loved it. When he chooses what book he wants to read at bedtime, he's been picking nature books. Gorillas, tornadoes, sharks and whatever else is interesting to him that day.
 Anyway, I am blessed everyday to get to be his Mom. And the fact that he is a bright and curious makes him even more adorable. Even if he consistantly forgets to take his books back to school.

Lily's Booty Shaking.....

Wean Me Gently

 
















Wean Me Gently
by Cathy Cardall

I know I look so big to you,
Maybe I seem too big for the needs I have.
But no matter how big we get,
We still have needs that are important to us.
I know that our relationship is growing and changing,
But I still need you.
I need your warmth and closeness,
Especially at the end of the day
When we snuggle up in bed.
Please don't get too busy for us to nurse.
I know you think I can be patient,
Or find something to take the place of a nursing;
A book, a glass of something,
But nothing can take your place when I need you.
Sometimes just cuddling with you,
Having you near me is enough.
I guess I am growing and becoming independent,
But please be there.
This bond we have is so strong and so important to me,
Please don't break it abruptly.

Wean me gently,

Because I am your mother,

And my heart is tender.

Reader's Theater

 Adam had a 'Reader's Theater' at school today. It's where the kids get to read stories that they have worked on with other students and parents and other family members get to come watch them read it out loud to the audience. I had yet another headache today so Todd went to watch him. Todd said Adam did great, and was adorable (of course) while reading 'The Singing Giant'. He read it to me a few days ago. It's about a giant who lives in the mountains outside a village and sings all the time. The parents and the grandparents are tired of him singing because they don't get enough sleep. So the giant stops singing and all the babies start crying all the time. And nothing soothes them. Someone figures out that the babies never cried when the Giant was singing. So the village brings the Giant down to hold and sing to the babies. All the babies went to sleep and the parents and the grandparents in the village cheered. It was such a cute story. My little Adam is quite the reader too.
 Then when Todd got home and started getting ready for work, Adam and I headed to the Drug store. When we got there he was quiet entertaining. The clerk, who knows him, asked him a few questions, and the conversation came around to discipline. The clerk asked him if he was to old for spankings. With a smile Adam say's "No, not really." I smiled at him and he continued to tell the clerk that he mostly gets 'disciplined' not a spanking. And disciplines only happen 6 times a month. Again I smiled. We are a 'go to your room' family. I need to calm down sometimes and the kids really hate being away from each other so it works really well...most of the time. Anyway, it was funny and everyone standing in line around us was giggling. Then we went into Maverik. There's a lady that works there that we have known for a while. Adam told her as she was giving me my change.."My Mom gives me her cents." I thought..'Adam if you only knew how many (sense) cents I have given you.' When he said that EVERYONE giggled at him, and the clerk gave Adam my cents. Which I never mind doing with him because it always comes back to me through the wash...Sweet, Sweet Adam. I love him so much. The smiles he puts on my face are daily and he makes my heart swell with pride and sometimes worry with what he just might happen to say :)

The Birds and the Bee's

 So, there comes a time in every parents life where we have to talk to our kids about certain life issues. Well, mine and Todd's came last Sunday, when at the dinner table, Todd was, for some crazy reason, showing the kids the funniest ways to flip people off. I know it isn't the best topic to discuss at the dinner table but what do you do. Anyway, Spencer started showing us his own vast knowledge of certain hand motions (indicating sex, ie..one hand make a girl part and the the other hand makes a boy part.) Well, Todd and I immediately had to shut that down because there are 3 younger sibling sitting at the table that are definitely not old
 enough to NEED to know what that means. So we asked or more like told Spencer to go to his room and continue to share his vast knowledge on the subject on this topic. It turns out, he knew more than we realized. We filled in the gaps and asked him where he learned all of this, come to find out, it was one of the more 'religious' kids that taught him most of it. GGRRREEAAATTT. So, anyway, in saying all of this, Todd and I have always decided that the best way to talk about most subjects with our kids is through a very open and honest dialogue of conversation. Sex is a big one for us to keep open too. We want them to feel comfortable talking to us about the things they are thinking and/or going through. We want our kids to be knowledgeable and safe. Because while in a perfect world they would find the one and only person they are meant to be with and (I would have some say:) on their wedding night (after a college education) Todd and I would finally tell them all about the Bird's and the Bee's, but that is so not going to happen. Anyway, Spencer being Spencer, asked a few questions that were minor and an yet important and then continued tormenting his little brother. (The phrase 'ugly like your butt' seems to be a popular choice of insult around here. Lovely! ) And he hasn't asked about much else. I'm sure that the time will come where we will be getting a ton of questions, but for now, his basic knowledge of things seems to satisfy him. And he seems a little more grown up than last week:(
But Knowledge is Power. Right??!?!?!?

Dinner at the Bates'

 Dinner at our house is so messy. Sweet little Sara Rose thinks that the best place for her dinner is on her head.
 Or the floor, or the wall, or on Spencer. She not only dumps her plate on her head and makes sure it's completely
 rubbed into her hair, but she also throws her food all over the place. When she's done with her food, what ever is left on her tray is fair game to be tossed. She getting pretty good too. The other night she threw whatever she was eating on Spencer. He thought it was funny, all of us giggled, which caused her to throw even more food. She has also decided the best place for her dishes is also on the
 floor. She is really good with using a spoon and fork, but man how many broken Princess plates can we possibly endure:) Anyway, she has recently learned her famed Daddy's cheesy grin and shows it off without hesitation. I don't think Todd could be any prouder. So, there you have it...Cute pictures of my sweet baby being a total adorable mess and her beautiful grin. Dinner can be interesting, messy and completely and totally the best part of the day. (O' and she loves ranch....Homemade of course, with her veggies.. She even tries to lick it off her plate before she throws it on the floor. Man, she is so related to me.)

Lily and Kynlie's Playdate

 This is Kynlie. She and Lily are pretty good buds. Kynlie's Mom, Sala, is one of my bestest buds. So, we are lucky enough to have lots of playdates with Miss Kynlie.
 Today was a Barbie day, filled with dresses and hair do's. It was so cute to listen to the conversations they were having between the Barbie's. I learned many insightful things on how and what girls like and don't like. I think I need to steal some of those tips. There was also some massive giggling going on in Lil's room. Along with block playing and Dolly houses and babies.
 I love these little girls and how they play together. I love that they are best buds and could play together for hours. I really love that since the playdate was at our house today, the playdate will be at Sala's tomorrow and I get to go have some retail therapy with my lover all day:)

Night's at the Bates'

The other night as we sat around our dinner table, listening to each other's day and how yucky the food was, Adam all of a sudden, in a high pitch, feminine voice says..."I'll take a baby...I can always use another baby." Todd and I look at each other like 'WTF?' and Spencer says he's copying Saturday Night Live's skit where Angelina Jolie walk's on to the set when babies are mentioned, and asks for babies. I laughed so hard, I thought was going to spit my food out. Anyway, he was so cute. I just love him. Always making us giggle. Then, yesterday, I got a call from the school Nurse that went like this:
Melea: Hello
Chris: Hi, Melea, this is Chris at the school,
Melea: Hey
Chris: Hey, I have Adam here, and he slipped and fell on some ice and hit his head.
Melea: O, No...I be there in a minute.
Chris: No, I was wondering if I could give him a Tylenol, I think he will be ok.
Melea: Are you sure, cuz I'll come get him. I'm going to lay my baby down in a minute so it's better if I can come get him now. (That was a massive excuse to come see him and make sure he was really ok.)
Chris: I'm sure he's ok, it's bad, but not 'that' bad.
Melea: Well, can I talk to him?
Chris: Yes, here he is.
Melea: Hey Baby, Are you ok? Do you want me to come get you?
Adam: No, Mom, I'm ok....I love you Mommy.
Melea: (Fighting back tears from my little man being so big) Ok baby, call me if you need me to come get you.
Adam: Bye, Mommy.
Melea: (In tears now) Bye Baby....
Chris: He's ok...There's no bumps, he's not dizzy, or blacking out....He's fine.
Melea: Ok....PLEASE CALL if you need me to come get him.
So , I'm in tears and worried about my baby, but I'm mostly crying because he doesn't need me. And he was a big brave man all of a sudden. Sweet boy. When he got home, his pants were ripped, but other than that, he was really good. No lasting trauma.
There has been another biggy going on at my house. Sara has been sleeping so sucky lately. She wakes up every 1 to 2 hours and wants to nurse. I call it 'plugged in' because she really isn't nursing, she just wants to snuggle. So anyway, two days ago, I cut back on her milk intake and she has been a different baby. The Dr. told me at her last check up she could have an allergy to milk because her eczema was so bad, but she didn't seem overly concerned, so I continued, in moderation, to give her milk.....But I kept having this nagging feeling that she needs to really cut back on her he milk consumption. So I cut it out for a few days, and she has been a sleeping....and happier baby....I hope this was the issue and she will sleep now. Non sleeping baby = really bitchy Mommy.

Wyoming

When I saw this, I knew I had to put it on my blog. LMAO. I think I've experienced and/or witnessed all of the following. The only thing I think he missed was the wind. (Thanks Jamie:)

If 'vacation' to you means going shopping for the weekend in Casper or Cheyenne (while the kids swim at the Comfort Inn)
You might live in Wyoming

If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord,
You might live in Wyoming

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 8 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by,
You might live in Wyoming

If you're proud that your state makes the national news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you have ever refused to buy something because it's 'too spendy',
You might live in Wyoming

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March,
You might live in Wyoming.

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there,
You might live in Wyoming .

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time,
You might live in Wyoming.

If your town has an equal number of bars and churches,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you know how to correctly pronounce Dubois, Kemmerer, and Fontenelle.
You might live in Wyoming.

If you measure distance in hours,
You might live in Wyoming.

If your family vehicle is a crew cab pickup,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you often switch from 'heat' to 'A/C'in the same day and back again,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you've installed security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked,
You might live in Wyoming.

If the largest traffic jam in your town centers around a high school basketball game,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them,
You might live in Wyoming.

If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Wal-Mart at any given time,
You might live in Wyoming.

If there are more people at work on Christmas Eve Day than on Opening of Deer Season,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,
You might live in Wyoming.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you can identify a southern or eastern accent,
You might live in Wyoming .

If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your cottonwood,
You might be from Wyoming.

If a brat is something you eat,
You might live in Wyoming.

If finding your misplaced car keys involves looking in the ignition,
You might live in Wyoming.

If you find 0 degrees 'a little warm,'
You might live in Wyoming.

If you actually understand these observations, and you
forward them to all your Wyoming friends,
You must be from Wyoming.


It's pretty sad how true these are!!

The Great Crashing Computer

Ok. So I bought a Dell. What in the world could possess me to do that? Well, I have never really heard bad things about them to be honest with you, I read all the reviews. I thought I researched it well, I looked into what size of processor I wanted, memory and hard drive too. I was prepared. So, a year ago, with Todd's blessing and my credit card in hand I called Dell, and ordered a really nice computer. It's big, red and fabulous. Well, about a month after I got it, the hard drive crashed. Then, within the last year, my computer has crashed or needed to have a total windows re installation done 5 times. Sunday, there was an error saying that the NTLDR was missing. That means something in computer talk that the hard drive doesn't recognize something that it needs to to boot up. So, after an hour on the phone with a lady on Sunday and 3 hours with some guy last night, my computer is still not working. The guy that worked on it last night with me didn't leave 1 note. Not one. Lovely huh. So the guy tonight, had me run several tests to see what was faulty and needs replaced. He was so nice and even through his frustration at the lack of knowledge of last night's events, he was pleasant and so helpful. Hopefully after tonight, I will be able to figure out what the heck is wrong and it can be fixed. Until then, I feel very unplugged. I am stealing Todd's computer right now, but he's playing the XBOX so I don't think he really minds. Still I miss my computer and all of the joy it brings me. Anyway, I am sitting here thinking. Really, why did I buy a Dell? I think I should've got and Apple. I don't know. There's probably the same kinds of issues with them and I have to say the Dell tech team, when you can understand them, seem to be helpful. And I have a kick ass warranty. Still, If I have to use it (the warranty) every few months, is it really worth it? I guess there's not much I can do about this now. Sorry to think out loud.....on my blog, I'm just frustrated. Anyone have an opinion on this?

Bates' Review

 Ok..So I have been really sucky at keeping up on my blogging. I'm sorry. I have been slacking on a whole bunch of other things to be honest with you. I have been struggling with headaches. Really bad headaches. I have always had migraines. Probably 1 a week. Then right after New Years, I started getting really, really bad, pulsating headaches. I will spare you the major details, lets just say, they happen when I'm exercising or um....let's see.... involved in other.. more fun... shall we say
ummmm....activities. Anyway, when I get them, they take days
 to get over. Like I'm hung over. It's miserable. I've had these specific headaches before, when Adam was a baby. The first one I ever got was through weight lifting, and they continued through every kind of activity imaginable. At that time, my Dr. thought that I should have a MRA, which is similar to an MRI, but is looks at the arteries in your brain. It was clear, all but a small narrowing of my Basilar Artery. Which could've been present since childhood. Nothing that would've been causing the headaches. So, when these specific headaches started up again, my current P.A. thought that I should have another MRA to make sure there is no change in the narrowing and/or my brains. When the results came in, they where all clear. My brains are fine....Well, as far as they could tell:) So, my P.A. put me on Topamax, with the hope of controlling the headaches. Yeah Right! So far, I've had a consistent headache that hasn't subsided in a week and I have been so hot, dizzy and lightheaded that I feel like I might pass out. I was even throwing up the other night from it. Plus, my beloved coke, tastes like ass! I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm at my wits end with my headaches and my meds.
 Ok. So, in other news. Todd's beloved XBOX 360 caught the 'Red Ring Of Death' a few months ago. It was divesting to the Bates' Boys. The level of withdrawals at our house can only be described as mourning. When the tragic event happened Todd tried to call and get out old XBOX fixed, apparently it's a common problem, but the lady on the other end couldn't find our house on her UPS system stuff. And Todd was on the phone with her for EVER. He ended up needing to end his phone call and after talking about it we decided to wait until income tax return time and get an XBOX Elite. We can get Netflix movies directly to our machine and it has more memory or something like that.
 It's big and black and I've never seen 3 happier boys in all the world! There was even a Kung Fu Panda game that Lily can play, so she can even be involved. Now, we need to finish the freakin' basement so I don't have to watch those crappy games:) Which hopefully, within the next few sets of days off, we'll get it done. Then all that boy crap goes down stairs. Everything will be neatly organized, there will be a home for all the controllers and all the games...everything will have a place to go. Woot~Woot!
 In Princess news, Lily has been making sure the boys know exactly who is boss. She's sassy!
 She has learned several big words and flings them out there whenever she thinks they need to be used. Such as disrespectful and inappropraite. Todd and I use these words all the time, but hearing them come out of her little mouth is so stinkin' funny. I just have to smile at her and just giggle. Sweet baby girl.
 Sweet Sara has learned the actions, well our family's actions, I don't know if they are 'THE' actions, to 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' and 'Paddy Cake'. But she knows them and will do them with you while you sing. And she is constantly asking you to sing them to you. Well, she doesn't really ask, she just comes up to you and starts the spider motion with her fingers. It's so sweet. I need to get that on video soon.
Anyway, I hope all of you are doing great. I'll try to be a better blogger this week:)