Things I've learned from having children

A million dollars really isn't a whole lot of money.

"If you just sleep all night I'll give you a million dollars..." "poop in the potty and I'll give you a million dollars..." no takers

There is a time and a place for everything.

However, kid times and places are not on the same scale as big people. Me: (yawning at 4:30 this afternoon). Charlie: "Mom, you so tired you need to go to bed." "Well honey I can't just go to bed who would take care of you?" "Mom you so tired you need a blankie and go to bed." it's as if the world really could just stop for me to nap in her eyes.

There's no use crying over spilled milk.

Even when it's breast milk that you stayed up an extra 30 minutes after the baby goes down to pump. Crying won't make it come back into the storage bottle and you'll make fun of yourself later for (literally) crying over spilled milk.

Labrador retrievers are worth every penny AND every bad habit they have once they learn to retrieve multiple balls thrown by multiple little people.

Suddenly it's Max doing all the work when we go outside. Awesome.

It's a rule: we hold hands in the parking lot.

One never knows what or who might trip you. On that note, if you're prone to falling, hold hands everywhere.

Saying ugly things may come back to bite you in the rear.

Charlie: "No Joy dat's my Teddy bear..." later-Charlie tries to eat one of Joy's cookies and Joy gives her "the hand," (as in talk to the hand,) I tell Charlie that since she didn't share earlier and was ugly to her sister now Joy doesn't want to share with her.

Hmmmm. She's still processing that one.

Finally, you will never regret putting hot pink lights on a Christmas tree.

The excitement that little pink tree brings Charlie pales in comparison to the joy it brings me. Next year it's pink lights all around. To think I might have stuck with white lights had I not had Charlie with me when I bought lights this year. Tragic is what it would have been.

And that's it for today on what I've learned.

But here's a picture purely for your enjoyment.

Oldie but goodie

Really, nothing does the job like a bobby pin.

The end.

You're welcome.

The most wonderful time of the year

Remember this from last year? I'm so glad I spent the time last year making my fancy Martha advent calendar. This year all I had to do was take it out of the cabinet. I'm not gonna lie-it took some time and hand strength to finish it but it was worth it. You can go to her website and type in "advent calendar" and learn how to make it! This year I put little ornaments in each bin for the kids to take out and put on a little tree on the counter. They're loving it!


We got our Christmas cards in the mail so each night I sit and address them. Sitting by the tree all lit up and drinking hot chocolate, (the diet kind so as not to mess with my blood sugar, so really it's more like just drinking hot water with chocolate extract-yum,) is my current favorite thing to do. This isn't our card picture but it's an extra one that Sean took while we were at Nattie's for Thanksgiving. Aren't those trees beautiful? This was me stalling waiting for Sean to come over for the picture. I may or may not have had candy in both of my pockets. Obviously the kid were onto me at this point and they kept trying to steal it.


This was me in the car before I went into the grocery store one morning.



This is me after. You could say it was windy.




Poor Joy keeps getting bombarded with Christmas clothes. No really I cant remember why she was mad in this picture but I wanted to document what she was wearing that day. I'm a wonderful sweet mother, aren't I? Oh I remember now...she was mad that I wouldn't let her touch my computer mouse. Yep that was it.

Have a happy Friday y'all.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Y'all, I feel empowered after your supportive comments about the topper. I love it even more after some reinforcements! I think it comes down to this: Sean is very traditional. His house was beige when I moved into it. Most of our furniture is beige or brown. Since I didn't want to scare Sean off I paced myself and went along with what he/we had. Obviously that's the cheapest way too-slowly, piece by piece, I've started unveiling my colorful world for Sean. He likes me, (well, loves me,) and finds it interesting that nothing has to match in my world. He just takes a while to get past the change. This topper is what my whole house will look like one day.

Sean, if you're reading, I'm just kidding.

Everyone else, I'm totally serious.






I'm sorry about the random pictures of Joy and her pigtails. But not sorry enough to stop.






Updates: sorry, there are a few.

My dad-he is doing great! Back to his old self minus the butter and fritos. My parents had to totally change the way they eat and they're doing well. Let's be honest-I went to the store for them that first trip. I bought them the same turkey bacon that I eat and when I went back two weeks later to visit, it still hadn't been opened. But they'll get there. To the land of healthy/tasteless eating. No really, healthy can taste good! It just takes more creativity, which they both have. They love to cook and they're enjoying new recipes. For long-term care he is on a few medications to keep his heart healthy but he is off the ones that caused him to feel crummy immediately following the heart attacks.

My nephew-I asked you months ago to pray for my nephew Owen. He has had two surgeries now and is having his third one tomorrow. He is thriving and healing after each surgery the way he is supposed to. Would you pray for tomorrow please? This is not as serious a surgery but it is still a surgery on a 7 month old baby and it's expected to be a long hospital stay. Thank you!

Sean is going to be home a lot this month and I'm loving all of the projects we have lined up. I love having him home during this fun time of looking at Christmas lights and enjoying the wonder of the season through the kids' eyes. Ty is still thriving in his school and we're so thankful. I'm so proud of him! Charlie still loves mothers day out. Loves it! Her little class is just full of other little talkers and they have made-up conversations constantly. Hilarious. Joy is trying out new words all the time and clearly has a temper. Little toot. I laugh every time I drop her off at church because I question whether we should have named her Joy when her face says, "anything but..." The girl just loves her little family and not many other people. I thank God for the nursery workers who have stuck with her. May it pay off one day :)

Max is still Max. I'm working on liking him more.

And last but certainly not least...my cute new blog look courtesy of Heather, my fabulously talented friend. Thanks Heather! I love it!

And now I've gotta give in and watch the History channel. I've been watching it out of the corner of my eye because it's a special about Air Force One. The preparations, security issues, special secrets, etc. So interesting!

I really need to get out more.

A shoot-out of Christmas proportions

Y'all, I'm gonna let you in on a family secret.

Sean hates my tree topper. Hates it. Every year he asks me if we are getting a new one. I always say no and remind him that I got it from his mother and I loved it from the first second I saw it. In fact I think I stole it from her or one of his sisters. At a big after-Christmas sale a few years ago one of them bought it and then no one remembered whose it was when they unpacked their goodies.

So naturally I claimed it. Naturally.

Even though I wasn't technically AT the sale at all. I mean, we're family.

Sean suggested that I post a picture of my beloved topper and ask y'all what you think: keep it or toss it, which I'm telling you mow I'm not gonna do...but I'm willing to risk losing the battle if I'm that far off about what looks good on top of a Christmas tree. In all honesty I'll probably leave it on top of our tree but at least the man of the house will feel like he's being heard. :)

So here it is. I'll happily post daytime pictures too if y'all need them.














So let the games begin. Just remember who gives stuff away to you people before you say anything nasty.

3

Charlie turns 3 years old today. Here's to my monkey, a life-filled, happy-go-lucky, lovely little person.










































You are my sunshine, Charlotte Mae. PS that's your real name. Happy Birthday!

Thankful

That this is all we did today