Funny kids, sweet husband

Jackson grabbed Stephen's ice-cream bowl and I had to get a pic.

Poor kid was zonked- She rarely falls asleep around noise and in the living room.

Madeline loves to dress in her swim gear and say she is going to the beach with Nana and Grandpa.

Madeline, Ella, Jackson, me.

I did an icing heart for him to put candy so he would not feel left out.

I have enjoyed this Thanksgiving holiday immensely! My husband was home for 4 days and I was able to sleep in until 11:30 on one of those. I know that is pathetic but I do not think I have slept for more than 6 hours since Jackson has been born. Thank you Stephen!

Don't worry, he got his sleep in day as well, and I will not embarrass him by telling how late he slept. He is famous for his "block everything out" sleeping abilities.

We did our usual two Thanksgivings- one with my fam and one with Stephen's fam. By the second one, I was not hungry but it was fun to visit. Friday, my niece came over for a little while and then Madeline and I had girls-only shopping day. I let her have a cherry icee, and pick out candy at the candy story with the scoopers, so she starting acting a little nuts. It was fun and nice to spend quality time with her. I had her with me to pick out clothes for herself since she has become picky. Let me just say that she wanted pink socks, undies, pants, shirts, etc. We came home with some ultra-pink pants from Old Navy. Saturday, my niece came over and we did gingerbread men (see pic).

Funny Madeline comments:

"Mommy, I love you and I will never hate you"-Thanks darling! Remember that when you are sixteen.

I overheard her saying "My daddy is the tallest and the biggest and the strongest and he can fix anything".

At a friend's house with a cat ( I am highly allergic and she knows this because that is why we cannot have one)- "Now, mommy (with calming hand motions) don't be nervous. I won't let the kitty crawl on you."

"Mommy, this show impresses me."

To Jackson:"You are the best brudda" (brother) She has very clear speech, but for some reason her th's come out as d's when she says mother and brother.

Now a note about Jackson: He has turned into a climbing, exploring, dumping, moving maniac. I can hardly keep up with him. This little guy is sneaky. Stephen and I are reevaluating the baby-proofing in our house. Everything must be bolted and I realize that even if I think he cannot get to something, he will work to find a way. He is still my sweet, cuddly bear, but he definitely keeps me on my toes.

Overall, I am so grateful for my healthy family. Stephen had a lung x-ray and they are OK. This has encouraged him to really try and quit smoking. He actually asked the person reading the x-rays to check again because he was so sure that his lungs had something. We are very grateful. Also, Jackson has a weird ridge/bump on top of his head that I freaked out about, but it turns out he just has a bumpy head like his daddy. Stephen has the same bump

Arghhhh! Rant!

What is up with cars that have extra parts specifically put on them to make them louder? Actually, I am just curious as to what provokes someone to spend money to make a vehicle be heard throughout a neighborhood everytime it started and stopped. I know this is like something a lot of people like to do, and I really would like to say- More power to you- But we have about 4 cars in my near vicinity. A couple start right next to my son's window and it is so loud that even the sound machine on the highest volume does not come close to drowning it out and wakes him up almost every time. Sometimes, the people with the cool cars start them and rev them over and over and over. These cars are obnoxiously loud. I thought it was a good thing for the engine to "purr". Sometimes, when one of the 4 cars starts, I will get all fired up and start to go outside just to stare them down (oooohhh, I know) or ask them why?, or just beg for mercy but then I remember my squeaky dog so I go back inside. Any ideas on drowning out the really low but loud rumble? My baby needs to sleep and I think I need to as well.

More sickness, more pictures

The happy stuff is first. Madeline's Halloween party at school was great. The moms doing this party really went the extra mile. Madeline looked like a true princess. Jackson came and she was very proud of "her baby". She is still telling me that certain kids really liked her baby. Jackson was a zebra for Halloween and he actually did not mind being in the costume. He just goes with the flow. For some reason, I cannot find the zebra pics but I will put them up when I do. If anyone can tell me how to fix my pics so that they are not all over the place, please let me know.

Now for the not so happy stuff. Madeline has an ear infection again (may be the same one and the medicine did not take care of it), and I was awakened at 3:00Am to a child with a 104.8 fever and a headache. I was so scared. The headache thing really scared me. The scariest thing was that she was incoherent. She was delirious and talking about really strange things. Anyways, they gave her a shot and some more antibiotics at the ER and she missed 3 days of school and gymnastics. Thank God that it was only an ear infection. I was nearly in tears when I was holding her while we were getting ready to go to the ER. Trust me, we have been through many fevers, weird things (BHS, crazy bug bites) and illnesses but something about her this time was so frightening. She is better today, and her last fever was last night. Poor kid seems to pick up everything. We have all been cooped up and are ready to party this weekend with Daddy, lol.

Back to my family.......

I am taking a politics break because I am getting too frustrated. I do not take the time to link to statistics or news articles written to back up my thoughts. Personal experiences with health insurance and owning a small business has really shaped my views so I have a tendency to get on a rant. If I ever get organized enough or a lot of uninterrupted time(haha), I would love to intelligently put into words why I believe the way I do about abortion, govt. healthcare, the concept of "fairness", and many other things. I used to be the biggest whiner, pity partier, you name it. I have been on the side where I felt entitled to things and that things were always "unfair". I was pretty spoiled because I think that my family wanted to make up for certain events in my life. I do have compassion for people who did not have the security that I had growing up, and I hope that those that become parents can realize that as a parent, you have to do what you can to move on from the past so that it is not repeated or so that you do not inflict stress and a bad attitude on your kids. OK- this post just went in a totally new direction which is why I should stick to pics and short captions.

I guess it is time for the sign to come down.

My McCain/Palin yard sign probably should have been gone Nov. 5th, but for some reason I have not taken it down. Maybe it is laziness, or maybe the action is like admitting it is over to myself. Oh, well. I will say that I will support and pray for President-elect Obama, who may be wondering why he wanted the job, especially now that he is privvy to all that extra-secret info from President George W. I read on another blog and agree that we should try to do this and not exemplify the hatred that I have seen from so many directed at our current President. I mean, the man has made some mistakes, but it is hard to judge when you are not one of the 43 presidents or do not have access to the special information that he does. Seriously, I do not think I would ever have the gall to run for anything. I am too much of a wimp to go through the scrutiny and I can guarantee you that I probably have more skeletons than Sarah Palin! Good luck to the Obamas and their beautiful little girls.

Everyone is sick!

Well, Stephen, Jackson and I had strep throat (after we had the stomach bug) and now Madeline has pink eye and an ear infection. I am so ready to get out into the world again!!!!!!!!

During this sick time, I have noticed Madeline patting Jackson's knee, or rubbing his back when he was sick, saying, "I love you brother(actually it is more like bruder), I will always be here for you". I love their little bond!

Random pics, random thoughts!

Jackson is a Zebra.
This cuddling happens all the time. I love it!
This rain-puddle jumping was all Stephen.
Painting Madeline's room.

Nothing much new to post. Madeline says the cutest things all the time. Yesterday, I told her that something I said was meant to be funny and she said "No, mommy, you were being "catty". Whaaa? She now calls Jackson Mr. Smarty Pants. She and her cousin Ella came up with this and they think it is the funniest thing in the world. She also has been telling me a lot of "jokes". They do not really make sense but I laugh like a good momma. An example is " Why is the marshmallow in the cocoa? Because he wants to be eaten-" followed by hysterical laughing. So cute. I get a lot of unsolicited "I love yous" but not as many as her hero, daddy.

Jackson has been sick (strep)and not his normal cheerful, spunky self. Luckily we are not all sick at the same time. Stephen had it and I am now feeling very icky. His new thing is doing the choo choo motion when he sees a train. He also says "Mmmmmm" and points when he wants juice. I tell him, "Juice" and he just does a louder "Mmmmmm". He gives kisses all the time.

I am ready for this election to be over. We put our sign in the yard and it has not been vandalized or stolen yet, yeah!

My posts will probably be random like this a lot, and anyone that knows me knows that I talk just like my blog reads. I really should try to organize these thoughts better!

New Pics- Read Post below for catch up and other stuff!

I so make this face. Probably one of the few times that someone would say he looks like me, aside from his hair. He is his daddy made over.

Madeline tickling Jackson, which he looooves. Madeline, Stephen, Bri at the lake- Thanks Uncle George and Aunt Kate.

Sweet boy.

Grandpa Lawes and J. Many think that they look a lot alike.

I love this picture!!

Most of these are of Jackson but I will post Madeline's on the next post. For some reason, these pic were the only ones stored with this user on the computer and the main identity has most of the pics. They are mostly of J because these were around his b-day and Madeline was running around. Enjoy!

I am working on posting pics- Sorry they are convoluted!

Trying to blog again, election, cute kids........

I am going to regularly blog once again because it is such a good way to keep up with my kids' lives. Also, I feel better reading others' blogs when I am also putting myself out there. Let's see.... April was the last time I blogged. A lot has happened since then, but yet not much has happened if that makes sense. Madeline turned 4 and started school (K-4) at the same school she was at last year. She is loving it. Jackson turned one and is also breaking my heart by growing up! My sis-in law had a precious baby in June, which stirred up those "I want another baby" feelings. If money was not a consideration, I would probably have 4 or 5. For now, I am very happy with my two. The election has definitely been on my mind. I have been kind of obsessed with following politics since we owned our own business. Anyone that would read this blog knows I am a conservative, although I would consider my fiscal policy more libertarian.(Boortz, anyone?) I am very excited about the McCain/Palin ticket. Here are some thoughts that I have had regarding the election/politics.
Obama: I am sure the liberals I know (and love) are thinking this about me, but what exactly makes him qualified to be president? I know people will say that about Palin, but even commentators on the networks that are supporters of him will say "Well, he has run an amazing campaign"- Yeah. I am scared to death of this guy. He says that it is "neighbourly" (on Bill O'Reilly) to pay more taxes when you are rich. Funny how gave less than 1% to charity until he started thinking about running for President. I think it is great to give to others. Just let those giving decide who to give to rather than gauging them with a 40-50% tax rate. His "associations" with so many blatanly anti-Americans bothers me, as does his stand on abortion.
If you don't like living here (Michael Moore), than please leave. I have issues with certain things like most people, but I am very proud of our country. I love being an American and knowing that just about anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Just don't be too diligent and hard-working or you might have to be extremely neighborly to people who are not your neighbours-hehe. On that note, I will pray for whoever becomes the next President to make the right decisions for us. Let's face it, it is a tough job. Vote for McCain!!!!!!!
Now someone who accidently comes across my blog may hate me, but I am going to make up for it with pics and stories about my kiddos! All will be forgiven!!
Madeline is doing so well in school. She is very studious for a 4-year old, which worries me at times because I just want her to be a kid. She can pretty much read most easy-readers (Bob books, Hooked on phonics) from just knowing most of the words from flash cards and stuff that we have done. I have worked on phonics with her and it seems to really be coming together at school. They use that A Beka curriculum which I love. She is all about learning everything and I love doing it with her. She loves to write out my grocery list and I will tell her how to spell what I need. I am very seriously (as in, almost decided) to homeschool so I have been researching a lot. For anyone interested, curious, or that thinks that homeschoolers are deprived, I encourage you to do your own research and you will probably be surprised. I was surprised. I am getting excited about starting this adventure with my kids. Don't worry, I will teach my kids Language Arts and hopefully I can be cured of my run-on sentence addiction. Any thoughts on homeschool out there? Have you tried it or are you considering trying it?
Madeline will be starting gymnastics on Thursday and she is thrilled. She cracks me up constantly with her comments. She is still pretty small and is a good bit smaller than most of the kids in her class. She likes to tell people she meet her full name (middle name included) like she is saying she is a celebrity or something. It is really cute. She loves playing with her cousin Ella. She writes her father and I sweet notes all the time. She is obsessed with anything girly, like pretend make-up, purses, bows, shoes, and anything pink and princess-oriented. Her daddy will not let me paint her nails for real, but we sometimes put pretend light pink on her nails. She is very sensitive and dramatic, which I hear just goes with the territory at this age for girls. She wants to be indepedent, but yet she reminds me that she is still "Mommy and Daddy's baby".
Jackson is as sweet as ever. I could just eat up that little boy. He loooooves other babies and tries to hug them all. It is so sweet. Madeline and Jackson (right now) are such cute little buddies. Every morning, they lay together on the kid couch and cuddle before she goes to school. He is her biggest fan, besides Mommy and Daddy. He says MaMa, DaDa, and some other syllables unreliably. I am not worried because Madeline was a late talker. He pretty much says "yah" or "Ah" when he wants something. He is so heavy, but I am not sure how heavy because he goes for his appointment tomorrow. Madeline calls him "Jacks" sometimes. He loves all things boy. At Wal-Mart today, he started going nuts ("ah,ah,ah,ah") over a motorcyle. He throws and bangs everything. He falls and gets right back up most of the time. He has the cutest smile. He is daddy's little buddy but is very attached to me. Madeline is a daddy's girl but lately we have been doing "girl-only" things that I really enjoy. I told Stephen that when Jackson is older, he is more than welcome to take him on camping trips while Madeline and I stay home away from the bugs and with our stove and electricity. I am going to try and update this at least weekly so please check back and comment. I will do the same!

Thank God for my perfect children.

No, I don't really think my kids are perfect (well, maybe a little), but I just got through reading about a family with a child that has a terminal illness and all I can think about is how blessed I am to have two healthy children. I was going to complain a little today in my post but I really should not. I am so blessed to be at home with my healthy children everyday. This family's name was the Dements from Arkansas. Please pray for this family. I read this on a random (friend of a friend of a friend) blog and my heart bleeds for this family. Thank you God for my babies' health! Jennifer

Catching up...

Well, it has been a long time. There are no big dramas to report. I have just been extremely exhausted. I do not remember what it is like to sleep more than 3 hours at a time! Jackson keeps getting ear infections. Right now, he is over the last ear infection but is cutting 2 teeth so he is not sleeping great. I can honestly say that I have not slept more than 3 hours at a time, in about a month and a half. Stephen has tried to let me on the weekends or during the day but Jackson is extremely attached to me. It is almost humorous because he will be acting very upset like something is really wrong and the second I pick him up he will smile and laugh. I do enjoy our little bond, and he is really happy as long as I am around, but he knows if I leave the house and does not like it. The only reason I would really like to leave is to take Madeline out alone for mommy-daughter time or to have some date time with Stephen. I know that I need to enjoy this for it will not last forever. Madeline used to be addicted to Mommy but lately has been saying "Daddy" when she gets in trouble or upset. I will sometimes get Bunco invites in the mail from church members and I know that there is no way I can go because little J will not have it! Anyways, right now what I really crave is some sleep and for everyone to feel better. Madeline has been sick with some sort of weird viral thing. The doctor said a lot of these viral things were going around. She turned bright red and had a very high fever. She was so sick, she did not even want a popsicle or to watch Backyardigans. We have been cuddling her a lot the past few days, and she is better now.

These sick days for my kids just remind me of how grateful I am that I am here with them.

Some funny things Madeline has said recently:

While playing a Backyardigans game on the computer "Tasha, you better move when I hit this button or I am not watching you anymore!

When I questioned a story she was telling me, she shook her head and said "Mommy, you have to use your magination"

In Jackson news, he started solids at 6 months and has not been terribly enthusiastic. Every now and then he will get very interested, but most of the time I have to sneak the bites in. The pic I have posted is the pursed lips he give me most of the time when I am feeding him. Adorable though!

Standing boy!

I have not caught it on camera, but jackson is pulling up to standing, holding on to something of course. He has only done it 4 times but that was in like 2 hours. He was so proud of himself- you could tell by the huge grin on his face.

"Breathholding" spells?

Jackson and Daddy

Afternoon snack at her playhouse

Madeline wanted to be a kitty at my party. This was her Halloween costume. She loves to dress up.

When my daughter was about 15 months she had her first spell. Doctors call them breathholding spells or bhs, because the child loses consciousness from not breathing. Now, I do know that a lot of these spells are temper tantrums and done on purpose but this is not the case with Madeline. She is pretty tempermental and dramatic, but it is very obvious to anyone who has witnessed her spells that they happen when she is suddenly scared or hurt. Following the injury/fearful moment, she opens her mouth to cry and nothing comes out and then she just fall out. It is sooooo scary, even now that I know it is supposedly normal and she will outgrow it by around age 6. When she passes out, her lips start to look purple and her eyes roll back and she will jerk some like she is having a seizure, which they have ruled out. She will sometimes have accidents because she loses all control of her body. When she comes back to, after what seems like an eternity, she is very lethargic. I bring this up because she had her 7th one in front of my grandma yesterday. I was starting to think that we were done with these because it had been 7 months. I am constantly fearful that she will have one while up high or something. The preschool knows not to perform cpr and just to make sure she does not hit her head. My grandma was so freaked out. The worst thing you can do is give oodles of attention following one because they say that the child will start to do it on purpose. Madeline's are just a reaction and not intentional, but how can you not love on your child after an experience like that? Anyways, I am just curious if anyone else out in the blogging world has experienced this because the doctors told me that like 5% of kids have them but I have not met one yet.

I would also like to vent that I am extremely exhausted from lack of sleep, especially this past month. Jackson has been waking up every 2 hours or so for about a month because of a bad ear infection, followed by stomach issues caused by the antibiotics, followed by his first tooth. Poor baby. But he still smiles constantly. He is my little trooper.

Something cute that I have noticed recently is how much Madeline looks to Stephen for answers on "life', like what to do when someone at school is mean to you and whatnot. I could tell her something over and over but when he tells her something, she just looks at him and nods her head like "I finally understand". I love that her daddy is her hero. She just says and does the sweetest things sometimes, like she went to the school of how to steal hearts. Come to think of it, it seems like a lot of kids that I know have gone to that school........

On a happier note, my birthday was yesterday and family came over to celebrate. I had a lot of fun and am posting a couple of pics and some random pics of the kids. I am the big 3-0 now, so no more excuses for acting childish-haha.

Fun at Nana and Grandpa's and Jackson -6 months

My princess.

I love the look she is giving her grandpa. He is her only grandpa and she adores him.

He really is the spitting image of his father, aside from his hair.

We went to Stephen's parents this weekend. My mother-in-law takes really good pictures and always seems to capture my kids' personalities so well.

Also- Happy 1/2 birthday to Jackson!

My baby boy is 6 months today. He is pulling himself to a sitting position and almost crawling. Right now he sort of lunges and creeps really fast to get where he wants to go. He is so happy all the time, even when he is sick. He is my little butterball and weighs 19 pounds, but he is long, too. Right now he definitely prefers me to the point where I cannot leave much. Madeline is sooooo sweet to him and is like a little mother at times. They like to roll around on the living room floor and screech at each other and giggle. I know that sounds weird, but it is really funny and cute. He lights up when he sees her. When daddy comes home, he practically leaps out of my arms and starts making excited noises. Jackson has been such a special joy.

The things kids say.............

Today, Madeline and I were discussing swinging on her backyard swing. She does not like to go high and prefers to move herself. I told her it was really fun to have someone push you and go a little higher. She said "But mommy, if I go really high then I will go into the clouds and you will miss me." My heart melted.
Later in the day, while typing her name into the computer, my grandmother was saying that she could put "Maddy". Grandma and I got in a discussion about how to spell "Maddy". The Madelyn on Jon and Kate + 8 spells it Mady, but we thought it should be Maddie or Maddy. Keep in mind that when I named her I fully intended for her to be called Madeline because I love the name. Madeline very matter-of-factly said "Excuse me mommy, I will be Madeline please". I said, good for you, mommy called you madeline because it is so pretty. On a similar note, she told her daddy that she wanted to be called "Uniqua" like on the show "Backyardigans". She cracks me up.

Sweet girl.

There are times that I look at my little girl and marvel at how brilliant and sweet she is and other times I look at her and marvel at how well she can push my buttons. This can change in a matter of seconds. Here is a cute moment from a couple of months ago. When I took the picure, I remember looking at it and thinking that I always wanted to remember her looking just like the picture. There are so many looks and quirky moments that happen everyday that I know one day I will miss.

Twins?

Everywhere I go with my niece and my daughter a lot of people ask me "Are they twins?"Look at these two and the only similarity they have is red hair and it is a very different color of red hair. They are ten months apart but close to the same size. Ella is adorable but I just don't see it. Does anyone else see it?

Ok- now that I look at this pic I think I understand it more.

On a similar note, I have had people ask me where my children get their red hair. No joke.

Pretty day

Here we are out for a walk around the block yesterday. Madeline informed me that Jackson would really like her to push him so I let her for a little bit. She always likes to tell me things that he wants or does not want. Usually he "does not want" a toy that she suddenly wants.

Peek-A-boo

Giving me "the look" She was tired at this point.

Just Curious....

Is anyone else tired of hearing certain candidates for president talk about the government taking care of everyones' problems- unless you are one of those mean rich people that went to school to become a doctor or lawyer or whatnot. I am not in this high-income category but I don't think it takes a genuis to see that the current tax system is incredibly beneficial to low-income people and almost encourages people to have more kids and stay low-income. That is my rant for the day.

Don't everyone call the baby magazines at once!

Like most mothers, I believe that my kids are uniquely cute and worthy of the cover of magazines. I would say that I am slightly over-confident of my children's cuteness and I do not know where they got it from. All I can say is the look like their daddy except for the hair! I cannot claim my beautiful stepdaughter Brianna- but once again- one-half of my hubby- the hunk. Her mother is very beautiful as well. Of course, I am bias on all of this but I am going to post pics so that when I refer to them you can picture who I am talking about.

The first post.

Well, I am finally joining the blogging world! We will see how long this lasts. I am a wife to Stephen (a blonde hunk- seriously) that I don't know how I managed to snatch. My daughter Madeline is 3 1/2 and my son Jackson is almost 6 months. They are both redheaded like me so my hubby is outnumbered. I have a feeling that any blog that I write that is remotely entertaining will involve my daughter. She is the princess of the house and I have a feeling that she will convince Jackson of that as well. I stay at home with my children and would not change it for anything. I was raised in the church of Christ but since my son has been born, I have not been very much and my heart is feeling the loss. I know I should be there and I have actually packed my kids up on 2 or 3 separate occasions (by myself) only to turn around and come back because we were stopped by a train or something and were not going to make it even close to on time. No excuses though- I know my kids should be there and my daughter throughly enjoys Bible class. I hope to connect with other Christians through this blog because I am encouraged daily by some of the blogs I read by Christians. So I guess my first post is about my guilty conscience! I seems like the longer I stay away, the easier it is, but of course the harder my heart becomes. My dream is for my son and daughter to one day become Christians, and for their children to do the same, and so on and so on. If my grandmother had not taken me to church, I would have never gone and I am very grateful to her. Enough rambling, it is time get myself straight.............