Just hum the ZZ Top Song "She's Got Legs" while you watch this video. I can't figure out how to load songs on it!
Seriously, she does this EVERY TIME you lay her down to put clothes on her or change her diaper. Her own personal way of being difficult!

Playdough Juice

After being a mom for 4 years to my wonderful kids, I find that we have something I like to refer to as "family" language. My husband's mother and her family have a language all their own, and Chase & I have incorporated some of this language into ours (can't give details b/c it is like speaking in code and if you ever hear me say some of the words, you will know what I am talking about and that ruins the fun!). But, after 4 years, we have developed some "family" words that are only understood by the 4 of us (Caroline, not so much...yet). Here are some examples:
-Hotelo....this is what John calls a Hotel. He first said this 2 years ago while we were in San Diego and said "mommy, let's go back to the hotelo". It just stuck. It's really cute, too.
-White Steak....John LOVES steak. So, to get him to eat pork chops and fish, I call these "white" steak. He ate a bite of fish the other night and said "mommy, I love white steak. It is good for me"
-4 Minutes....This is what i say to him when we need to get ready to leave somewhere. I say "John, you have 4 minutes, then we have to go". Other moms often look at me like 'what? 4 minutes'....I guess most moms say 5 minutes. This started when John was little and I would say "it is time to get out of the tub now" and John would say "not yet mommy, 4 minute".
-Playdough Juice....this is a funny one. So, one day, John was playing with playdough and was curious as to what it tasted like, so he ate it. Of course, it doesn't taste good, and he quickly figured that out. He spit it out and then took a big swig of juice. Later that day, Chase gave him a cup of Juice, thinking it was the same cup John had that morning. It wasn't....and God only knows how old it was. John took a big drink and got this awful look on his face and said "Daddy, this is yucky. It is playdough Juice. I want new Juice!"

Baseball

Fun day at the Ranger's Game on Sunday. Caroline LOVED the ice cream! Although they are not selling the ice cream in the rangers "hat" cups anymore. Just a stupid bowl now. How magical is that?

Do You Smell Something?

Growing up the middle of 3 girls, I was not exposed to many "boy" things that a sister is exposed to if she has a brother. So, it often stuns me when my 4 year old boy says or does something extremely gross. I have a "list" of things I never thought I would hear myself say. It goes something like this:
-Take your finger out of your nose
-Put your wee-wee away
-We only pee-pee outside, at home, and in the backyard. NOT in the front yard

Now, this is my favorite one....and a new one, too:
-No, I do not smell something

And, of course, I do smell it. The entire DFW area smells it and it stinks. Here is how the conversation goes:
"Mommy, do you smell something?"
"No, I don't. Why?"
"Betause I just TOOTED!".....he is laughing hysterically at this point

BOYS.

Mother's day

We had such a nice Mother's Day. Chase really went all out and put alot of thought into the whole day. It was so nice. First, and foremost, he let me sleep in. That was great...even if I couldn't fall back asleep and ended up with only a little 20 min. cat nap. But that is my issue! He then made a big brunch, complete with eggs, hash browns, french toast and mimosas! Yum! Then we just tooted around the rest of the day and went to Central Market to have an early dinner and let the kids play on the playground. John loves this place and it is nice that you can get a really good meal AND sit at a nice table and watch the kids play. Caroline hung out in her stroller and ate puffs, some chicken (little pieces I gave her of mine) and was generally her sweet self. John did not have a nap that day, so he crashed at 7pm, Caroline was down at 7:45pm and that left just enough time for Chase and I to sit on our front porch, with the new chairs that were my mother's day gift, and enjoy the last few minutes of the day. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The nice thing is, Chase really did go all out for this special day, but he (and John & Caroline) let me know I am appreciated all throughout the year....

I cough, You cough

Entertainment provided by Caroline

Day 5, Night 4

We are 4 nights into the "new" routine of me not laying with John until he falls asleep. He is doing great, getting up just a few times, with a gentle reminder from me that if he stays in his bed that we will go to Target and he can pick out a special toy. Last night, he got up twice. Each time saying he is "hundry". He ain't hungry. But, it's a stall tactic and you have to admire the persistence. I took him back to his room after he got a box of raisins (by the way, I found this morning that he had 6 boxes of uneaten raisins in his room, hence the "he ain't hungry" hunch) and tucked him in. This was 9:30pm. I then went to sit on the couch with Chase and watch ER....I have not seen this show in so long and I just LOVE it. Although, I think that Abby and Luka are going to split. Back to my original topic - So, at 10pm the show was over and I thought - Great! He is asleep! So I walk back to his room and the little toot is laying in his bed, eyes wide open. I can see b/c he insists that his lamp be on, which I don't mind. I couldn't believe it! He must be planning on taking us to the cleaners with this "special toy" at Target! Good thing was that he stayed in his bed! We watched a little bit of the news and then I walked back to his room and he was fast asleep! 1 more night to go!
We have had our new fridge for a week now and I am still just as madly in love with it as I was on day 1! It is so nice and big! I have been thinking about it alot lately, though, and feel a twinge of guiltiness thinking that we have this big fridge just for 4 of us....I think of the families that don't have much and probably have an old fridge without an ice maker and probably have 5 or 6 kids. They probably would love to have my fridge, but can't do it financially. Then I realize that every thing Chase and I have, we are grateful for. I know that I can have nice things and not feel guilty(or try not to) because I am grateful and acknowledge that. Also, even if we didn't have those things, I would still be happy and grateful. Chase and I work very hard for ourselves and our family. Chase likes to say that we work so we can take nice family vacations. The vacations is what makes a permanent memory...that is what lasts forever. Also, I think about other people I know, people that take money as just a given. That it will always be there, that the nice things will always be there. They aren't grateful...(I think, anyway) that they feel they deserve it b/c they work so hard, or whatever. I don't feel I deserve anything. I feel like I am given things (right place, right time theory), both by my hard work and the kindness of God. I feel sorry for people that get caught up in the things without being grateful. I knew one person at one point in my life that had so much STUFF that this person never truly appreciated anything (I think, anyway). Everything was just there for the taking. and always would be. And I realized at one point, that I NEVER wanted to be like that. I am truly grateful that God put that person in my life so that I could learn that lesson. I know that was the whole point of that person being in my life at that time....now I realize that. Everything happens for a reason, and hopefully, you learn and grow from it. Even if tomorrow, we didn't have any things, I would still be happy that I have my family, my heart, and my life. I would be sad that I don't have my nice, big fridge....or my minivan, but I would still be grateful....