A new member??

Since the moment I found out Jack was going to be a boy, I have felt deep in my heart that we were destine to have just one more. However, this thought was not mutual. Kev wholeheartedly felt that we were done with a capital D. There have many conversations, fights, teasing and begging over the last 3 years, all the time Kev has held steady, as have I. So this year we took to prayer and fast. I haven't received an answer, even though I pray for guidance on this subject everyday. well after yet another "conversation/fight" on Wednesday I went to bible study on Thursday with baby number 3 on heavy on my mind. It's amazing how things happen. As others were talking about Ephesians, my mind wondered and I wrote down a prayer in my notebook asking for a sign and for His guidance. Within about 5 minutes of writing down this prayer, the study topic turned to someone talking about her daughter who is expecting and has 3 boys. She was no doubt stressed to the max worried that it would be another boy. At hearing this, anxiety swept over me as I thought about being in her situation. What stress that would bring to me. I would love a baby boy with all my heart, but it would be a lie to say that I wouldn't be upset that it wasn't a girl. Do I really want to put myself through this? Moments later the conversation turned to children again, this time adoption. Adoption you say? All of a sudden a feeling of "of course" came tumbling down. Could this be the answer? We had talked of adoption before, but i always wrote it off. I had convinced myself that i wanted to be pregnant again and go through the 9 months, feeling the baby kick and move. And there is a part of me that does, but do i need to? Remember, with Mason and Jack, the end was not so smooth. I had pre-eclampsia with both. It's rare to have pre-eclampsia two times in a row, but if you do, it increases the chance with subsequent pregnancies. Do I really want to risk that? Do I really want to put my aging body through another pregnancy? I have been so fortunate to skip stretch marks and weight gain. Do I want to try my luck again?
Then there is Kev. For him, the idea of having another infant is his worst nightmare. Unlike me who adores the infant stage, he finds in difficult and unbearable. Plus he sees the light at the end of the tunnel with the boys. He can take them places and do things. You add an infant, all of a sudden you are stuck at home again...from his perspective. Per him it all comes down to time and money and we don't have either...from his perspective.
With this new found revelation, I asked some friends who have adopted how to get some information. They directed me to an agency in Spokane. I called Kev to tell him I found us a solution. We could look at adopting an older child, about 12-18 months old. And to my astonishment he said that that might work! So when he got home that night, I broached the subject again. And again he was on board, he said he thought that was a good idea and that we should look into it! Thank You Jesus! I never thought we would ever agree on anything when it came to having more children. God had a plan the whole time! Next comes the hard part...actually doing it.

The Last Laugh

So recently my boys have been testing potty words. Not the F bomb or anything too obscene, but things like peepee and poopoo and stupid. I have warned them that they would get soap in their mouths, and I can find soap anywhere no matter where we are, plus I always carry purell, so don't test me. Well, they did and I had to follow through. So we went into our bathroom and I took Jack first, inserted the bar of soap and he spit and gagged, which was the reaction I expected. Then it was Mason's turn. I did the same, soap in. However, my clever young 5 year old, gagged and gagged, then dry heaved then pucked. Remember, we are in the bathroom so the toilet is RIGHT THERE! However, he decided to throw up 6 inches away from the toilet from a standing position. So needles to say I spent the next 3o minutes cleaning up vomit with bleach in every corner of the bathroom, then did it again the next day just to make sure. All the while mason's sitting outside the door commenting on how mommy had to clean up his vomit and it's everywhere. I couldn't tell if he was merely commenting or heckling me from the doorway, but in the effort to save face, I tried to turn it back to him and said "you didn't like throwing up did you? Guess there won't be anymore potty words used in our house". Needless to say I did not get the last laugh that day. BUT.....there haven't been any potty words this week.

faster please!

If you know my kids at all, you know there is never a dull moment. both say the funniest things at any given times. So most recently on our way home from vacation at Stoneridge, we stopped in Ellensberg for a break. While we were there we of course used the restrooms. But as we were leaving Mason needed to go one last time. I agreed to go wait for him while Kev and Jack went to the car.
After about five minutes of waiting, I started to worry that I had missed him and he had gone to the car, but a gentlemen came out of the men's room and remarked not to worry, he was in there singing. To this there is no surprise, Mason loves to sing all the time, no matter what he is doing. Another 5 or so minutes went be when he finally came out, my little man in training. I asked what took so long to which he replied "I tried to sing to make it come faster, but it only worked a little". who knew.

Bow head and walk away...quickly!

By far the most embarrassing mommy moment to date. It was a beautiful day and Mill Creek Town Center was having a spring treasure hunt, so i took the kids. However, when we got there, it has just ended, soooo we decided to go to the park. As we drove there, we passed our house and asked the boys if anyone needed to go potty, to which both said no, i said, are you sure, they said yes. So to the park we went. You can imagine how busy the park was on a nice spring day. We had been there about five minutes and jack and mason were playing. I was watching mason with jack to my left when i heard laughter. I looked over at jack and horror swept over me! He had his pants to his knees, leaning back with his hands on his hips with a mellow yellow stream escaping from his lower region. Of course he had an BIG smile on his face. I immediately gasped and ran to him telling him to stop his flow, however, he couldn't or wouldn't, so i had to let him finish, otherwise he would have been covered in pee. I profusely apologized to the multiple parents around me, picked him up and exited quickly while praying i would never see any of those people again! Oh my what will i do with this boy??
Thank you daddy Kev for teaching him such a useful skill....

concrete thinker

Jack busy playing with his trucks...."your stupid...no your stupid"
Me, "Jack that is not a nice word, we do not use that word in our house"
Jack, thinks quietly for a second "can I use it outside?"

The true definition of a concrete literal thinker!

venting is good for the mind

I know I shouldn't be writing tonight because I have had all my buttons pushed tonight by all the boys/men in my house this week, therefore, this post may have a bit of a slant to the negative...
Mason, what are we going to do with this kid! He has always been my difficult one. You would think by age 5 i would have him figured out, but just the opposite. I just don't know what to do with him. It's like he doesn't hear our voice at all. You tell him to do something and he does the complete opposite. A few weeks ago he had done something that made me upset. I got at his level and spoke to him in a very stern voice while holding his arm and the first break in my sentence he butted in and asked if I thought the birds would come out today. OMG what am i to do. This week has been especially bad. He has landed on red 4 days in a row at school. In the entire school year he has only been on red once. and now he has been there 4 days in a row. He got punishments and talking to's the first day and everyday since. Last night he even had a playdate and a hockey game taken away. I thought for sure that would put him into shape, but no, red again. so tonight i took away a concert this weekend and he had to go to bed after dinner while Jack stayed up to watch a movie. This seemed to actually affect him. maybe he needs to feel the pain right then and there. maybe if i took him to the concert or the hockey game and then made him leave then he would understand how much his punishment sucks. I just don't know what to do. I worry so much about him. I'm concerned about what he will be like as a teenager. he just never seems to listen, he is in his own little world and he will do what he wants to do.
At least they take turns. Jack has really had a pretty good week. He has found a new founds love for the barney song I love You. He wants me to sing it over and over to him and cradle him like a baby while i do it. I guess I've found a new found love for that song as well. The days of cradling him, making eye contact and singing him are fewer then I would like and are most likely going to be fading away fast. I just wish i could hold onto these moments forever.
We have a big weekend. We are take down one of the walls in our bedroom to add some much needed light with some windows. I hope it won't put us in the pit. We've only gotten a rough estimate of the cost, so I'm a bit nervous.
Well hopefully we will have a good weekend so that we can start off the week right and put last week behind us.

Sweet Jack

There was once a time I couldn't imagine Jack being anything but perfect. Perfectly mannered, perfectly happy, perfectly sweet. Then he hit the tender age of two and my sweet little Jack started pushing buttons, biting and hitting his brother, screaming and throwing tantrums every time he didn't get his way. But because God is good, sweet Jack makes an appearance at least a few times every day, especially in the morning. And I just know I will get my sweet Jack back for good some day. Most recently we were getting ready for school and he came up and started hugging my leg at which point I picked him up and gave him a hug. He pulled back and looked at me at said "I love you sooo much, you are such a good girl" gave me a kiss and another big hug. Almost made me cry. Thank you God for these moments.