Hodge-podge

I feel like I have a million different blog posts I could do, so I thought I would put them all in one.

Today- I got to go to the zoo with a sweet friend from church- we had a BLAST! This was the first time in a while for Parker to go and Beckham's first time all together. Parker was so into it. We got to feed the giraffes which was the COOLEST thing of all. They usually charge $5 and you get 3 pieces of lettuce...however today they had closed the feeding due to misty cool weather. WELL, due to our sad and pathetic response the guy let us come back and feed them!!!!!! Seriously.....we got to go back for FREE and give the giraffe as many pieces of lettuce!!!!!!!!!!!! MAN, that was SO COOL! Then, we went on a carousel ride and went looking at all of the animals that we could. FUN! I loved spending that time with my boys!!!!

Can you see how EXCITED I AM....I was living in UP!!!

Tonight I had already put my boo bear to bed after a sweet time of rocking him and then Parker and I went in to the living room to watch Polar Express before he went to bed. Lately we have been enjoying our Christmas traditions so much!!! Last night after dinner I bathed the boys, got them in their pj's and then we got in the car and went looking at Christmas lights...Parker was in my lap as we SLOWLY drove around our little section. Parker was having the time of his life and you could just see the JOY on his face and could hear the JOY in his voice!!! Filled me up to the BRIM with JOY getting to have so much FUN with my boys!!!! Anyways, tonight as we watched Polar Express I was just LOVING that quiet time snuggled up next to my Parkerman......just priceless....staring at his little feet that don't reach the end of the couch...SO wonderful.

So what are my boys like now....Beckham, my sweet boo bear is 14 months old and Parker is 2 months shy of 3!!!!

Beckham- went through a SUUUUUUUPER grumpy stage that I just didn't think I was going to survive. However, I feel like he is on his way uphill in that department. I can actually stand up and walk around without him panicking and sometimes...not all of the time...I can go to the restroom without him screaming! ha! BUT, he is sooooooooooooooo STINKIN CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, that little boy......he is just so cute I could eat him up!!!! He is SO CUTE even when he is wining!!! Anyways- his little face and the way he smiles and walks and laughs....I seriously could just stare at him all day long! He still only has 5 teeth and only says a few words....mama, dada, uh-oh and hi! He runs around like a wild man...he doesn't really like TV....he gets into EVERYTHING...he puts WHOLE toilet paper rolls into the toilet and thinks it's great....he loves playing chase....he loves getting into his big bubba's toddler bed....he squeals with delight when the puppies come out of their kennel into the room...he eats dog food and LOVES-HIS-BATHTIME! He's a picky eater and loves his pacifier. When life is perfect he gets two naps a day- but usually he only gets one with Parker. He's also great at helping clean up toys!

Parker- oh my sweet booger bear. Still my little baby boy. I can't believe he is almost 3- my sweet baby. I still love snuggling with him- as he likes to snuggle too!!! He is talking up a STORM....all the time all day long talking, talking talking....and if I don't respond, he just repeats louder and louder and louder and louder and louder and louder.....until I do :) He loves his little bubba, however, is way to rough still....he is excited about everything in life and always asks me "was that FUN, MOMMY???". Hehehe, it's soooooooooooooooooo cute!!! He LOVES driving his powerwheels and mowing with his bubble mower. He LOVES going to parks and LOVES looking at Christmas lights. He loves to "help mommy" with cooking and....well....anything by getting up on his stool and jumping right in. He is SUPER afraid of the dark and has been going through hard sleep times because of it. He loves to pray before his meals and at bed time and he loves to do Bible study with mommy. He has 4 memory verses Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 6:1 and Psalm 119:10. He is in AWANAS Puggles (I am his teacher) and doing great. He loves to sing and listen to music and he loves to play the guitar. He also loves his Abby Boo....for a while she was sleeping in bed with him to help ease his fears. He loves having sword fights and chasing and being chased around the house.

I pray everyday for my boys- I pray that they grow in wisdom and stature and favor among God and man...I pray that God would produce righteousness and peace through my discipline and I pray that they would know, love and serve our Lord and Savior with all of their hearts!!!!! PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIFT OF RAISING MY BOYS!!!!!!

The looney house...

"Mom, Beckham is driving me CRAZZZZYYY!!!! I think I am going to have to check myself into the looney house". This is the conversation I had with my mom last night. My sweet Beckham...who has stolen my heart...is driving me CRAZY!!! As I sit here typing this I am laughing- because here is a baby that I can't help but to squeal with delight when I see him....and yet I squeal with delight when I put HIM TO BED! LOL....oh that stinky boy. I cannot go from a sitting position to a standing position without him freaking out and crawling over to my legs crying - and holding on to my legs so tight that I can't go anywhere without picking him up! haha, oh this boy. As long as I am sitting with him and either playing with him or watching him play he is happy as a CLAM and CUUUUTE CUUUUUTE CUTE, but if you cross him by leaving a room without him in on the action....whoa doggies....there is a different side of him! ha! Anyways, my mom and I are talking and she is telling me about one of my cousins who has 4 kids...4!!!....and her youngest (whose name is Beckham too by-the-way!!!) is 2 and she has to hold him all of the time too. I suddenly realized...hmmm...this is just life with kids. I need to stop whining about my little high maintenance baby- because I have 2 kids...she has 4!!!! This is just a phase...he will not scream like this forever....he will not need to be held forever....and I need to remember that when I look back on being a mom- I am really only going to remember those precious smiles, and laughs and snuggly times I have with him and not the constant crying and neediness of him. As FRUSTRATED as I get- when I force myself to sit and think about it, it really is precious that he just wants me...and it really does soften my heart that I am his place of comfort!!!! How endearing is THAT?!?! I....his mommy....am where he wants to be....in my arms is his place that he calls home and that really does make me look at it differently. Then this morning I was doing Bible study and over and over again I just kept being brought back to how "giving thanks" is God's prescription for so much in this world. When I am at my looney level with Beckham- I need to stop and give thanks....give thanks that I have two healthy boys...I have a home to sleep in and be comfortable in...I have A GOD that I can trust my life to....and the list gets longer and longer and eventually I can't help but PRAISE GOD and not feel any frustration with anything!!!

Anyways- I adore my boo bear so so much. I would give my life for him- he is my little sunshine....but sometimes....a LOT of times....he makes me CRAAAAAZY....but now, I have a plan...I have the key to let myself out of the looney house and lock it up for life. I am going to be thankful...thankful for anything and everything I can think of- and I am going to trust that this is just a season....I will survive!!! (totally have that song in my head now!)

Love you Boo Bear!!

Things I loved about today...

-I loved letting Parker "ride mommy's back" around the living room after dinner.
-I loved getting to rough house with Beckham for the first time!!
-I loved getting to rock Beckham and sing to him while we stared into each other's eyes until his eyes finally got too heavy to hold open
-I loved getting to excitedly ask Parker if he wanted chocolate cake and him getting just as excited saying YA!!!!!
-I loved it when Beckham brings me a book and wants me to read it to him...yet wants it back after I have only read 2 pages!
-I love it when Beckham brings me the Star Wars lightsaber toy and wants me to open it for him and gets SOOO super excited when I do!
-I loved listening to Parker pray before bed..."Dear God, tanktou my go night-night...eh-eh-eh...tanktou mommy go night night...eh-eh-eh...tanktou bubba go night-night...eh-eh-eh...tanktou mommy daddy go night night....eh-eh-eh....ABEN!!!" and before dinner..."Dear God, tanktou for my pood (food), tanktou for mommy's pood, tanktou for bubba's pood, eh-eh-eh....ABEN!!!!!"
-I loved watching Parker and Beckham pushing their lawn mowers around the front yard....it's SOOOOO cute
-I loved having Parker ask me to rock him tonight and just getting to rock this big almost 3 year old...he's so big and so FUN to get and try and cuddle with in his rocking chair...I LOVE IT
-I love that my boys want to be with me....I love that they would MUCH rather be with me (and daddy too of course) than anyone else...it is really easy to get frustrated when they scream and cry when I leave them with childcare at church or at the gym, etc...but ya know? When they are old and could care less about being with me- I am going to miss these days!!!

I am in the middle of cooking dinner for Blake and I...the boys are in bed....and I had to stop and write this down...my heart is so FULL and I needed to get it out before I forgot! I love this life! :)

Boring post

So, if anyone reads this post, you might just save the time and move on! ha! I was cleaning out a drawer in my kitchen and I found written instructions for a babysitter when Parker was around 2 and Beckham around 4 or 5 months old. It was fun for me to read it, because in just 6 or 7 months so much changes! Anyways, it's boring for anyone but ME to read, so sorry! I just needed to blog it so that when I go back and read I can enjoy remembering their little schedules :)

Parker:
After breakfast- Parker probably won't need to eat. If he stands at the fridge door or the pantry door you can give him goldfish, Nilla wafers, or a nutrigrain bar. (or whatever you see) :) If he asks for "juice"- give him his milk (green sippy with blue lid) or water. If he stands at the counter by the stove asking for something- it's a banana. He won't need a nap- you can do whatever you want. If you want to go outside & Beckham is asleep his baby monitor is on the counter by the bananas- just unplug and it has batteries & you can take it outside with you.

Beckham:
1 hour after he wakes up- he will need a nap. Put him in his swing- buckle the belt around him, give him his pacifier & get the brown blanket out of his crib & let him wrap his arms around it & snuggle his face in it. Turn swing on high- turn his box fan on high & shut door. :)
Eating:
6am- he ate
8-10am- whenever he starts grouching give him a 4 oz. bottle- if he still seams hungry after that give him another half-1 oz.
-then 2-3 hours after his bottle he will need to eat again (I might be home for this feeding)
-I will put frozen milk in the refrigerator freezer on the top shelf- just get what you need and leave the rest frozen.

I don't like this game!

So this morning Parker wanted to play on my bed- so we jumped up there and were playing and then Parker said "My go night-night"- so I said "Ok, mommy will go night-night too!!". So he got cozied up in my bed- I covered him up with my sheets, per his request, and then he got up and turned the radio and light off and got back under the covers and laid down....oh MAN!!! I was hopeful this was for real...as I laid my head down and was feeling a little piece of heaven, I hear, "WAKE-UP!!!" from Parker who had jumped up and turned the light back on and the radio back on....haha...we did this for 2 or 3 rounds....I've decided I DON'T LIKE THAT GAME! hehehe....gotta love that stinky boy!

The small things....

I'm just sitting here, sipping coffee watching my sweet boys play. I had to sit down and write this down, because I am in the moment...I wanted to remember small moments like this as they are sweet memories. They are so fun to watch because Beckham is sitting letting Nika the boxer dog lick his toy and Beckham will lean over and try and look at Nika's face...so intrigued by her and her big ugly face :). It's so fun to sit on the floor with music playing and dancing and singing with our little instruments with them. It's so fun to sit on the couch with Parker arm-to-arm with a toy and having him ask me "Is this fun, Mommy??"...Yes baby....this is so fun, spending time with you and your bubba...being silly and playing. We are doing nothing this morning...just being. It's special- I love it. OH, and before I end- Beckham ate dog poo today....it's a first- had to write it down :)

SWWEEET Moment

Today, I was doing some Bible study while the boys napped and I heard Parker's door open and then little soft foot steps and then I looked to my left and there was my sweet Parkerman standing there looking at me- he looked at me with a tentative look- and when I got a huge excited smile on my face and said "Hiiiii baby!!!!", he got a huge excited smile on his face and came over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist and just huuuuuuuuggggggged me. THAT was such an unexpected WONDERFUL moment as I am usually the one that initiates all the huggin' and kissin' and to have him just come to me and wrap his arms around my waist....OHHHH....it was heaven!!