P.S.

6/7/1012 7:59 am.

Thomas, tired from having woken up early after going to bed late, was whimpering at the top of our small two-step landing.

Me:  Thomas, come here.  Would you like breakfast?
Thomas:  I can't walk the stairs.  I can't even jump.

Thomaxisms....

The things Thomas and Max say.  I tell myself I'll remember, but I won't.  And now I will.

Every day -

Thomas:  I want to watch Fireman The Sam (his favorite show, Fireman Sam).  We don't know why he calls it that.  He just does.  It's just his Thomas brain.

 May 11, 2012 -

Thomas:  I'm just saying- if Adam doesn't watch what I want to watch he is going to his room. Forever." - words of a three year old to his nine year-old brother.

But Adam made up for it later...

May 23, 2012 -

Thomas:  Guess what? Adam maked my tummy doesn't hurt again.


May 28, 2012 10:30 pm

To our surprise, an awake Thomas comes down the stairs and declares:

Thomas:  Daddy, I don't have anything to do in my bed.
Michael:  Uh, GO TO SLEEP.
Thomas:  But, I don't know how to sleep.

And the next night, he comes downstairs again and the conversation goes like this:

Thomas:  I don't know how to sleep.
Michael:  Yes you do.  We just went over this last night.
Thomas:  But I forgot.

June 1, 2012 -

Frankie wasn't putting the TV show on that Thomas wanted to watch (Why, Fireman the Sam of course).  He wasn't happy.  His response to his 18 year-old sister (yelled emphatically),  "Frankie, you are driving me CRAZY!" 

Thomas is very attached to Fireman The Sam.

June 2, 2012 -

Max: C'mere! C'mere! C'MERE!
Michael: Who are you talking to?
Max (looking up at our two-story entry way to the ceiling): My balloon!

This was followed by Michael and Max jumping off a two-stair landing attempting to catch said balloon.  Daddy managed to grasp it.  Max exclaimed, "Hoo-way!"  Then he took the balloon from daddy and promptly let it go.

And, as of late... when you ask Thomas if he's done something wrong (and he knows he has) he simply shrugs his shoulders.


For example:


Today, Thomas and Max were supposed to be napping.  I went upstairs and found that Thomas had pulled every single folded blanket and sheet off of the shelves of his closet and took all of Max's clothes off the hangers and put them on the floor.  He also took all the books out of the book basket and spread them all over the floor, along with the blankets off of his bed and Max's bed as well, as Max's sheet (all while Max was still in his crib because he (thankfully) doesn't yet know how to climb out).  


Me:  Thomas, this was very naughty.  Did you do this?
Thomas:  It wasn't MY fault.
Me:  Thomas, You did this.  Max is in his crib.  Did you do this?
Thomas - lower lip jutted out, palms pointed up... shrugs his shoulders.

But here's the best part:

Me:  Thomas you know you did this.  It is very naughty.
Thomas:  I'm sorry.

Sometimes, the sun peeks through the clouds and you KNOW that they do learn.  Tender mercies.

May I have this dance?

As beautiful as Frankie looks, it is seeing how beautiful she feels and seeing a twinkle in her eyes that truly makes this day so special.

This free digital scrapbooking design generated with Smilebox

Dude, where's my car... (keys)

We're finally starting to have nice weather and Thomas got to go outside and play.  One of his very favorite outside toys is a Little Tikes car that he hasn't really been able to use this winter because the ground's been muddy and/or snowy.

We sent Thomas outside and a few minutes later, he came back in looking dejected.

Thomas:  "I can't find the keys to my car!"


Me:  "Well, would you like to use my pretend key?"

Thomas:  (enthusiastically) "Yes!"

Mimi:   (family friend who is staying with us)  "Did you look on the dashboard?"

Thomas:  "Yes."

Kristin:  "And they're not there?"

Thomas: (sadly)  "No."

A few minutes later...

Thomas:  (SIGH) "I lost my pretend key to my car."

Hey Adam, what's for lunch?

Adam is required to pack lunch the night before.  Tonight, he decided that he wanted to make tomorrow's lunch extra special.  So he packed his lunch, and wrote himself a special note.

"Eat all yer spageti for a supri (too hard to finish on this part so I'll write it one line below) surprise!"

The surprise?  Frigo String Cheese.  Man, I love this kid.

A long time comin'...

I know it's been FOREVER and a day since I've posted, so here's a quick one for today with more to come later this month...


Thomas:  "Mom, you bought new butt paste!
(He's referring to Bodreaux' Butt Paste - a diaper rash ointment)
Me:  Yes, I did.
Thomas:  "That's so kind of you."

-----

Last night we were having a lesson on how each member of our family is like the cars on a train.  Dad is the engine - it's his job to lead the train and pull everyone along.  The kids are the cars, and they help carry the load of the family, and the mom is like the caboose, making sure everything gets done on time by pushing forward.

Adam pipes up with the following observation:

"Yeah, and we all better do our part because if something happens to the engine, the caboose will have to find a new engine pretty fast."

-----

Last night, Frankie was kind enough to change a very nasty Thomas diaper for us.  She thought she had cleaned it all up but Rhea (aka Aunt Mimi, our friend who is staying with us) kept smelling poop.  She finally realized that there was some poo streaked on the couch and that she had somehow gotten it all over her pant leg.  As she went upstairs to change, Adam commented, "Everything gets ruined when you roll around in poop."

***

Until next time...

Merry Thanksmas

It's a big month.

Max turned two.
Frankie's about to turn 18!
Christmas is coming.
And part of me would like to skip straight through to March... except for one thing (and for that, you must read on!)


I usually love winter, but when winter brings expensive car repairs, holiday overload, birthday overload, and turning 40, let's just say part of me wants to jump several months ahead.

Nevertheless, we are blessed.  We are so very, very blessed.

We have four relatively healthy children (coughs aside).
Michael loves his work and has the most understanding boss and kindest co-workers ever.
After nearly 20 years of marriage, I am even more in love with my sweetheart.
I have AMAZING friends.
I have a new business buying precious metals (which I am excited to grow).
We have a lovely home (which you are all welcome to visit, just not all at the same time).
Our cars are running (or will be shortly).
We have a fantastic extended family who are always there when we need them most.
We are free to worship as we see fit.
We are free to express our opinions and educate ourselves and our children.


And, this cold, busy, crazy, hectic, snowy holiday season brings one important thing:  a Christmas Elf named Flummox, gifted to us by our dear sister-in-law, Michelle.  Who knew a doll could keep my kids so in line? (for more info, visit www.elfontheshelf.com)

But more than everything listed above, this is a season of peace.  No matter what your religion, the peace of this season is undeniable.  This is that time of the year when good will and selflessness reign.  Whether you celebrate this season for the same reason I do, (namely the birth of Jesus Christ), or simply because of the cheerful heart and spirit of giving that comes to your home,  the pervasive feeling is that of kindness and thoughtfulness.

Amidst the busyness, the noise, the gimmes, and the commercialism that this season has come to be associated with, I offer you these powerful words from a gentle man of God:

"If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments."

-Howard W. Hunter 

To be continued...