The roots go down

and the plants go up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

A few weeks ago I had this idea to start a garden with my boys. I wanted to teach them things about plants and how to eat healthy (because we miss that one) and make wise decisions about the things we put in our bodies but also about how wonderful God is and how we started off as a little seed that need to be taken care of and about how to nurture something and about mother nature....all at the same time!!! So I set my sights on the dollar isle at Target and got some much needed gardening supplies (they were really cute!!) and some seed packets. After talking entirely too long to the lady in the garden department about when the best time to plant and what to plant when, I decided it would be easier to get seed pods to start the seeds in and then transfer them. When I came home i was very surprised when two very dirty but excited boys came running out mumbling about their new garden. My husband had tilled some dirt in the side yard (5x7 maybe) and was ready for me to sow some seed...hahahaha!! He decided the dirt was more like sand than what he had thought so I took my little car to ACE and bought cow poop...yep cow poop, organic right!!! We have been going out every night to see the growth of little lesson plan. I was amazed that the plants started to grow. We are working on trying to put them in the grown but I am afraid that I will kill each and every one of them. I will keep updating pictures and how they are doing. I cant wait to pick my own veggies...maybe the boys will eat them!!!

Its puke time!!

Well we are not more than a month into winter 2 days ago my youngest son (not yet 2) woke up about 11pm crying. I could hear the distress in his cry (the type of cry no mother wants to hear...ya know the one) and I knew something was not right, in fact something was very very wrong. I went to his door and the smell hit me before I could even open the door. I was still unsure of what was wrong until I got closer to his crib and stepped in the warm slushie mess with my bare left foot. In dismay and still unsure of what had happened I stumbled through the toys that covered the floor to turn on the light. When I turned to look at him I could see what had taken place, in the dark of night, that had my baby boy scarred. There was vomit everywhere.....on the bed, the floor, the toy box, the dresser, the walls, under the bed and covering my baby from head to toe. Being alone in the house with sick baby and my sleeping 3 year old I was unsure of what to do. So I put on my big girl panties, picked up my little guy that clung to me, as if he were going to fall into a trench and ever be able to climb out, and went strait for the phone....where was my husband, why was he not home and when on Earth would he be walking through the door. When he didn't answer and Carter James vomited on ME the only thing I could do was hold my baby and start a bath. He was not in the tub for 5 mins when I had to drain the water because, you guessed it, the vomited again....right in the tub. The only thing I could think of was this was way easier to clean up!! The vomited clean into the night but fell asleep in his own bed after I was able to clean it up and put fresh sheets on. He came bouncing in to my bedroom the next morning with a fever and a smile. I could see he was feeling better but he only wanted to cuddle in be with his mommy. Just as I got comfortable and almost asleep my eyes popped open and as quick as i could I ran to the bathroom. I made it just in time to vomit all over the lid of the toilet seat (that I had to clean up). I had the bug...what every it was. Carter James and I were in bed ALL day and all evening. He seamed to bounce back just as quickly as he became ill. I on the other hand was only getting worse and about to die (i am always about to die) I could do nothing but sleep and vomit, vomit and sleep. I woke up this morning feeling 90% better...not the best but much better, thinking God that the worst was over. Then the worst hit...and it hit hard. About 11:00 Am my husband told me he was not feeling so good. Then, for the first time in our entire marriage, I heard my husband vomit...not long after...my 3 year old was vomiting. This has truly been a rough 2 days. There is nothing like a sickness that comes on suddenly and goes away just as quick. I find myself thanking God that this thing only last 24 hours or so....I have about 12 hours of vomiting. Pray for us!!

Cute Words I wont correct!!

At 3 years old Jackson can read site words and write his names but still has trouble mixing up some words. The teacher in me corrects him on most every miscue but the mommy in me lets him say a few words incorrectly just because they are cute.

Opticopter - Helicopter

Gotfor -Forgot

Flutterby - Butterfly

Gugglebum - Bubblegum

Locked out!!

I have learned a very valuable lesson today. It all started when I took my parents dog out to use the potty. The boys were sitting in front of the TV watching Caillou...very entertaining to them. I thought I heard something at the door but did not pay much attention to it because what could they possibly get into while i took the short 20 steps back to the house. EVERYTHING is the answer. As I pushed the door open it clanked and I ran right into it, face first along with the dog. I looked in the small 2 inch crack in the door and saw Jackson and Carter both on the bench beside the door.I looked up to them and that is when I was it. The chain on the door was latched. I panicked. They don't make keys to unlock chains. And it was no ordinary chain lock...it was a maze lock. As hard as he tried, Jackson just could not get it open! So I remembered the extra key to the back door on the porch...I ran to the back door after instructing the boys to meet me there so I could see them at all times. I jerked open the cabinet and my heart sank to my stomach when I saw the place where the key was supposed to be was empty. I would have cried but Jackson was scared enough and I had to hole it together. I asked Jackson to get my cell phone and hand it to me through the crack in the door. He did!! So I called my hero, the answer to my prayers, the man with all the answers...my dad!! He did not have a key to the back door and had no clue where the extra one was. Once again I panicked! The next best thing to my dad is...thats right my mom! So I call the school and had her pulled out of her weekly teachers meeting for an emergency phone call (not such a good idea to tell them it was an emergency, she was panicked running down the steps at the school to get to the phone. She told me to just kick the door open and call her back in a few mins. Why didn't I think of that, kick the door in...that was easy. After the first two or three kicks, I realized that I do not have a TV prop door and it was not going to just fall over and play dead. It had been almost an hour that I had been locked out away from my kids and I had not set my eyes on them in a few mins. I looked around knowing that all of my neighbors were working and expecting no one to be home. To my surprise there was one garage door open a few houses down...some one that we knew well. So, with dog in tow, I ran down the street to the open door and he was standing in the garage very shocked to see me. He looked even more shocked when I asked for a saw zaw, and then the look of panic when I told him that the boys had locked me out of the house via chain. He ran down to save the day and in about 30 seconds the door was open. Praise the Lord for good neighbors. Needless to say, the boys and I had a very long chat about not playing with the door locks..ever!!!

Home School

The new school year is upon us and the teacher inside me is trying to get out like a caged animal. I have decided to "Home School" my oldest (Jackson). He is 3 and not able to go to VPK until next August. All children are different and I don't think there is any specific age that ALL children are ready to start school or start learning for that matter. I feel that Jackson is very smart and needs to be stimulated by structured education. That being said, I went to Sam's Club and spent about an hour looking at all of the books, work books and teaching tools they had set on a table. After looking at all of the materials I picked out the ones I knew best. I bought a full curriculum of Pre-K work books from American Education Publishing (a company I know well). I chose this set of books because of the many different skills they focussed on, such as basic skills, reading/writing readiness, math readiness, step by step instruction and recognizing patterns. All of these things are state standards for the VPK program in Florida. These books follow the curriculum maps set by the state as well. I have a set schedule for Jackson to follow and each day we will be doing "school" at the same time and place (our kitchen table). I know he is ready for school but I want to make sure he is prepared. My goal is to have him tested for early kindergarten next year. He will be able to start kindergarten at 4 years old at a local private school. Wish me luck, I will be posting updates soon!

who ever said change is a good thing....

never meet my boys. I have made life so much easier by keeping my boys on a very strict schedule. we wake up, eat breakfast, have play time, snack, have home school, lunch, nap, snack, play time, dinner, more school time, bath, tv for 30mins, and in bed by 8. we do the same things at the same times every day...they have gotten used to it, the expect it. but today my husband and I had to run around town (with the boys) ALL day. They were so cranky it made me want to hide behind my shopping cart. I love having they on a routine but some days it bites me in the butt. they need structure but how much is too much? Any deviation from the above mentioned schedule makes my angel boys turn in to the children of the corn. Is this normal for kids to be so dependant on a routine?

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Carter James and the bedtime bottle fight

I have a 19 month old baby boy that still sleeps with a bottle, only at night and only 1/2 full of the glorious white stuff he refers to as moomoo. Puts him to sleep every time. I have been hesitant to take it away because.... well, lets face it, it helps him sleep! I know "the book" says they should be weened by 12 month (I'm a little behind) due to the development of their pallet and the way their teeth grow. I have been monitoring his development and he seems to be fine. The reason I am blogging about it is this; I was at a party with a few other moms that had children my boys age. One mom had a 7 week old baby with a very tempting bottle of moomoo. Carter James walked over to the baby and acted like he was going to kiss him but he took the moomoo and ran for the hills. As I explained he still got a bottle at night the other mothers looked at me like I had six heads and the worst mommy in the world....I just wanted to die! I just don't feel he is ready to let it go all together. Any constructive advise would we awesome!!