Much needed Vacation... for Sam!

This past Friday was our 'worst day' in terrible two's history. I am baffled about discipline (again). I am consistent (for the most part - come on, chasing two little ones around is tiring, and I just can't muster the strength to take Sam ALL THE WAY to his room EVERYtime!!!), which I know will pay off at some point... but WHEN???

By noon on Friday, Sam had been to his room at least five times, and had at least that many spankings. Part of this was due to my new-found motivation to 'nip this in the bud.' I can tell him "no," and he's right back at whatever it is while looking at me out of the corner of his eye... and smiling! My tactic has been not to threaten something I'm not willing/able to follow through with. But, I am thinking that I need to start MAKING myself able (i.e. situate Jake where he's safe while I discipline). Sam is strong-willed and likes to push the limit no matter what he is doing. I get that, but there has to be boundaries! Welcome to the world of the terrible two's (and I hear 'three's' just get worse!!!!! YAY!!!! :)

Mimi and Pop Pop were planning on coming Friday afternoon and taking us to dinner, so it was GREAT when they got here. THEN, they said they were talking on the way here and were wondering if they could just take Sam home with them!? I agreed....... it will be good for Sam to get some one-on-two attention and a break from Mommy and Jake. He still isn't home!!!! He actually will be home later today. I miss my little guy - even if he is a challenge sometimes. It's really not ALL the time (thank goodness)!!!!

Jake has enjoyed his quality Mommy and Daddy time too. He is a typical 15-month-old. Discovering new things around every turn. He's a great sleeper (except when he wakes up at 5 AM to poop... but he goes back to sleep until 8:30!!!!)

He LOVES to be tickled. He will be walking (or running) and just throw himself down on the ground (lovely in public places) and roll over waiting to be tickled. Then he just screams and giggles!

Jake still loves his Cheerios. We're not going through a box a week anymore, but that is only because we introduce VARIETY!!!! He loves to feed Stormie from the table. He thinks he's so slick dropping his hand down by the chair then dropping them. Too bad before he even moves his hand to the side, he's yelling, "Uh, Oh!" Kind of a clue there! I started 'tapping' his hand (because I was actually playing with him then realized that probably wasn't a good idea... too late!) and telling him "Bad boy." Now he says, "Uh, oh!" drops the cheerio (or food), then smiles and spats his hand and says, "Bad boy." WELLLLLLL...... it's pretty cute! Guess I'll work on that later. For now, I laugh (on the inside, of course)!!!!!

Jake runs around saying, "Mommy, Mommy" constantly! I love it! I can't believe he's talking so much already! I'm glad, though. I like communicating and not having to guess what he's trying to tell me! PLUS.... that little voice is so precious! I love to hear him babble on and on. And believe me, he talks all the time!!!!!!!!

Well, Sam has been busy with Mimi and Pop Pop too. He has ridden his 4-wheeler, ridden the mule, fed Rooster (the horse), unloaded all of Pop Pop's tools in his shop, flown Pop Pop's airplane (and almost made him sick), eaten Waffle House, made at least one Wal-Mart trip, gone to Albany, built a big wheel, ridden the big wheel, ran over Mimi's truck, been to the Albany zoo (it's called Cheehaw..... :), and pretty much done whatever he wants. Think he'll be ready to see Mommy?

OCD Moment...

So the kids are growing up so fast! I get in these little moods where I want to write down everything they do and say because I don't want to forget ANYTHING! Yep, some may call it OCD... I tend to think of it as ENJOYING my children - for years and years to come!?

Anyway - here are a few funnies/stories OCD Mommies like me wouldn't want to forget:

• Sam wakes up around 6/6:30 (6:45 is AWESOME) these days. He usually comes into my room and watches T.V. while I doze a little more. Then, I get in the shower, I get Jake out of bed (who has probably been awake for 30 minutes or more), and go downstairs for breakfast. One particular morning, Sam was hungry earlier than usual and READY to go down. I always tell him he has to wait for Mommy to get dressed, and I craftily put that off until after I have my make-up on. He kept telling me to "get dressed, Mommy!" and I would tell him "after I get my make-up on." He looked up at me and said, "You don't need make-up Mommy, you look beautiful!" Awwwww...... if only I thought he actually meant it!
• At least a few times a week, I have to explain to Sam exactly WHY we cannot go outside and tee tee on a bush. "But Mimi lets me," is ALWAYS his argument!!!!!
• I spilled (just a little) coffee on the carpet yet again. BJ came down and was shaking his head at me (of COURSE it HAD to be on a Saturday!). All the while, I was saying, "the kids jumped on top of me!!!!" BJ didn't seem to believe me so much - something about past precedent... Sam looked at him, pointed his finger at him and said, "It WAS my fault, Daddy!"
• When we got our Christmas tree back in it's box, BJ picked it up to carry it downstairs (mind you the box is bigger than BJ), and Sam looked up and said, "WHOA!!!! WHOA!!!!! WHOA!!!!!" Over, and over, and over.... BJ thought that was the coolest thing that Sam thought he was so strong (which he is ;)
• BJ was playing with Sam and grabbing Sam's leg, asking if this is where the horse-y eats corn (a typical tickle game in our house), and Sam looked at him and asked, "Well, then where does the cow eat hay?"
• Sam is so funny in how his mind works. When he wants something, he'll say, "I just wish...." The funniest of late is when I was rinsing his hair in the tub. He said, "I just wish I didn't have ears." (um, why?) "because then water wouldn't get in them!" Good reason, but NO!!!!
• Sam usually tells me he is not tired or doesn't want to go to sleep for his nap (typical, but he usually does really well... except today when he woke up at TWO!!!!) The other day as we were going up, he said, "Let's put Jake to bed, then Sam and Mommy can go to the farm!" (We didn't, by the way!)
• Onto Jake... he is talking so much - and he knows some colors too! Amazes me daily! He says 'please' (pees) and 'thank you' (tanks) at the appropriate times. He loves his shoes (soos), his water (wadwa), and he has no problem telling me "no, no, no!" He also answers my questions, usually with "I do," or "I don't know." And they're REAL answers, not just words to him! Fascinating! He also LOVES to talk on the phone. Any chance he gets, it's "Hewo?" So cute! So many others I can't think of right now!
• Jake LOVES his Daddy! Anytime Stormie barks, he is running to the door yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" When he wakes up in the morning and after nap, he is asking for "Daddy?" What am I, chop liver? It would appear as such... for now!
• When Jake takes a sip of his drink and he's really thirsty, he'll take the sip, look up at me and go, "Ahhhhh..." So funny! I think he's looking for my laugh!!!
• When BJ washes his feet, Jake will tell us he's "Happy! Happy! Happy!" Never gets old!
• Sam and Jake are playing together better and better. Jake can't hold his own quite yet, but Sam is getting better (sometimes) about not clobbering Jake! That's a win for me!

So, there it is.... the stuff I can remember today! I am ready for warmer weather so I can take the kids outside to play. The days get long in the house ALL the time! And for Pete's sake, so we don't have to wear SOCKS! They both take them off CONSTANTLY!!!!

Pictures...

Alright already!!! I just haven't 'been feeling it' with blogging and adding pictures. And to upload this many pictures, you HAVE to 'feel' it! So, whether I feel like it or not.... here are some of my latest pictures!

Getting them to pose together is a futile effort! But I try...

It appears to be more like torture....This just made me laugh - I had no idea BJ was snapping pictures! Just a day in the life...We got our (wonderful) neighbor to come over and take a picture of me and BJ before his company Christmas party.

Christmas #1... Sam's back there helping put things together... we actually just let them open some presents early so we didn't have to bring them back from my parents' house (smart, huh?)

Christmas #2 with BJ's side of the family...We have entered into this century!!!! We now have a flat screen T.V. I think we are the last....Brandon and Mandy... they got engaged over Thanksgiving and will be getting married in October! We're so excited to have Mandy (officially) in the family!!!! She is absolutely beautiful and is just as beautiful on the inside!!!!Opa and Ernie (her name is Inny, but Sam started calling her Ernie when he couldn't say Inny, and it has stuck.... we think it's cute!!!)

Our happy little family of four...

The whole fam... they'll thank me for this one day --- I think!!!!This is the 'damage' Sam had done to himself when he didn't nap and decided to draw with a furniture pen all over his room!!!!!

Sam and Jake went to Mimi and Pop Pop's while we went to BJ's party...Sam has been pedaling for quite awhile now.... I hear that's somewhat of a 'milestone'!?Sometimes, you just have to turn on the T.V. for them.....Again, trying to get them in a picture together...

Yup... told you! (Daddy's hand is right there on the left catching him!)We got a good one!CHRISTMAS.... the table...Opening ONE gift while we waited to open all the gifts... don't ask why! Five minutes to a 2-yr-old can be like five HOURS! For the parents!!!!

Present time!

Sam's stack...Jake's stack.... he couldn't exhibit self-control, obviously!!!Jake had more fun sitting on the boxes!Bo, Jen and their baby!

Rocky was growling at Jack because Jack was under the tree getting 'his' treats!!!Putting stuff together for the kids!

This doesn't do the mess justice... it kinda got cleaned up as we went this time!Waiting to go down to see what Santa brought!Can't wait anymore!Seeing what Santa brought them...'Jake' got a ball pit! LOVES it!

Hee hee hee!Take it OFF!Awww.... a Christmas morning to remember!

They got SO hot, so we just let them run around shirtless!

And then Jake was "happy" running up and down the foyer!?Bo and Jen... aren't they cute?

Us with the grandmothers...Jake just needed someone to rub his belly... he was SOOOO full!!!!Taking the trash to the dump... in style!

OK... I did it! Whew! Three hours later (literally), and I have pictures on my blog! Still not 'up-to-date' but this will do for now! The house is still dirty, the laundry still isn't done, the kids are running wild (and are hungry), and dinner hasn't even been thought about; but by golly, we have pictures!!!!!