The Circus

What a BUSY weekend we had... Friday was Monkey Joes (only because the kids have been begging for weeks and weeks!) and dinner with friends that night... Mimi and Pop Pop babysat! Saturday morning we were off to the circus (that got snowed-out last week) and then back to Atlanta for Melissa's birthday party that night... Emily babysat for us! And Sunday was church then off to a baby shower for me (not FOR me, but meaning JUST I went)! Sunday night, Sam didn't eat dinner and fell asleep on the floor --- he was THAT worn out!!!! It was busy, but it was FUN busy!!!!

Here are some pictures from the trip to the circus... others to come later!

Walking into Philips...

Down on the main floor in the middle of all the action! The kids needed higher vantage points... Thank goodness Uncle Bo was there with his strong shoulders too!!!

Sam really WAS excited... I promise! He just got this dazed look once we got there - and maintained it the whole time!?

Jake was Jake... his excitement showed - and he NEVER stopped talking! One of the circus performers...

Trying to get a smile out of Sam...

An Asian Elephant... up close and personal! (A little useless trivia - the gestation period of an Asian Elephant is 2 yrs.... makes our 9 months seem a touch more bearable!?)

Fascination...

In our seats... ready for the show... (Here is the perfect encapsulation of their two TOTALLY different personalities!!!!)

And the popcorn...

Oooohhhhh the popcorn...

They ate two boxes... BIG boxes! They didn't stop the whole 2 hours of the show!!!

The famous Elephants!!!!

Both kids got a circus toy, and they have been 'playing circus' nonstop! They change everything and everyone into all kinds of things! It's constantly "ZING, ZANG, ZOOOOM!!!!" (The magic words at the circus!!!) If they had their way, Stormie would be a giraffe, and BJ and I would be peas..... don't ask.....

Snow Much Fun on ValentiMe's Day!

Before Valentine's Day, we had some fun excursions...

Here we are at the CHD Awareness Celebration! Jake got his picture made with the Gladiator (as in hockey... there was a game afterward) mascot - who started running away with him. He was happy to return Jake to mommy when Jake started crying because he didn't like moving away from me!!! Good boy!!! Needless to say, Sam was going nowhere near this guy!!!

But he would talk to the cow (who, ironically made him scream and cry just by looking at him the first time he saw him a couple of years ago!!!!) And Jake took a trip to Mimi and Pop Pop's. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you're Mommy), he missed mommy a lot!!!! This was his main reason for being so upset when we 'separated'!!!! And as you can see, he wasn't TOO heartbroken!!!Still up to his same tricks...

Sam and I signed his Valentine's... well, my big boy actually did it himself!!!

Jake's still 'making do' at Mimi and Pop's... Back together... I actually think they really missed each other... and up to their old tricks! Now they're BOTH writing Valentine's!!! Do NOT take the marker from Jake!!! We're OK now... Sam's human bridge that Jake tried out...

Sam made a special ValentiMe cake for all of us to enjoy...Then... it SNOWED... A LOT... especially for Georgia!!!

We're ready...

Even Stormie took a (short) stroll in the snow!

Sam and his friend Mark from across the street...

The gloves are off... The whole fam came out for the fun!!!

Now time to warm up by the fire...

I think Sam was tired!?

And then movie night (Sam's favorite) with all three of my Valentines!!!!!It was still beautiful the next day too (even though it post-poned our fun circus plans)!!!

Sam says... Happy ValentiMe's Day!

Jake says... Happy Bow-es-times Day!

Any way you say it... I hope it was as fun as ours!!!

*** Sam is still trying to figure out how we can put the snow in plastic bags with ice packs in the back of the truck and bring it all back to our house!!!***

Ode to Melissa

'They' say that you only have one or two best friends in a lifetime... I have been extremely blessed by a few of those; my mom and dad being one, and a couple others that have been there for me through thick and thin. They're the ones that no matter how long goes between talking, you can always pick right back up where you left off and you know you will talk to them again... they are those life-long friends you will ALWAYS have!

Melissa is hands-down one of those friends in my life. We met in college and have been friends ever since. She was my maid of honor when I married BJ... and not only was she in my wedding, but she contributed to it being one of the best times of my life! We got to spend so much time together that weekend - we laughed and talked for hours!!! She left the morning after my wedding for a mission trip in Slovakia... the rest of her group left the week before, but she post-poned leaving so that she could be a part of my wedding... and not once did I hear about her sacrifice. I didn't even realize she left after everyone else until way after the fact. That's true friendship!

She was there when I had both of my children... I think she was our first 'non'-family visitor when we had Sam! She even came and sat in the waiting room at Children's when Jake was in surgery. All day. She was one of the few 'non'-family members that got to see Jake while in the CICU after his surgery (and can say she has seen his heart!).

We have laughed together and cried together. We have held each other up through heart aches, and heart breaks. No matter how different our lives are, we know that we have each other. Whether it's 2:00 in the morning or 2:00 in the afternoon... and we have had those calls!!!

Well, Melissa turns 30 today... speaking from experience - she can get ready to fall apart!!! ;-) How exciting to enter into a fresh new decade together! 30 is the new 20 - We're going to have a blast! And I KNOW that the 30's are going to hold lots of special memories for my sweet friend ;-), and I can't wait to be a part of them!!!

Happy Birthday, Melissa!!! I love you!!!

My Tall Tale

So the saga of life as a mother... in the trenches... continues...

Thursday was early release at Sam's school, so another mother and I met at McDonalds to treat the kids to lunch. We order, get all of our condiments, get the kids settled and eat a little bit. Being the closet germ-o-phobe mommy that I am, I pulled my anti-bacterial wipes from my purse and wiped the kids and the table where they would be eating (we just got over pinkeye and some kind of stomach thing)! Jake told me his tummy hurt and I passed it off as him copying his brother (who was sick a week and a half before) - and I figured he was trying to get out of eating so he could go play. They played a little on the playground. Jake came down and wanted Mommy because his tummy hurt again... I picked him up to comfort him and he promptly SPEWED... ALL OVER himself, me and McDonalds' floor.

All eyes on me... great! I set him down - he kept puking. I made the (somewhat futile) effort to catch the vomit in his shirt. At this point, I'm gagging because it was on my hands and arms, my legs, and my boots (my brand new UGGS :-(. Jake was covered head to toe as well. I got his shirt off, but didn't go any further. I got the chunks off his pants. It all felt like slow motion. I honestly felt like once I put him down that I just stood there staring at him... with a look of "uhhhh... what do I do???" My friend went and got someone with a mop to clean up the floor. (I honestly hope they came back and did a better job, but the lady pretty much pushed the puke - and chunks - around on the floor... then took her pukey water to continue mopping around the restaurant. I'm not joking!!!)

Everything was such a blurr... but somehow, between me and my friend (who had FOUR children of her own), I got my kids and our stuff rounded up and ran out of McDonalds - with my tail between my legs! Sam had to walk without holding my hand - he started going the wrong way in the parking lot, but THANK GOD he is exiting the 'terrible' part of his 3's (i.e. he listens much better now)! I had Jake (covered in his coat, no shirt on, and both of us still covered in puke), Jake's booster seat, jackets, purse, etc. Sam carried (I mean drug) my coat for me! I (finally) got everything into my car, which again, was not an easy feat since Jake was screaming, and the mini van next to me decided to park halfway in my space. But we finally got the heck out of Dodge!!!

It will be awhile before we go back to that McDonalds!!! I DO remember that I had a small coke with me (to help Jake), but that got left on my bumper, so it is somewhere between McDonalds and my house!

What an adventure - and a day! I got the kids home, bathed and in bed (that sentence made it sound much simpler than it was!!! Sam wanted to discuss and ask questions about everything under the Sun... why do you want me to stay downstairs? Why do I need to be quiet? Why can't I get in the tub? I want to put on my jammies... you get the idea! I finally just put Sam in the tub to play - and keep him from under my elbow - while I got Jake settled and in bed!!!). BJ came home before they woke up from their naps to help. My knight in shining armor!!!

You know it's bad when I have no pictures to commemorate an occasion or story... but here are the innocent, but victimized boots that I am so fond of... we're hoping for a full recovery...

I remembered later that evening that I had forgotten Jake's shoes.... I went back up the scene of the earlier destruction to run in and get them. I looked in the shoe cubby holes --- nothing! There was one family sitting there, and the dad pulled the shoes from the chair beside him and asked if they were what I was looking for. Mmmmm... quite interesting... he said his son found them... and his son was just about Jake's size... BUT, regardless of their intentions, I'm glad I got there JUST in time to retrieve the shoes!!! I'm sure they were going to take them up to the counter once they were done!!!

Friday found Sam, Jake and myself at the doctor... AGAIN! Mimi and Pop Pop came to save the day and help us all get to doctors, naps and food. We all have antibiotics now, so maybe this three weeks of sickness is OVER!? Lord willing!!!

I'm ready for Spring...

Isms...

I've read that 'kids say the darndest things' and I know it's true! My kids crack me up on a daily basis! I love them so much, and I don't want these funny moments to pass me by. There's no way I can remember them all to even blog about them, but I tried to remember as many as I can... some of it just has to stay in my heart I suppose!!

Sam-isms:

1. Getting ready in the morning: "I'll tell you what I want. I want a comfy shirt and pants. No scratchy, coller-y or button-y. Just comfy!"
2. When discussing what to have for dinner: "I just want to go to a restaurant that's not our home."
3. About everything: "That's dicalous [ridiculous]!"
4. When I ask him what he's doing (when it's not good): "I can't know what I am doing!"
5. When his pen 'slips' off the piece of paper he is writing on: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to write on the table like that!"
6. Sam went ahead and 'planned' his birthday party for me. He built ice cream cones, birthday cakes and toys and candy out of blocks. Such a good helper... and I heard what was going on every tiny step of the way!!!
7. About his pet monster in the basement: "Shhhh!!!! Beez Bee is sleeping!" (He MAY have been refering to Jake here... not sure!)
8. Sam is playing T-Ball this Spring. My dilemma was wondering if it's too early? Is it for me or for him? Will he even care? My answers: Yes, Yes, and No. But we're doing it anyway! He'll be on a team with two of his friends he plays with a lot, so that will make it more fun for him... errr.... me!? He (BJ and I) were so excited that we ran out to Wal-Mart (with Mimi and Pop Pop, who are just as excited and made the purchases for us ;-) and got all of his new gear. When we got back in the car, I asked Sam if he was excited to play baseball... his answer: "What is baseball?" We have some work to do here!!!
9. About the piece of skin that was hanging on his lip that I pulled off: "Don't pull that anymore Mommy! It is part of me. That is how God made my lip!"
   

Jake-isms:

1. When he falls: "I o-tay!" (I'm glad he goes ahead and tells me!!!)
2. About pretty much any food: "That's yummy!"
3. Anytime Sam's around him: "Bubby did it!"
4. All the time: "I wuv you!!!" (Sooo sweet and endearing!)
5. Anything he does or sees: "That funny!"
6. His way of getting back at Sam: "You have poopie eyes!" (while laughing hysterically!)
7. His favorite book that he asks for before bed EVERY night: "Moo La Baa La La" (Moo Baa Lah Lah Lah)
8. His latest enjoyment: jumping off of everything... absolutely everything! The fireplace, the couch, toys, his picnic table, you name it! His latest was the arm of the couch..... he walked with a slight limp for a couple of days! I'm trying to stop this jumping craze!?!?!
9. Jake gives the BEST squeezy hugs... and they're out of nowhere. Melt my heart!
10. While helping him tee tee: "Me do it Mommy!" And again when I put my hands back on him to keep him from dribbling everywhere: "Me do it! Your fingers TOLD [cold]!"

That's what I have for now... of course there will be more!!!!!