Punkin

Look at the size of this "Punkin" Papa brought us. It is huge. The kids love it.







Today I am going on a field trip with Callan to Gentry's Pumpkin Patch. I love Gentry's Pumpkin Patch, so hopefully I will have more to post later.

Concrete

This is Concrete:




Concrete is very difficult to move in the mornings. Especially from the bed to the floor. Concrete spends a long time "Setting Up" enough to get any clothes on. This morning Mommy has had enough dealings with Concrete. Concrete also has developed a new attitude that does not "set up" well with me. Concrete even went so far as to act like he was going to take a swing at me this morning when I made him angry about getting a move on it. Bad choice for Concrete. I had hoped to pull the "Concrete will now go to bed 30 minutes earlier card", but unfortunately Concrete's brother has a ball game and we will not get home to meet that 30 minute earlier bed time. I am getting so tired of the morning routine with Concrete. I am worn out with the repeating myself to "get up", "get dressed", "brush teeth", "get socks", etc. I have tried to just walk away and make him take care of everything himself (which he does not like to do) and he came downstairs with the front of his hair soaking wet and slicked forward and the rats nest in the back went untouched. I could not let go of that and let him go out in public like that. I am at my wits end, and do not know what to do to motivate my Concrete. In the time it takes him to even get out of the bed, everyone else is up, dressed, brushed and ready to go. I am done with it...any suggestions?

Things I have tried (do not call DHS on me)

1. Every time I have to tell him to get up, bed time moves up 10 minutes for that night. (Our M-W is so busy that most times we are not home before 8 or 8:30 and bedtime is 8 around here)

2. Every time I have to tell him to get up, awake time moves up by 10 minutes (for when we have late ball game nights, but then it just punishes me because I have to get up earlier)

3. Spraying with water bottle (bad idea- but it worked)

4. Yelling- frustration took over and then I just felt bad.

5. Taking away privileges (like the DS, or Wii, or our night time Mommy and Concrete only Chapter Book time)

6. Phone call to Daddy.

7. Walking away

Today's post brought to you by the letter S

SNOTS
First, sorry I have been a bad blogger... as Silas would say (besides a busy life here lately) I have had the SNOTS. Just when I think I am getting rid of it, it rears its head again. It is wearing me out.

SILLY SOCKS
This week was S week at school and we got a note home yesterday that today was Silly Sock Day. My crafty mind wandered and I created in my head what would take hours to do... and since I had plans last night, I knew I could not. Brent was at the Tar-jay and I told him to pick up some silly socks. Callan LOVED them.



SECOND grade SECRET love notes
Baylor got his first love note yesterday. Actually 2, and I am not happy about it. Sure it is all sweet and innocent, and he was all red faced and embarrassed. But boy the girls are forward in 2nd grade. She was straight and to the point. I covered up her name because she wrote it and then scribbled it out (but you can still read it).




SLEEVES
Silas is so excited about getting to wear long "sleeves" shirts and long "sleeves" pants. He has been waiting all summer to put them back on again. He finally feels "home". However, he did not enjoy all the SWEAT he was creating while playing at the park in the 85 degree FALL weather. Good thing he had his back up PJ's waiting for him at home.

Shiver Me Timbers

Last night was one for the memory book. As in, scare the crap out of mom and dad, do we go to the ER memory book.

It all started as any normal night. We had a fun family night due to baseball being cancelled and were enjoying a little family Wii bowling. (How did I come in last place? Anyway...) Little Miss Liza Belle was getting quite cantankerous so we went off to bath and bed a wee bit early. Everyone one else went to bed at normal time, but woke her up in the process. I went in to check on her because we are offically pacie free now for 3 days (she only had it at bed and nap)and wanted her to know she was okay. She went back down easily and I went on about my business, and finally turned in for the night. Around midnight, Eliza was crying just a little. Since she is new to the self soothe without a pacie I let her fuss for a few minutes. When I realized that she was not going back out on her own, I went in to tell her that this was not going to be the new thing... waking up all night long. When I got to her she was shaking uncontrollably. Not the "I have just had a nightmare pick me up because I am scared shakes", but she was shivering uncontrollably. Because I was still half asleep, I held on to her for a minute and realized this was not letting up. I stood her up in my lap still shaking crazily... BEGIN FREAK OUT.
I ran (holding her) downstairs to wake up Brent and asked if he noticed anything wrong. Brent is not the easiest fellow to wake up and after her adjusted himself to what was going on he too was alarmed. I knew that this could not be a seizure becuase she was looking at us just fine, I was asking her questions and I think she answered or at least pointed, and Brent said she smiled at him. But it was really freaky. I took her temp and it was low if anything but she was still shaking uncontrollably. I took a big blanket and wrapped us both in it and laid down wrapping my arms around her too all while asking Brent if I needed to call the doctor, or go to the ER, or wake up my neighborhood nurse friend Sonja. Brent ran and got the Tylenol and we just held her for about 20 more minutes (questioning our parenting and wondering if we should just go to the ER)... and it stopped and then she asked to go back to bed.

This morning it was if nothing had happened. All was well, but not knowing any of her birth family's medical history, I thought a call in to the doc was still in order. They thought a quick "looksee" was appropriate. We headed off to Cool Springs and she checked out just fine. I was told to watch her and if this happens again, we will have to do some testing but that it was probably just her body's way of fighting off the fever she may have been trying to get. And those words you love to hear after a $30 copay and 20 minute drive to the doc... probably just a virus.

History and Manners

On Friday, I spent the entire day with Bay's 2nd grade class at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna. We had a blast checking out all things interesting in the times of the Civil War. I watched in amazement as the people showed the kids what it was like to wash clothes in the 1800's. I watched dreading my own 10 loads of laundry that I was skipping out on at home. BUT THEN, I got home and my mom who had stayed with the little kids had done ALL our laundry and was working on dinner. I am still smiling about my laundry-less baskets. (although they are filling back up quickly)

Saturday, while Brent, Baylor, Callan, Nommie, Gandie, Silas and Eliza spent the day at the baseball field, I was doing something ENTIRELY different. It is how I have spent this weekend for the past 5 years. I was teaching little girls in 1st -3rd grade manners at a girl's conference. It is called Confidence iN Christ and it was started by my friend Terra. She invites girls from 1st-8th grade to spend the day talking about their lives and what is important to them. She teaches them that their confidence comes not from what the world tells them but from what Christ tells them. That because our Lord is King and we are his children, his daughters, then we are princesses. The girls are crowned and get to have fun in all these classes that reinforces who they are in Christ. Different age groups have different sessions and they range from Health, Manners, Prayer, Purity, True Beauty, Worship and More. If you live in the area, I encourage you to bring your daughters (and there is stuff for Mommy too). You can get more details here. I have to add too that our local news anchor was the guest speaker this year, and she did an amazing job. I was a little "Fan-struck" because I have watched her for years as the local anchor and know what a wonderful woman she is both on the air and off. I wish I were brave enough to get a picture but I was afraid I would look like a stalker. I did get a picture of her with a group of the girls, but I wont post it here because some might not appreciate that.

I was so exhausted from my day as a princess, that yesterday... I TOOK A NAP! That is between church... and church. But it was NICE!

This week... Carpool, Baseball, Baseball (yes 2 nights in a row) Butterfly release, and MORE!

Favorite Foto Friday

This picture was taken back in June... but I just received it last week. I love it. It is of the Gregory family clan. My brother, his wife, and son live in Destin and the rest of us live here. We do not get to see them that often, but we love them with all our hearts.

Picture Day

Yesterday was picture day at MDO. I figured by the time they got there their hair would be a mess (we are trying to overcome a haircut malfunction) or they would have gotten something all over them. So I propped them up outside for a few before we left for school. My two babies, they grow up so fast!





And my favorite... Silas is the sweetest, most compassionate, loving, sensitive 3 year old I have ever met (at least where his Sissy is concerned).