The Wheel's Keep Turnin'

Wild Hair!!

2009-12-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Self,

I'm sure any followers I have (or had) of this blog gave up on me long ago, but I got a wild hair today and decided to write a little nothing.

I really don't have much (or anything) to say, I just thought I'd come by and wish myself a Merry Christmas!

I LOVE Christmas so much. I love having my babies at home (although my daughter won't come home from her Nana's); I love the decorations; I love Jesus; I love it all!

This is the last Christmas we will spend in this house and, although I wish it would sell, I am thrilled to be here. This house is so warm and cozy and it is so fun to "dress up" for Christmas! I am grateful to have had the experience of living here and making the friends we've made in this neighborhood.

That was our Christmas card picture. I decided to go for the comic factor this year.

So civilized

2009-07-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Lindsey spent the night with a friend last night, as did 4 other friends. Personally, this sounded like a recipe for disaster to me. That many girls, an odd number, peace seems out of the question. For years, every time Lindsey would go to a slumber party, I would ask her, "Were there any fights?" I have since quit doing this because she always said no. Somehow, as we have raised these politically correct little beings who are never to say anything controversial or disagree with anyone, they are more civil.
This was not the case in my day. EVERY time someone had a slumber party or any party, for that matter ... there was a fight. I actually narrowly escaped being sent home from a party because I was having too much fun with my best friend and not paying enough attention to the birthday girl ... at a party with like 20 people. Come on! I'm still a little bitter about it. Anyway, my best friend and I were seperated and that made the birthday girl happy and we were allowed to stay.
The most raucous of fights though, was between these twins I grew up with. They would get into a huge fight at every party. We are talking hair pulling, scratching, clawing, biting fights and we were at least 8 or 9 at the time! It was amazing and mesmerizing in a sick kind of way. As much as it freaked me out, I had to watch. And it totally went against everything I believed in. My brother and I never fought. My dad would not stand for it. He later told me that to see the two beings that he had created and were part of him fighting and acting like they hated each other broke his heart into a thousand pieces and he couldn't take it. At the time, he just said, "You two, cut it out", very calmly and seriously and we did.
So, all of this fighting was truly a novelty.
Not for Lindsey though. It is now 3 o'clock and she has been with these 4 girls since 7 o'clock last night. When I pick her up she'll just say that everyone had a lovely time.
Dang!

Happy Birthday Bubba!

2009-03-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Trey's 6th birthday. He was born at 7:28 a.m. by emergency c-section after being diligently monitored all through the wee morning hours. After finding, then losing his heartrate numerous times through the "night" and eventually having it slow to a life-threatening rate, the decision was made to get him out immediatly.
He was born with his umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck three times with his tiny fists clutching the cord and pulling it from his neck. It seems that he helped his doctors save his life. He weighed only 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and although, I could never get anyone to confirm this theory, it seemed that he had lost weight in his last hours/day in utero. He had a compressed cord and should/could have had all sorts of neurological or developmental issues, but he didn't. He is our miracle boy (twice over) and I adore everything about him. This is a great day!

Just Back Away ...

2009-02-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

I drove to the gym the other day after dropping my older ones off for some intense educating. Tyler and I mosied on in to "work out", I dropped him off at Kid Zone and was ready for a little turbo kicking action!

I managed to survive 50 minutes of cardiac arrest, I mean cardio-vascular activity, and I was ready to pick up the little man.

I walked in to the childcare area as was enthusiastically greeted by, "Mommy!" I was immediately suspicious. First, this sweet voice did not sound quite like my son's; second, my children tend to enjoy their "me time" and usually don't run to greet me. My friends tell me that means I'm a great mom ... they're so independent, they say. I'm not so sure.

Anyway, it was not my son, after all. It was some other child, who, by now, was wrapped around my leg tightly. Now this peaked Tyler's interest.

He looked over and calmly said, "That's my mommy".

The kid (His name is Toby, I later found out)didn't budge, he said, "Mommy, let's go home." He was so sure that I was his mom, I felt obligated to take him home.

Tyler came closer and said, "That's my mommy" and begun opening the little exit gate. Toby just tightened his grip upon my leg and intensified his pleading stare into my eyes.

Finally, Tyler came over and gave the little dude a nudge and said, "That's my mommy. Now go play!" He grabbed my hand and said, "C'mon Mommy. Let's go."

(Come to find out Toby's mom and I were dressed exactly alike and do resemble one another. Sadly, that whole incident did irreparable damage to my relationship with little Toby. Fortunately, his mom went to pick him up as I was leaving. She later told me he just looked at her confusedly.)

Two good boys

2008-12-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

Each day after school the first thing Trey says to me is (usually), "I stayed on green today!" His teacher keeps a conduct chart and green is good, yellow means they received a few warnings, and so on.

Last Thursday, when I picked Tyler up from pre-school I asked him if he had a good day and he said, "Yeah. I stayed on green."

Tonight, when Tim got home from work and asked Tyler how he was, he again responded with, " I stayed on green!"

There is no conduct chart in the 2 year old room at preschool and there is certainly no conduct chart here at home. Turkey!

Those Wearing Santa Hats ... Beware!

2008-12-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

My boy discovered Santa last weekend and he was pretty freaked out by him. Yet after many, many attempts he never sat on Santa's lap, but he did give Santa a robust hug as only my little man can do.

Apparently though, he thinks he and Santa are big buds and he is eager to greet Santa with a big 'ol hug each and every time he sees him. Unfortunately, just wearing a Santa hat makes you Santa in Tyler's world, even if you are a very small toddler. My boy has now flattened two smaller children (keep in mind ... most children under age 4 are smaller than my 2 year old) whose mothers made the unwise decision to have their babies don Santa hats this season.

It starts out innocently enough. He kneals down and says, "Hi Santa! Hi! Santa? Hug?!?" and down they go.

It must be noted that Tyler's big brother took full advantage of our many attempts to warm the little man up to Santa. He has now told Santa everything he wants and even things he could probably care less about. He just couldn't be wasting all that face time with the jolly dude.

The Babes

2008-11-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

Go to kimnielsenphotography.com/blog and scroll down to the second entry titled "Brrr Cold" to see some sweet kiddos.
My girl is such a good sport. She is just beginning the teenage days and the bad attitude gremlins take over her little self from time to time, but she is so awesome when I need her.
She was so helpful during this photo shoot and as the title suggests, it was freezing and so windy. She helped her brothers and made it and amazing experience. I am so blessed to have such a sweet little girl.
Kim, my friend and our photographer played a part too. :)

My Dear Friend

2008-11-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

I have a very special friend named Stephanie. (You can see her here: estesboys2.blogspot.com). She is just about the cutest thing you've ever seen. She has filled my days with smiles since I first met her.
She used to oooh and aah and go crazy over my little Trey-man when he was a toddler starting pre-school. I would walk him by her classroom (she taught ... she was not in pre-school) and she would just melt over his funny, little, chubby, somber face. I found this so amazing because she has her own little (big) boy the same age. Even so, she could appreciate my little guy's cuteness.
Then, once Tyler was born and oh my, was he ever large, she adored him as well. She would hold and bounce and love on my big, big disgruntled baby for hours without ever complaining. She gave him so much love and put up with his ever-present moodiness.
Oh, and let's not forget Miss Lindsey. She was her Sunday school teacher for a while (which was actually a technicality because we hardly ever made it to church that year) and she would offer to come pick Lindsey up and take her to church. Stephanie lives right by the church ... we do not ... she was willing to go WAY out of her way to get my girl to church.
Ms. Stephanie is a sweet, Godly person and I am so proud she has touched my children's lives ... mine too, for that matter.

Rules for dating my daughter

2008-11-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

Granted Lou is not really old enough to "date" yet, but I love this post from jillshalvis.com/blog about it. Cracked me up.

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you’d better be delivering a package, because you’re sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter’s body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes to big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of you date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I’m sure you’ve been told that in today’s world, sex without utilizing a “Barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: “early.”

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don’t you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing,holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to introduce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camoflauged face at the window is mine.

Your Opinion Please

2008-11-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Howdy Y'all, I mean You:

I am sad to report that it is about time for my baby boy (almost 2 1/2) to mosey on into big-boy-hood and get out of the crib. His baby room is quite baby ... pastel yellow, blue and green with frogs. I want his big boy room to be more masculine, mature and sophisticated, so I need your help.

Should I go with firetrucks, airplanes (or Up-planes, according to my little dude), Cowboy, or any other suggestions. Sports is already taken by big brother. I was slightly leaning toward cowboy because he has a print of a frog dressed in his cowboy get-up in his room now and I thought I could keep it. However, their shared bathroom is frogs and I could easily move it to the bano if necessary.

Opinions? Please.

Girls and Boys

2008-11-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Autumn Leaves are Falling Down,

Yellow, Green, Red and Brown,

Twirling, Twirling to the Ground,

Silently without a sound.

My Lindsey could recite this poem precisely when she was 2 1/2 (except she would say "silent leaves" rather than "silently"). Her baby brother, who is now 2 1/2 can not yet tell you his name.

You may not have heard this before, but boys and girls are very different.

On another note, sometimes I hate being an English major because people assume I know what I am doing gramatically. For instance, I have no idea whether you are supposed to capatalize all of the words of a poem or not. I think not, but it looked better that way.

2008-10-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

I saw this on another blog recently. Since I've been in quite the blog funk lately, I thought I'd try it out. You should too.

35 Odd Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? HATE it
2. Do you own a gun? no
3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? Oh, I really don't do Starbucks. I usually get either the white chocolate thing hot or the mocha frozen thingy (don't even know the size. those sizes are too confusing)
4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? water or orange juice
5. Do you do pushups? Sometimes. Clearly, not enough.
6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My beautiful watch Tim got me for my birthday 2 years ago (he gave it to me in April and my birthday is in June. He was so excited. He couldn't wait!)
7. Favorite hobby? I don't know
8. Do you have A.D.D? No
9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I have a hard time making true friends.
10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I sure hope Obama doesn't win, My husband got something from Fed Ex, Tyler fell asleep fast today
11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. Dr. Pepper, Water, Coke, Sweet Tea
12. Current worry right now? Is my boy going to figure out how to get off the bus at a stop that is different from his usual?
13. Current hate right now? the economy
14. Favorite place to be? Commerce, TX ... is that insane, or what?
15. Do you like to travel? Sort of. I love the idea of gettting away and relaxing, but the whole process stresses me out.
16. What color shirt are you wearing? Orange
17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Not sure. I have never really slept on them.
18. Can you whistle? Yes.
19. Favorite color? blue
20. If you could, would you be a pirate? Wow. No.
21. What song do you sing in the shower? I rarely burst into song in the shower. I am usually saying, "No. No. Don't open the door till Mommy gets finished."
22. Favorite girl's name? Lindsey
23. Favorite boy's name? Trey and Tyler
24. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing
25. Favorite bedsheets as a child? Bambi
26. Worst injury? I fell down my front steps carrying a kitchen table while moving and jammed my big toe. It wasn't that bad at the time. But it still bothers me daily, nearly 10 years later
27. Do you love where you live? No.
28. How many TVs do you have in your house? three
29. Who is your loudest friend? Holly

30. How many pets do you have? nada
31. Does someone have a crush on you? I doubt it.
32. What is your Favorite Book? To Kill a Mockingbird
33. What's your favorite candy? Reese Sticks
34. Favorite Sports Team? Dallas Cowboys
35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why is Tyler crying?

Little Bitty Man Love

2008-10-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I had this squooshy little dude in my lap and I just couldn't quit squeezing him and kissing his fat little heavenly cheeks. I even lightly rested my head on his soft little head with feathery white hair. He smelled like sweet little Wheeler baby. Yum! (My kids have all had this same scent)

You see, I'm a bit blue today. I am "in charge" of this group of young moms and they are not happy. Everyone seems to want different things and I am not giving it to them. That bums me out.

But my little man with those cheeks cheers me up and makes me feel oh so successful ... at least in his eyes.

"Maam, Could You Please Just Read the Schedule"

2008-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Lordy, Lordy. My precious little angel is doing great in volleyball. We have found a lovely girl on our street to watch the boys so that Tim and I can go to the game and actually focus on the action. All is going swimmingly!

Tonight, our sweet sitter arrived, received instructions, and we departed with plenty of time to see the game and even catch a little of the B Team game. So, off we went ... all the way on the opposite side of town to Cain. It is about a 15 minute drive, but we were still doing ok. When we arrived, there was a lovely choir having a presentation .... but no volleyball. Lights out on the court people.

So, off we went to our school (by the way, if the eighth graders are playing at home, the seventh graders would be at the away campus). After another 20 minute drive back to the other end of town and our school, we got out with just enough time to see our girl play. Ahem, she was not there. Her crazy mom did not read the schedule and was sure she remembered lots of talk about playing Cain. We play Cain next week. My girl was in Wylie tonight and I missed it.

What the heck?

Cool Rule!

2008-09-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

My boy had a funky fever illness this weekend. Started running fever and ran it for 24 hours. At bedtime tonight, he felt perfect. This means that since he still had fever this afternoon, I get to keep him home with me tomorrow! Children must be fever-free for 24 hours before they can return to school. I LOVE this rule today. I have been missing my little man so much since school started and I get to hang out with him all day tomorrow.
Alright, that's all folks!

It Just Keeps Getting Better

2008-09-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I got together with my high school girls the other night and it was amazing. We were celebrating another little one born to one awesome mama. Let's see, I think that makes 20 kiddos among us ranging from 13 years to 3 months. What a legacy!

It seems that each time we are all together, our bond is so much stronger. I'll be honest, there was a time a few years back when I was nervous and unsure of whether or not I wanted to attend our little gatherings ... I mean, take a look at all of those beautiful women. It is understandably intimidating. Fortunately, all of that beauty goes much deeper than the surface and all of these girls are amazing.

Each one of these ladies are amazing wives and mothers, but we all still have that bond from our youth inside. I love it that I can be so real with these girls. I am so thankful that they are all in my life.

Who'd a thunk it?

2008-08-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Probably anyone who knows me and my computer skills.

Here's the deal ... I can't figure out where to put the little photo card in my new computer. I do not have the manual because it's technically Tim's laptop for work and all of that stuff is at work. "Have him bring it home", you might say. Oh, ha ha, you are so funny.

So, I'm still waiting to download our summer of fun.

Okey dokey then ...

Not quite yet

2008-08-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

I composed this message earlier in the day and I have pondered posting it all day. It's kind of serious and I don't like to be all that serious most of the time, but the following really hit me and I felt like I should post it. But, then again, I don't like to be serious, especially on this blog where all kinds of people come to be entertained. Then I remembered that noone reads this blog and I decided, "what the heck." :)

I still have not gotten around to the whole photo show I am planning, but I read something on another blog, http://www.lotsofscotts.blogspot.com/, that really intrigued me.

It said,

"Comparison is the thief of all joy."

Wow! Did that ever hit me. I have been so guilty of this for years ... comparing my kids to other children or each other, comparing my husband to my friends' husbands, comparing my parents to my friends' parents, etc. It truly does steel your joy. There is always someone who seems to have it better, just like there are many, many people who have it far worse. I am working hard on being thankful for all of the great gifts the Lord has given me.

I want to hold on to my joy. I want to cherish each and every moment of my children's childhood. I want to appreciate what I have. I have a lot of love in my life and it's high time I am grateful for it!

Later ...

It's here!

2008-08-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hello fan,

The new computing device has arrived. Despite the fact that it seems to have taken away all typing ability (not much) that I once had, I am very excited.

As soon as I figure out how to download my pictures on this new machine, I will add lots of new posts.

Stay tuned...

Ty-Bo

2008-08-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sick of waiting on my new computer and I'm sick of not posting pictures on this blog, so I thought I'd give posting a picture a shot. I'm crossing my fingers ... no, I'm not. Try typing with your fingers crossed, would you. How'd it go? Hard, huh?

Anyway, since my little Ty-man is the inspiration for this blog, I thought I'd post a few old pictures of him from when he was little. Bwahahahaha! He was never little!

Now, would you look at that hunka-hunka-burnin' love. Bless his heart. There were many days I thanked the Lord that he was not a girl.

Now, look at that sweet baby. I remember hiding that picture because I was afraid I might get in trouble for letting him sleep on his tummy. The boy DID NOT sleep until we decided to put him on his tummy.

Okay, that's all for today. Now you might be asking yourself, "Now, what did that get me?". Well, it got you a trip down memory lane. Did you have a nice trip?

My Sweet Little Stud-man

2008-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

I took Trey and Lindsey to see Wall-e today. Darling movie ... really gets you thinkin' though. I hate thinkin'.
Anyway, I was sitting in the movie between my little angels and Trey asked for "one of those balls". I handed him a few Whoppers and he smiled at me sweetly and said, "Thank you, Mama." Then he leaned over toward me and I thought, "Oh, he loves me so much ... that tender moment left him needing a little cuddle with his Mama." So, I leaned over to him, he came a little closer, smiled sweetly, and TOOTED! He didn't need a cuddle; he just needed to pass a little gas. Nice.

meme

2008-07-21T21:12:00.001-07:00

I have never done a MEME before on this blog. This one caught my eye from lotsofscotts.blogspot.com (super, adorable mom of triplets):
What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was divorced from my current husband (yes, we got re-married), living in a little rent house with my three year old daughter. I owned my own business and worked very minimal hours in order to keep my daughter out of daycare. I lived very simply, spent a lot of quality time with my little girl and was totally empowered by the experience because I learned that I could take care of myself.
Favorite Snacks: Right now ... Fresh Cherries. Yum! I also love nectarines, watermelon, cantelope, and grapes. You'd think I was a twig with all that fruit love I have going. Unfortunately, I also love Sunchips, cookies (those right bites or whatever ... I think it might defeat the purpose when you eat six little bags in one sitting. ya think?), and Dr. Pepper.
To Do List:
I HATE todo lists. Every summer morning as a teenager, I would awaken to the phone ringing (at about 8:30). It was my mother saying, "There is a list on your dresser. You're not doing anything until it's done." I swore right then and there that I would never make lists for myself or my children. However, now that I have three children and in recent months I have forgotten to be places where I was supposed to be on more than one occassion, I am considering considering writing lists. But I'm against 'em, I tell ya.
Jobs I Have Had:
Babysitter, Swim Instructor, Chiropractic Assistant, Receptionist at a health club, Student worker at the University Fiscal Office, Student Worker in the English Department, Graduate Assistant in the Development Office, Administrative Assistant, Nutritionist/Business Owner, Teacher at Mother's Day Out, Sales Associate at Children's Boutique, Sales Associate at Women's Boutique, Mamasita
Bad Habits:
Not planning my meals and eating whatever is available instead, Not writing down what I'm supposed to be doing, Procrastinating on my housework, Watching TV, Eating snacks instead of healthy meals
Random Things People May Not Know:
I am not afraid to get up and speak in front of a group, but I have a VERY hard time approaching new people and making friends, My Granny and I argued almost every time we were together, but I miss her every day now that she is gone, I always thought I would either be a Chiropractor or a Lawyer when I grew up and I am not doing either, I was scared to death to have two boys, but I totally dig it
CDs I would want if stranded on an island:
Steve Miller Band (greatest hits), Dixie Chicks (all), Garth Brooks (everything before he became Chris Gaines), Forest Gump Soundtrack
What I'd Do if I Were a Billionaire:Furnish my empty house and sell it, buy a house on at least an acre with plenty of room for my boys to ride bikes and have fun, hire a personal trainer, hire a personal chef, ditch my beat-up truck and purchase a vehicle that will fit all of my children and their friends, pay for Tyler's college education (thankyou Nana and Papa ... Lindsey and Trey's is covered), donate to lots of charities.
Feel free to play too Y'all, I mean You!

Adorable Maniacs

2008-07-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

I had pictures made of the boys the other day. They turned out very well. Take a peek at http://www.photographybycupcake.com/. Click on the blog for a sneek peek or click on galleries, my last name and the password is my first initial and last name, all in one word. Does that make sense?

By the way, new computer should be here soon, so I will have lots and lots of updates.

Later tator!

The photographer has updated her blog. My boys are not the first thing you see when you pull it up. You could probably figure that out. Just thought I'd take the guesswork out of it. :)

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-06-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Tyler is 2 today!

What a day that was and I can't believe it has already been two years.

As most mommies do, I had the nesting urge going strong. However, I got so gigantic with my little Ty man, that I didn't want to do the cleaning myself. So, I hired cleaning ladies to come a few days before my due date (scheduled c-section) and then I scheduled carpet cleaners to come the morning we were to have Tyler. They were supposed to arrive at 8:00a.m. and we were supposed to be at the hospital at 10:30a.m. I asked the guy how long it would take and he promised me it would only take a little over an hour. Great!

So, that Wednesday morning, I got up and took a shower, fixed my hair and put on makeup (for what I was sure would be the last time for several weeks). At 8:45, when it was time for me to leave to drop Lindsey and Trey off at VBS, the carpet guys still had not arrived. I left Tim at home to wait for them and I went on with my agenda feeling sure that they would arrive any minute and they would still have time to finish the carpets in time for us to arrive at the hospital by 10:30. After I dropped the kids off, I ran over to my mom's so she could take a picture of me looking HUGE for the baby's book. While I was there, I called to check on the carpet guys. It was 9:15 and they had just arrived. Holy Smoke! So, I ran home and waited for them to finish. Finally, at 10:00, they were done. We lived at least 40 minutes from the hospital, if traffic was flowing nicely. So we high-tailed it out of there and made it to the hospital at 10:45.

Tim drove up to the little emergency drop-off where all the other ladies were grimacing in pain, hobbling or being wheeled in. I jumped out of the car and RAN as fast as my gigantic body would take me. When I got to the desk, the lady said, "Girl, you better be Mrs. Wheeler! We been waitin' on you!" Sure enough I was, and we were ready to go!

Everything went smoothly. They got me all prepped and ready to go and let Tim come and sit down by my head. My doctor was already there and he discussed the routine and said, "Dr. Bertrand will be here to assist in just a minute." I had neglected to tell Tim that Dr. Bertrand had been in a really bad bicycle accident a few weeks ago and had broken his hip. So in comes Dr. Bertrand with his walker and he approaches the operating table with me on it. I knew Tim would freak out, which is why I didn't tell him. I looked up at him and his eyes were as big as saucers and he leans down to me and whispers, "what the hell!".

Dr. Bertrand and Dr. Richards did great. Little BIG man was born at 1:06 and he weighed in at 10 lbs., 2 oz. The doctor said, "Whoa Dad, here's your linebacker!"

As soon as they cleaned everybody up, they put him on my chest and I go to hold him all through recovery and up to my room. I had never been able to hold a baby immediatly after birth, since Lindsey and Trey both had scary deliveries.

Anyway, that's the story of the little dude's first day. He has blessed us so much and we absolutely adore him!

It's My Birthday and I'll Blog if I Want to ...

2008-06-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

I normally would not proclaim to the world that today is my birthday, but since I think only about three people read my blog and they already know, I thought it would be ok.
I'm 36 today, which means I'm no longer in my early thirties. I am truly the type that thinks each new year is a precious gift ... more time with my awesome parents, my crazy brother and my sweet children (Tim is included in that group as I'm sure anyone who has met him can understand). However, I have noticed that I am aging. I tend to think I'm still in my twenties, but I look at those people and clearly, I am not.
My mother bought me a beautiful cross necklace yesterday for my birthday and I had to raise the mirror to my face because if I looked down at the mirror, you could see my not-very-tight neck area. Wow! Who-da-thunk it!
So, that's it. I'm 36 and proud of it ... turkey neck and all!

Yea Tyler!

2008-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tyler had his first official swimming lesson today. He was awesome! Keep in mind, awesome is a relative term meaning he only cried for about 10 minutes and he did everything his teacher asked him to do. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the moment since I was crouching down behind the table in hopes that he would not see me. Apparently I did not do a very good job hiding because his teacher asked me to leave the pool area for the remainder of the lessons.
We told him what a great job he did and he said, "Yea Tyler!"

It's too late...

2008-06-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

You know the song, "It's too late to 'pologize"? According to Trey, it actually goes ...

"It's too late to pop a jive."

And he's right really. If it's too late to pop a jive, then an apology really will do no good. Right?

Over and out~

I'm back

2008-05-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been such a long time since I have written. Honestly, I'm still rather bitter about the pictures being lost. Ugh! That makes me so mad!

Things have been moving along quite crazily around here. Since I last wrote, we've had Lindsey's birthday party, (she's thirteen ... yes, there is a "teen" at the end of that word! How does that happen. She really should still be eight, maybe nine ... but thirteen!), we had a rip-roaring good time at her slumber party, she has been inducted into National Junior Honors Society, we went to her awards ceremony at school and Trey played a fantastic season of T-ball. I have pictures of these events, but can I put them on my blog? Heck, no! So, you will have to wait for the mammoth entry I do the day we get a new computer. Oh, it will be fantastic.

Lindsey and I also started National Charity League which causes me to break out in a cold sweat on a regular basis. Yikes! What a huge commitment.

Later tators! ... I mean, tator!

ROUND-UP

2008-04-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

My boy is going to kindergarten next year. I am not happy about it ... I want to keep him here with me longer. He is so neat-o. But, he's going and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
We went to Kindergarten Round-up last night. Yeehaw!
He's excited.
Me ... not so much. (I think I already mentioned that.)

Don't Y'all Babysit Too?

2008-03-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

My little man is five years old. To celebrate, we decided to take him out to dinner on Saturday night to Texas Land and Cattle by the Bass Pro Shops. It gets VERY crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, so we decided to valet.
First, I must explain that my husband gets VERY competitive when it comes to eating. If we are at a buffet, watch out children and old ladies, my man will take you out to get to the food first. He is even more aggressive when it comes to getting his name on a list before someone else at a crowded restaurant. He will slow the car down just enough to make me or my poor Lindsey jump out and run to the hostess ahead of others walking in.
Okay, back to valet. We jumped out at the valet and Tim told us to run to the restaurant while he dealt with the car. The plan (we always have a plan in these situations) originally was for me and Lindsey to go put our name down and he would bring Trey and Tyler, but Trey wanted to be with me, so off we went.
We were almost to the doors of the restaurant when Tim yelled from behind, "Hey there, birthday boy!" We all turned around to see him strutting up to us with a huge smile on his face. Lindsey and I quickly said, "Where's Tyler?" Tim said, "Shit" and RAN back to the car to retrieve our baby from the valet dude.
This got me thinking ... they really should offer babysitting.

Skeared!

2008-03-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm skeared, real skeared!

I had decided that I would be better about posting pictures on my blog. However, after posting about the Easter egg hunt, 3 of my pictures were somehow destroyed after being uploaded to the blog. So, I am too afraid of losing more pictures to post them ... for now. This happened to me before and I faced my fear, but it's going to be a while before I can trust again ...

I'm OUT!

Hunting...

2008-03-22T16:50:00.001-07:00

Eggs, that is. Our cool, new neighborhood park had an awesome Easter party the other day. There were bounce houses and treats and a great Easter egg hunt for all age groups. The kids had so much fun and the weather was perfect!

Here's Trey eye-balling the perfect egg. The kids were only supposed to collect 6 eggs each. I tell you, all this fairness business is for the birds ... and impossible to explain to the little maniacs going for the most eggs.

Lindsey was wonderful, as always. She is so helpful with her little brothers ... and she is more than willing to help them eat the candy too.
Tyler has his loot and he's blowing this joint. Later turkeys!

Poor Baby!

2008-03-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Notice my little monkey's right arm in this picture:

He broke it Friday night at the playground. He climbed a REALLY tall slide and decided to turn around and come back down. Somehow, he took the short-cut to the ground. I would tell you exactly what happened if I knew ... I wasn't exactly watching him at that moment. He fell right at my feet before I even knew anything was wrong. He has a buckle fracture in his wrist and will have to wear a cast for a couple of weeks. No surgery or anything though ... whew!

However, he seems to be handling it OK. He is tough as a boot!

When did this happen?

2008-03-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

This is an awesome picture of Lindsey, every so gently and sneakily tapping the ball over the net for the point. The girl on the other side apparently thinks Lindsey is going to slam it and she is sadly mistaken.

Cool, huh? What I want to know is when did this child go from a little princess who played with baby dolls and loved to dress up, to this grown human being. She is taller than most of MY friends now and I just can't believe it ...

Memory Lane

2008-03-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm going down memory lane today. Not too far ... don't worry. I just wanted to post some of my favorite pre-blog photos of the young-uns.

This is my sweet girl and her Nana, her favorite person in the whole wide world. This is last Christmas and she is wearing the scarf and hat that her Nana brought back to her from Italy. The other day I found them wadded up in a ball in the bottom of her closet. (I hope Nana is not reading this.) That's not the point ... Point is, these two love each other ... LOTS!

Here are the boys last winter gazing at and talking to each other just before bed when we were in a hotel in Oklahoma. I must mention again how much these two love each other and how wrong I was to worry about having two boys.

Oh, the Exersaucer days ... I have sweet little smiling pictures of all three of my kiddos in one of these things. All three pre-maturely outgrew their Exersaucer becuase their legs were too long. But I love the sweet smiles!

This face! This face causes me to have visions of a mean, overbearing mother-in-law who is secretly sad that she does not have her boy anymore ... and that woman is me!

He's just so dang cute and silly and sweet and expressive! I can't help it.

Now, would you look at these little monkeys!

Thank you LORD!

PEACE OUT!

AKA ...

2008-02-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

I saw someone else write down all of their kids' nicknames and I thought it was cute. It seems as they get older, I start calling my kids by their real names more and I don't want to forget any of their pet names.

Lindsey: Since the boys came along we ALL call her "Sissy" 90% of the time. But there was a time when she had lots of her own names. In the beginning it was "Sugar Bear", "Sugar Booger", "Pretty Girl" and such. Then it came time to expand on her real name. I started with "Lindsey Lou", "Lou Lou", and when The Grinch had just been released, "Lindsey Lou Who". Then we went down the slippery slope and she became "Louise". What's funny is she never minded that one. But, oh boy!, if anyone called her "Linds", she would wig out ... even at age 2. She would say, "my name is Lindsey!" It totally cracked me up.

Trey: Of course he started as Bubba and Bubby and then I would call him Bubbles, which Tim did not think was appropriate AT ALL. Now, we have settled in nicely with Bubba and Trey-man.

Tyler: Also Bubba, hardly ever Bubby and I call him Munchkin, Munch, and Monkey a lot too.

Okey-Dokey then, it's down for posterity!

Swingin' from the Chandeliers ... literally

2008-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

I started working out with a trainer today. Her name is Kellee and she is so awesome and totally willing to train me at home when the weather is bad. She can help keep Tyler entertained while I'm working out. She had to do a lot of that today. However, at one point, Kellee was down on the floor with me showing me how to do a particular exercise. When we got up I saw Tyler standing on top of the kitchen table and grabbing on to the light above the table. Holy Smoke! I wanted to freak out, but I was afraid I would scare him. I creeped up and calmly grabbed him and put him down. What the heck! I'm sure Kellee was thinking I allow my children to run around like maniacs. I swear he has NEVER done that!

Huh?

2008-01-31T14:59:00.000-08:00

All of our children crack us up in one way or another, but the things they say when they are first trying to tackle this whole language thing has to be the funniest.

Lindsey amused greatly by saying Ho-ka-moma for Oklahoma and Mal-mart for Wal-mart. Even today, at 12 yrs. old, she said, "Let's leave them a U-nonimous note."

Trey's current favorites are eatmeal instead of oatmeal and vanilla bar rather than granola bar. However, the best and most puzzling mispronunciation, was at barely 2 when he began saying "Dra-nus". Hmmm, we weren't really quite sure what he was saying and he said it fairly regularly. In addition, he would say, "You are a dra-nus." He always said it with a sweet face (he wasn't being mean), but we couldn't help notice the similarity to the word "anus". Was that what he was calling us and what was going to stop him from calling a teacher or one of our friends or God forbid, his Papa that? This went on for months and months and I still had no idea ... no idea what he was trying to say.

Finally, one day he was getting up on the table or something and I said, "Watch it boy! You're dangerous!" and he said, "You're dranus too Mama!"

Ah! Mystery solved.

New look

2008-01-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yea! I got a new background! For some reason, the old one washed out my pictures. This one makes them look nice and crisp and bright.

First Haircut

2008-01-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

Well the Ty-Bo got his first haircut the other day and He LOVED it! Just look at that expression ...

However, I think he's thrilled to look nice and sharp. He was really beginning to feel embarrassed. Once he gets the leopard cape off, it'll be all good! He's such a manly-man, that thing was making him sooo mad.

He's fine ... really! Hey lady, what are going to do with that there tape? Huh? Ok, I'll quit crying ... you don't have to tape my mouth shut ... Geez!

Not my boy ... anymore.

2008-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Trey came in the other day and asked me how to write "I love you". I joyfully wrote it out for him, eagerly awaiting the love note to come. He took his time and beautifully wrote it out, only slightly messing up the "u". I couldn't wait for him to present it to me as he got out of his chair to show it to me. Oh, I ooh-ed and ah-ed and even began to tear up a bit. He looked so proud of himself, then took it back and said, "I'm gonna go put it in my backpack." I said , "Why are you putting (my note) in your backpack?". He said, "Because it's for my girlfriend. I know her name now. It's Jayden." And with that, he left me alone and with no note and a broken heart.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. We enjoyed a visit from Granny, Papaw and Nancy on the 23rd and my parents even dropped by. We popped a bottle of bubbly and had sooo much fun. It was so cool to see our individual "peeps" enjoy one another.
Suzanne and Larry joined us Christmas Eve for some yummy grub and spirits. Suzanne, I was so impressed to see you take that Jaeger shot like a woman!
The kids were so excited to go to bed and see what Santa would bring. Trey wanted to sleep in his Sissy's room so they could wait together for me to tell them they could come in and see their loot.
Christmas morning was great. Lindsey got a cell phone (Santa, what were you thinking?), Trey got a bike and Tyler got a brand new car! Trey learned to ride his bike without training wheels. Yea buddy!

Tyler's Growing Up

2007-12-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Tyler is finally starting to talk. He can say, "Mama, Daddy, truck, ball, Bye-bye, Hi, Aw, Up" and I'm sure a few more that I'm forgetting.
He is also learning to run (now that I purchased some shoes that actually fit).
Unfortunately, he has developed the ability to climb on everything, open all the cabinets and run FROM us as well.
He is so cute!

A few more from the Arboretum

2007-11-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Both Lindsey and Trey had fun pretending to be in the pioneer days: Riding in the covered wagon,

Trey taking an old-time bath,

Lindsey pretending to farm the land ... look how deep that girl can dig!

The Arboretum, Part 2

2007-11-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Trey was so confused when we first arrived. I had told him we were going to this huge park, but there was no playground. He obviously omitted that part of the conversation from his brain because he kept asking, "When are we going to the park?"

His excitement returned when we got to the little villages set up like old houses of original settlers. He loved going into all the little houses, looking at all of the old things and even sweeping! He did not want to leave.

It was a great day. Do you think if I got a broom like that at home, he'd be as excited about sweeping?

The Arboretum

2007-11-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally made it! I have been wanting to go to the Dallas Arboretum forever! The whole family went. We had such a nice time. The weather was beautiful ... freakishly warm ... but, beautiful.
The kids had a great time climbing on the big pumpkins (or balls, as Tyler calls them) until we realized they were kind of rotten and bugs started flying out from underneath ... yuk!

What?!? Is that a family picture? We are actually a family of five and there's the picture to prove it! I never seem to be able to get pictures of all of us.

There's my pretty girl. She was so interested that I had my bridal portraits taken there. I think she got into the "posing" spirit. So sweet.

The little man had fun too. He was way more interested in those trucks than exploring, but he got out of the stroller a few times and ran around.

Ah, thanks Mommy. I'm much more comfortable in my stroller. :)

Funny Man

2007-11-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

Poor Trey has a mommy that is quite a homebody. He is always up for a play-date. As soon as he gets home from school or wakes up in the morning, he starts begging to go play with a friend. Well, today he was especially set on playing with a friend. Unfortunately, both sister and brother are a little under the weather. He was truly distraught by the news that we would not be having a play-date.
At dinner, he said, "Mommy, listen to me. We are going to get up in the morning and then we are going to go play with a friend ... Now, THAT'S IT!! (with hands in the "safe" baseball pose). I laughed so hard. This kid cracks me up.

The Big Boy!

2007-11-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

My Trey man learned how to pump his legs and swing himself yesterday! He was so excited! He still can't get as high as when we push him, but he's figuring it out. Look at that sweet face, would you!

Silly Boy!

2007-11-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Is this guy full of mischief, or what? He is such a mess and he is now into the phase where he puts his little things inside other things and we never see them again ...
The other day I was asking Lindsey to put her homework away for school the next day. She kept saying that she couldn't find her bag. I was sure it was somewhere in the big pile of messiness we call her room. I told her to clean up her room and then she would find it. She insisted that it was not in there and finally went to bed. When I went to bed, there was her book bag sitting next to my computer. I took it to her room for the next day and figured she forgot she had done some work on the computer. The next day, when she got home from school, she walked over to the bar and put these two cars on the counter and said, "Guess what was in my book bag today?" Little Mr. Mischief had taken her bag from her room, gathered up two cars and put them in the bag and deposited the bag in my room WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING!! What a mess!! :)

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

"Holy Trick-or-Treating Batman! Let's Go!"

As you can tell, Trey was Batman and Tyler was Robin. Yes, they were the same thing last year, but Trey's costume still fit and I just thought it was so cute, so we did it again.

Tyler had sooo much fun ... running from me as I tried to put that silly mask on him (notice the socks in his hands). I could only keep it on him for a second if he had something else in his hands and I somehow diverted his attention.
Trey would not wear his mask and cape at all this year ... he said it was itchy. Oh well, I like seeing his sweet face better. He only stayed in his costume for about 30 minutes. He LOVED handing out the candy though. The control freak in him loved making each child wait patiently for their candy, which he would only give them after they said "trick or treat" and they only got TWO PIECES! He's a mess!

We had a fun night on our first Halloween in our new neighborhood. I have never seen so many trick-or-treaters in my life. They were all so sweet and so polite.

The Best Big Sissy!

2007-11-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

My sweet girl is getting so big! I just wanted to write how I'm feeling about her these days. And ... I was not doing another entry about the boys without one for Lindsey. Since she is at school all day, I do not have the opportunity to take as many pictures or experience as much of her life with her as I used to (boo hoo!). Anyway, this year she did not trick or treat with us. She went with her friends ... yes, boo hoo again. She did walk down the block with her brothers, but I think my mom must have those pictures on her camera. Anyway, she is getting so grown up.
But, I am so proud of her. She started Middle School this year and I was soooo worried about it ... new temptations, mean kids, naughty kids, harder work, etc. I just wondered if I would have the same sweet girl in the afternoon that I dropped off there in the morning. Well, so far so good. She loves the social aspect of school. She is doing well in her classes. She made the volleyball team ... phew! At this point, I still have my same girl who wants me to lay in her bed at night with her so she can tell me about her day. Yea!
I am not naive. I know there ARE many more temptations and I still am the reigning "Strictest Mom of ALL my Friends" and I will continue to be. But I am just so proud of this sweet girl.
I was getting acquainted with one of my neighbors last night (we just moved this summer) whose son had asked Lindsey to the Homecoming dance. She could not go as she already had a date (I know ... not a problem I had in seventh grade either). Anyway, the dad came out as I was standing there and the mom introduced me and he said, "Oh, you're Lindsey's mom!". At this point, I'm thinking, Oh Lord, they hate us because she broke their son's heart. Instead, they went on and on about how Lindsey was the nicest girl in school and everyone loves her because she is friendly to everyone and that their son thinks she is sooo cool. I was so proud.
OK, Louise ... here's a page totally dedicated to you. I love you!!!

CHILLY MORNING!!

2007-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

We woke up yesterday morning and our house was FREEZing!!! I made Trey put on his silly slippers that his Grandmother Hudson made for him and I put a warm hat on Tyler. The boys thought they were so funny running around the house like that.

Since my little Tyler man won't keep socks on and he has outgrown all of his footie jammies, we ventured off to the mall to get him some warm jammies. He was very patient with his mommy since we made more than just one stop.
After shopping, we stopped at Boston Market for lunch. He had an exciting lunch because he DRANK FROM A STRAW for the first time! I had forgotten to bring a sippy cup, so I asked for a kids' cup with water. I was getting water into the straw and dripping it into his mouth. He started sucking, so I decided to see if he would suck from the cup and he did it! (Tim and I have been trying to get him to do this for months.) I was so excited. I was clapping and cheering for him. Everyone in the restaurant was looking at me like I was crazy. Too fun!

Brotherly Love

2007-10-23T19:29:00.001-07:00

Many of you remember that I was a bit "concerned" when we found out that baby #3 was to be a boy. After all, I had spent EIGHT years with a sweet, calm, loving, and quiet (I know, it's hard for me to remember Lindsey as quiet too) little girl. We all know how much I adore Trey, but the thought of all that "boy energy" that he brings into my home being doubled was a frightening thought. Frankly, there sometimes is more energy and wildness than I can handle, but there are also moments like these ...
Trey and Tyler ADORE each other. Today, we were at the park and Trey was in a little tunnel shaped like a turtle with two other kiddos. Tyler waddled up and climbed in the turtle with the big kids. Trey said, "Oh, this is my baby. He can walk really good."
There is nothing to make a mama's heart swell like the boys laughing so hard at each other. We park at Lindsey's school and wait about 20 minutes for her to come out (crazy, I know, but it really is the best way to manage the traffic). By the time she gets out to the car, the boys are laughing so hard and usually have all the moms in the cars around us laughing with them.
Today, Trey was spending a little time in self-sent time-out. He had been playing a bit too roughly with his brother. I got on to him and he said, "I'm going to time-out!". He went in his room and shut his door. Tyler proceded to peek down the hall, walk to Trey's door and see if it would open, then lean against the wall next to the door and wait for brother to come out. So sweet!
So, as much as I hate to admit I'm wrong, I LOVE having my boys. They are so funny and so sweet.

What a Weekend!

2007-10-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

The weather was gorgeous this weekend. We had all of these great plans to get out and enjoy it.
However, a tummy bug had other ideas. Mr. Trey got sick around 5:30 on Friday night and it was truly a 24 hour bug as he was almost completely back to himself by about 6:00 on Saturday. Fortunately, he was a great patient and he took a FIVE hour nap on Saturday.

Thankfully, no one else got it and Tim took Tyler and Lindsey went to my mom's for most of the day on Saturday so I was able to give Trey my undivided attention. Such a sweet boy! After resting and once I got all my babies back under one roof, we decided to get out of the house and ventured off to Target.

We spent almost all day Sunday outside on the driveway riding various toy vehicles. Tyler's favorite thing to do was go down the hill on the motorcylce (intended for 3 yr. olds) toward the alley screaming as a chase him. What a mess! Trey, on the other hand, likes to ride the scooter as fast as possible in circles ... scaring me to death. Meanwhile, Lindsey is practicing her volleyball serves on the roof while we are all dodging either the ball or her running after the ball. :)

Anyway, I was so thankful that Trey recovered so quickly and that no one else got the bug. Thank you God!

My First Blog!

2007-10-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I'm really doing it. My husband has wanted me to do this for years and I felt a little apprehensive about having pictures of Lindsey (we only had her back then) on the internet. However, after reading many friends' blogs, I feel like this is a great way to chronicle their lives. So here goes:

I'm actually starting this in honor of my third baby, Tyler. I feel like he is constantly getting "second-hand" everything. He gets all of his big brother, Trey's clothes, toys, etc. He even gets the food that we don't eat as he's in that shovel it all in phase and there is never enough food. Finally, he has worn out parents instead of the excited, parents that our twelve-year-old, Lindsey had. So, this is an all new adventure that is inspired by Tyler!

I've already become quite frustrated by trying to figure out this whole blogging thing. However, I'm feeling quite persistent...