Family Vacation Day 2

Well the boys internal clocks woke them up at 6:30 am AGAIN! But my husband let me sleep until 8 with Justus. We ate breakfast and got dressed for a quick run to walmart. The boys were begging us to go swimming but we knew it was too cloudy and chilly outside. So we waited and watched the empty pool from the balcony and Jonah tossed a tennis ball and a frisbee off the balcony too. Finally after PB&J for lunch we got ready and went down to the pool. It was still cloudy but Jaron and Jacob got in the pool. I could tell by their quiverying chins it was cold. Jonah walked around the kiddie pool very hesitant. After he got in Jonah only lasted about 15 minutes and he was out wrapped in a towel shivering. The wind made it worse when they got out with wet shorts on. Then Jaron was next and he was really cold. They wanted to go inside so Chris took them up and I stayed down at the pool with Jacob and Justus.

Jacob was a little bored in that big pool all by himself. There were some girls his age but it was too cold to get in.

So he finally got in the hot tub and warmed up. Justus was napping in my arms and then he opened his eyes and looked at me.

And when Jonah came out on the balcony asking me to come up I was ready too. So Jacob and I packed up our stuff and went back to the condo.  

We ordered pizza for dinner

Then the boys had a pillow fight

And then it was baths and bedtime

All this excitement is too much for Justus he is pooped!

Family Vacation Day 1

Well we are here! We made it to the condo that was given to us FREE of charge. We are so happy to be here and excited to see how much fun we can have in one week. We got here at 4pm yesterday and had to get settled. I left Chris here with Jacob and Jonah and I took Jaron and Justus with me to Bi-Lo. I stocked up on the bare necessities to hopefully get it through the week. The condo is HUGE (maybe bigger than our house). The boys were running all over the place and very excited but begging to go swimming. Chris and I were just exhausted so we had to say no and put it off until tomorrow. We got some quick Mcdonald's for dinner. Let the boys stay up late and they took a HUGE bubble bath.

We woke up and ate some breakfast and got everything together to head to the beach. But we had to wait a while for Jonah ( he was way over due for a poop) so we bribed him with donuts

but daddy had a severe headache. So when everyone was ready we headed out. The beach is just arond the corner one mile.

It's not easy to get 4 boys, a cooler, 2 chairs, umbrella, bag of toys, 5 towels, and a bag out to the sad without something going wrong. We learned today that it costs money to park at the beach, Jonah's water shoes are too big (kept falling off~not good on hot pavement), Jaron was scared of all the dead jellyfish, Jacob wanted to swim away,

Justus needed something to lay in,

Jonah loves to throw sand, umbrellas don't stay in place with 30 mile/hr winds. We also learned that sunblock does work if we remember to use it. We also learned that sand castles are hard to build

Jonah's shorts were falling off and how could we ever forget that sand will be in ever crevace of our bodies every time we go to the beach. Don't get me wrong it was fun but it was madness.
                                      

Back to the condo after just 3 hours everyone rinsed off and mommy cooked chicken, corn and potatoes for dinner. YUMMY!

Then they BEGGED us to go to the pool which just so happens to right outside our balcony tempting them all day long.

So we went down after dinner for quick FREEZING swim in the empty pool (no people~just water).

 All their chins were quivering and Mommy and Daddy were exhausted so back up to the condo baths, snacks, teeth and bedtime. Everyone is pooped but ready for some more fun in the sun tomorrow. :-)

OH POOP!

Well I was determined today was the day Jonah was going to poop in the potty. I put underwear on him this morning watched him like a hawk. He went in the room to hide in the corner and I knew it was time. He said "don't see me". I picked him up and ran him to the toilet. He sat and sat and sat. I begged, bribed and pleaded. I have never wanted to see poop so bad!

He has been the hardest to potty train so far. I guess it's party my fault for not being more aggressive about it. But being pregnant with Justus and babysitting left me little time, energy or patience for it. So I was lazy and kept buying the pullups.

Well I am proud to say that after 55 minutes and sitting on the potty he said "don't see me" and I went out. And 5 minutes later he called me "mommy, look!!!" I almost cried. He got the donut I promised and wore underwear the rest of the day.

Now we are ready for vacation!!!! 5 more days! WOO HOO!!!

Too Much Information...

Jacob came home from school Monday and said his girlfriend hugged him 4 times but the last time she squeezed him tight. ~ I didn't even know he had a girlfriend.

 

Jaron spoke up and said his girlfriend kissed him on the cheek. WHAT?!?!?! (was not aware of his girlfriend either)

Jonah bit Justus on the arm leaving teeth marks so I bit him back.

Justus is getting so big. He still loves his mommy's milk and he's finding his voice. He will be rolling over any day now.

I have so much to do and not sure where to start.....

Maybe I should start with a coke! :-D

Terrified!

Have you ever been so scared you couldn't blink? I was Wednesday night. We had several SEVERE storms including high winds and tornados come through Georgia and I was glued to the news watching and waitng and wondering if it was going to come to our county. I wasn't afraid for myself necessarily. I was scared for my boys. I could just picture how terrifying it would be for them.

We had a plan to get in our bathtub and cover up with a mattress. The tornado warnings for all of north GA was until 2 am so I could not sleep until I knew they had all passed. I sat up staring at the tv not sure I was blinking. My contacts were glued to my eyes.

The more they talked about the death tolls rising and peoples houses missing in Alabama....the more vivid my mental picture was of me and my boys trapped under our house. I know we are supposed to trust God. I do trust Him but I also know that He lets somethings happen to people for a reason. I just could not see how those storms would miss our county. They went above us and below us but we barely got any rain. I was amazed at how God protected us. He truly did answer our prayers.

I know there are so many right now with missing or lost loved ones. I am still having trouble sleeping thinking about all those families. I am not sure why He spared our lives....but He did. And we are so thankful for his hedge of protection.

One of those mornings...

My cell phone alarm went off at 6am like usual and I rolled over to nurse the baby. (Yes he sleeps with me.) The goal is to get him fed then wake up the boys and get them ready for school. Well it didn't quite work out like that. The next time I opened my eyes was at 6:59 and the bus comes at 7:05. I walked out into the kitchen and saw Jaron sitting on the couch in the dark. I asked him to go wake up Jacob and tell him they were gonna miss the bus. Jacob came out of their room "I was already awake mommy I was just playing games." WHAT! So I had to get Jaron's oatmeal made first so it could be cooling off and then started making his lunch. They got dressed and Jaron swallowed his oatmeal faster than ever before. Chris took them to school and they made it on time. The bus is just easier and they like it. Even though I am always nervous about putting them on the bus....they do have assigned seats right up front so that helps a little.

I went into their room to make the beds and Jacob did have 2 of their handheld games in his bed and curtain was pulled back, like he'd been looking outside. I guess he wasn't sure if it was time to get up so he stayed in his room.

So on to the next item of business.....POTTY TRAINING! I am cracking down on this. SO sick of buying pullups for Jonah. He pees in the potty a lot but in the pullups too. And has never pooped in the potty YET! He wore underwear all day today and only a pullup for naptime and bedtime. He pooped in his pull up right when he woke up from nap. I had set him on the potty before naptime because he wanted to and he said "mommy don't see me" so I left him alone for a few minutes. I went in to check on him and he said "I can't because the poop is stuck in my butt".

I really hope he will be fully potty trained before we go to Hilton Head.

So we napped....played.....watched a movie....made train tracks....made phone calls....cooked dinner.....baths....watched Caillou (the only 15 minutes of silence in our house) and put them to bed. And I just made whole wheat chocolate chip muffins with flax seed. A healthy bedtime snack!

Mary Did You Know?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new

This child that you delivered will soon deliver you

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod

When you kiss your little baby you kiss the face of God

The blind will see the deaf will hear and the dead will live again

The lame will leap the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule a nation

Did you know that your baby boy was heaven's perfect lamb

This sleeping child your holding is the great I Am

Blessings

Sometimes God uses strangers to do his work.

When Chris was in the army he met a guy and they went to Kuwait together. While they were gone I got to know his wife. When they came back 4 months later we all moved away from Ft. Benning. We came to N. Georgia and they moved back to New York. We lost touch for a few years and found each other again on Facebook. And I guess she told her mother about this blog and she has been keeping up with our family by way of the blog. I have never met Rosemary but she wanted to give us a vacation with her timeshare for FREE! (3 bedroom 3 bath) I am so amazed at how God does things. We have wanted to do this for years but never really had the money to do it. Now we are going to Hilton Head, SC for a whole week absolutely FREE! God sure is good and I hope one day we'll meet Rosemary in person and be able to give her a proper thank you.

Oh and we thought we were going to have to buy a beach hut/tent to keep the baby in the shade. I have shopped online and asked my family. No one had one and we didnt want to fork out the money for something we may never use again. So Chris went to work and was asking around and one of the guys brought theirs in for us to borrow. FREE! Thank God for the generosity of others. Now all we have to buy is gas money to get there and groceries for the week.

We are counting down the days~24 to be exact! Can't wait to get a break from the norm and just relax in the sun.

School Days

 Jaron had an awesome week last week. He didn't get in any trouble until Friday when a little boy pushed him down. Jaron squeezed his arm. They learned about coins and their value and all the presidents on each one. He loved it and I think keeping his interest with something new helped him to behave and stay focused.

Jacob rarely ever gets in trouble. He is so smart and doing great in all his subjects. His teachers always tell me how enthusiastic he is about learning.

ONLY 25 MORE DAYS!!!

The (not so) Fun Dentist

The oldest two boys went for their 6 month cleaning Monday. I, of course, had the younger two boys with me. I thought a morning appointment would work well for everyone. Jonah would be a in a good mood and I could take the boys to school afterwards and get back home in time for nap. WRONG!

Jonah was fine when we walked in the door. They have video games in the waiting room and the boys all played together while we waited to be called back. I filled out the paperwork and Justus was a little fussy. He had puked 4 times the day before with the same stomach virus the other three previously had.

Then they called for Jacob & Jaron. We all go into a little hallway and talk about concerns before they go back. Then she took them to the end of the hall and I said bye. Jonah followed them and wanted to go too. I had Justus in the stroller and had to pick up Jonah (all 35 lbs.) and carry him, kicking and screaming, while pushing the stroller back out to the waiting room. Which was full of people! Everyone was staring at me, wonder why?

I sat down, facing the wall so I didn't have to see their looks. I calmly talked to Jonah about what the boys were doing and he was still crying. I offered him water. "NO" I offered him goldfish. "NO" So I took him to the bathroom and we had a "talk". Back out into the waiting room and he was still crying. So I held him and thanked God for putting Justus to sleep in the stroller. "Jonah why are you crying?" "I DON'T KNOW!" At one point he ran to the exit door and layed down in the floor kicking and crying. I was tempted to take a picture with my cell phone, so I could show daddy how bad he was being. But I knew the other adults in the room might think I was CRAZY! After 35 minutes of screaming and pitching a fit they were done with Jaron. THANK GOD! Because when he came out and sat down to play a game with Jonah he stopped~immediately. It's a miracle!

Needless to say Mommy was exhausted and was so ready for naptime.

I haven't told Jonah yet, but he is getting his first cleaning at The Fun Dentist in October. :-\

Our first miracle

Our oldest son Jacob has such big heart. He is very loving and caring especially to me when I am sick or have a headache. I recently got mastitis and he said he was praying for me and asking about it daily until it was all better. He pets me when I am laid up with a headache too. He knows my favorite thing is to have my hair played with so that is what he does. And he if he's playing outside he'll pick a purple flower and bring it to me because he knows that's my favorite color.

He gets rewarded at school for good behavoir and he doesn't eat the candy, he brings it to me because he knows I like chocolate. He is almost as tall as me too. Jacob is a great helper with anything I need. He told me when he grows up he wants to have store called "Penny General" you know like Dollar General but cheaper. He always thinks of others and worries about people. He wishes Nanny could be our neighbor because he thinks she's sad living by herself.

Jacob changed me as a person the day he was born. I became a mother and I have learned so much from him.

Brotherly Love

Every night about 11pm I get all the boys out of the bed and take them to the bathroom. (so we don't have any accidents) and when I went in the big boys room the other night this is how I found them. So sweet. One of those moments that I will never forget.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jonah!

We actually celebrated his birthday Saturday but it's really today. April 4th. My mom, stepdad and nanny came over after we got home from the zoo. We had chicken fajitas and birthday cake. Then he opened his presents. He got a new woody doll, a Leap Frog movie, soft ball w/ bat & one big squishy ball. And I think there is some coming in the mail from out of town too! He seemed fine Saturday and a little fussy sunday but when he got in the bed sunday night he puked all over the place! The boys have a had a stomach virus. First is was Jacob last weekend, then Jaron was puking Tuesday and Wed now Jonah has it. We did not sleep much last night. He hugged the potty (sanitized first) most of the night. I cannot wait for naptime.

Wild Animals

Zoo Atlanta gave every library in GA one copy of a dvd "The History of the zoo". If you check it out and return it your reciept gets 2 adults & 2 kids in the zoo for FREE! So you know me always looking for ways to save money. I checked our six libraries in our county all week and finally found one available. I raced to the library to get it before some other crazed mommy did.

I tried to imagine what it would be like with 4 kids in public place as big as this...what if we lose them? will it be too hot? can we bring our lunch? How much walking do we have to do? What if it rains? There is a lot of planning that goes into something like this. I read the zoo's entire website learning all about it and looking at all the pictures, trying to get a visual in my head how it might all work.

We dressed them all in the same color and off we went! We got there just one hour after they opened and had to park on the street! They were packed (apparently everyone went to their library this week!

When we got to the gate Jaron was already complaining he was tired of walking so we rented a double stroller and Justus was in his carseat/stroller. We got to see flamingos, elephants, kangaroos, monkeys, lions, bears, birds of all sorts, pandas and gorillas. They boys loved it! We found a table and sat down to have a picnic lunch and a took a potty break.

Then we were on a mission to find that "choo choo". They all got to pick what they wanted to do and Jacob wanted to climb the rock wall. I recorded him doing it but cannot upload it to blogger. (too long) Jaron thought he wanted to but after getting strapped in he decided it was over his head (literally). He broke down crying and asked if he could get off. Of course I let him and the nice man gave him his ticket back to use for something else. So Jonah and Jaron decided to ride the train with daddy. When they got back they found us at the kids playground and they "got some energy out".

It was way past Jonah's naptime and we were all exhausted so we made the decision to head back to the gate. One last potty break after returning the rental stroller and off we went back to the van with a quiet ride home.