Progress...

If you remember this post, then I should update you and tell you we've made progress!!

This morning at playgroup, Luke picked up, ALL ON HIS OWN, a darling little pink-dressed baby doll. He held her for a few moments and I even got him to give her a kiss. Then, he looked at me as though he was a little embarrassed, dropped her on the floor and ran off, squashing her once with his ginormous foot (have I told you that he already wears a 7.5!?).

It may not be much, but it's something. Maybe there is a baby-doll in our future, yet!????!

Lord, have mercy...

I am not ready for this.

Tonight, a new neighbor stopped by for a few moments. I've only met *D* a few times as they just recently moved in and well, it's winter. We are visiting nicely and the boys keep strutting around in a weird fashion. Well, so Jorden crawls up on the couch close to her and then, moves in behind her. All of a sudden, *WHAP!*. Jorden has a pillow and smacks *D* across the back of her head.

I was speechless. He hit her hard enough that her entire head flew forward and wrecked her pretty hair. I was MORTIFIED.

Ok, so at supper, this is the conversation:
Jereme: Jorden, did you like *D*?
Jorden: YES!
Jereme: Do you think *D* is pretty?
Jorden: Mmmmhmmm, yes! She is yummy!

EXCUSE ME? Jereme could hardly keep himself upright he was laughing so hard. Jereme did make him clarify and say that girls are "pretty".

I am really thinking the destruction, wildness, constant wrestling/running/climbing/jumping will be much preferable than the glimpse I just got of my future...

Isaac Warren House

That kid. He's got a wicked sense of humor, an attitude to match any 13-year-old girl, a comeback/retort to whatever you have to say quicker than you finish your sentence and an independent streak a country-mile wide. I have no idea where he gets those traits...

But, today, I saw that boy be a big, brave, obedient and compliant child. Isaac is having a battery of tests run as a result of months of breathing/coughing/asthma (or is it really asthma?) problems. All we really know right now is that we just don't know. We met a fabulous specialist last week. He suggested we get some testing done as "something isn't setting right" with him. We agreed.

Anyways, Isaac and I headed out early this morning. That sweet thing complied with every weird request for swallowing, positioning, x-raying, poking, prodding, etc. He sat in that big ol' room, looking nervous but curious, with equipment everywhere, unfamiliar hospital staff while momma had to watch from outside the room. He was perfect in every sense of the word.

I'll be honest, I got quite emotional seeing what a big boy he is. And, then, I wanted to beat him with a big stick when we got home and he proceeded to terrorize our house and his brothers in less than 5 minutes. The end.

Who cares about recipes...

When you can look at these darling things...


Seriously, this kid's dimple and hair just kill me!

What's for supper??

Long story short, a few gals and I did a frozen meal exchange...I am CERTAIN I got the better end of this deal. I love these two recipes so much, I could cry. They are so yummy and SO easy!!! I just had to share:

Tresy's Mexican Lasagna
1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1 can rotel
1 jar taco sauce
6 cups shredded cheese (any variety!)
6 large flour tortillas
8 oz sour cream

Brown meat and drain (I added onion). Add rotel, taco sauce and sour cream...bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Layer 2 tortillas, meat sauce, cheese 3 times in a 9x13 pan. Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble. YUM!

Tiffany's shredded chicken tacos
Put in bottom of crock pot 1 can black beans, 1 can corn and half of a jar of salsa. Put 4 chicken breasts on top (can be partially frozen!). Put remainder of salsa on top of chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Shred chicken and add back to mixture with a block of cream cheese. Let cheese melt for 20 min or so and serve!

How easy are those!! I recommend a heaping pile of guacamole on each one! And, maybe a Skinny Girl Margarita...

Snow Days...

Tonight after putting 2 wild-child twinadoes down to bed, I told Jereme I now *distinctly* remember why I often felt like I had truly accomplished something last winter when day after day after day he could arrive home and not find me hiding in the closet with a bottle of vodka.

It's the not getting outdoors. Truly, I think that's it. Little boys MUST be allowed to be outside in wide, open spaces.

Items which may or may not have occurred in our home today:
1. Momma in kitchen cleaning up breakfast. Upon checking on the children in the little boys' room here is how everyone is arranged. Baby-dangling off side of bed? Check. One 3-year-old standing on bookcase? Check. Another 3-year-old wedged completely under a bed? Check.
2. Momma putting sheets on a bed with baby underfoot. Step back in laundry room. One child in washing machine? Check. One child in dryer? Check.
3. 5,001 fights and tears over whose race car this is, who took the New Holland combine or why someone touched my xyz.
4. 315 ear-piercing screams of laughter while running 315 laps through the house.
5. 2 little boys eating an entire bottle of chewable vitamins.
6. 1/2 inch of water on the entire bathroom floor.
7. Children go to basement dressed. Arrive back upstairs less than 5 minutes later buck-naked.
8. Momma realizes around 4 pm that the house is dang cold. Crud, heater is not working and husband in meetings until past 530 45 minutes away. She calls HVAC guy. Pay $67.50 for him to spend 30 seconds in my house flipping the switch back on the heater that apparently two little helpers "fixed" for her early in the day along with stripping down to bare-bottoms in the basement. Dang, they can multi-task.

Honestly, I must stop there. I fear continuing on with the day could send me to the closet anyways...

Is it just me or doesn't he seem a little too much like my baby still to be sitting up in a chair eating like this?

Because this sight...3 big boys? I'm not ready for that!!

Someone (besides me, that is) *HEARTS* cookies!!

Snow Day! (Please notice my use of exclamantion point on that even though what I really want to say is, "Oh wonderful, snow day.")


Children, this is like 1843, the only way you can be outdoors is to be working so get busy shoveling the driveway...



Well...that lasted long, didn't it!?

January = $$$$$ ??

Well, January is certainly shaping up so that we can meet our total out-of-pocket medical expenses for 2011 before the end of the month!!

This little cutie-pie...

saw the ENT today (and I'll try to refrain from calling him Dr. Good-looking!!). I talked with Dr. for a few moments, he looked in Luke's ears, said nothing, sat back and looked at me. About 10 seconds later, he said, "did you just tell me he finished 10 days of Omnicef this weekend?"
Me: Yes, he took 10 days of it, ending on Saturday, and the 10 days prior to that he was on Amoxicillian.
Dr.: You have a little boy with a very high pain tolerance. Both his ears a mess. Filled with fluid, very infected and bulging. He needs tubes...now. As in, do you have time tomorrow?
Me: No! We live in Small-town USA and we've got 2 other kids to figure out arrangements.
Dr.: No longer than 7 days. I want those tubes in by this time next week. He'll be on an antibiotic until then.
Me: Of course, I'll run away on a tropical vacation with you, but you do realize I'm married, right? Wait, I mean, okay, fine, yes, tubes it is!!

So, one week from tomorrow morning, Luke is getting tubes. So, I think I'll settle for leaving my house at 4:45 AM to get there by check-in time and praying God guides his hands the entire time!!

But, that wouldn't be dramatic enough for us so this little cutie...

is seeing a specialist in the Big City in about 10 days for his asthma. This has been a struggling, losing battle for us since about mid-November. He's been on antibiotics, several rounds of steroids, daily breathing treatments (NOT CHEAP!!) and we just can't seem to get a handle on it. All I know is they told us to make arrangements for our two as it will most likely be a long day of testing, pulmonary function stuff and who knows what else. I think that sounds cheap, don't you??

But, you know what, I am SO thankful to live in a modern time when as our pediactrician told...we can do better for him than this!!!

And, just for the record, a guy who is willing to let his 40-lb son do this for entertainment is who I would REALLY like to runaway with!!!