And then there's Addie...
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Let me just say that I am sooooooooooooooooooo glad this week is almost over. I won't go into details now, but I've had all I can stand and I can't stand no more!
And then there's Addie...
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Let me just say that I am sooooooooooooooooooo glad this week is almost over. I won't go into details now, but I've had all I can stand and I can't stand no more!
posted by Jana at 7:33 PM 2 comments
I was talking (okay, whining) to one of my co-workers today about how stressed I am and how I don't have time to enjoy my kids because I am so busy all the time. I feel like I give so much of myself away to other people's kids during the day that I don't have time to enjoy my own. When I get home I am stressed out and end up yelling at my kids. I feel bad about it afterwards, of course, but I continue to do it day in and day out. She, my co-worker and friend, began reminding me about all the good things I have in my life. As she was speaking, tears began to fill my eyes. I know I have so much to be grateful for. I just need to slow down and notice all the wonderful blessings that fill my life.
My husband is the world's best! He takes care of my every need and doesn't even mind a little constructive criticism once in a while! He treats me like a princess and has since the day we met. I can honestly say that my wonderful husband has NEVER raised his voice to me in anger. I'm sure I have given him reason (although, I can't think of a single reason at this moment!), but he has never disrespected me in any way. I love him more than I ever thought possible. I feel that he loves me more each day. For this, I am thankful.
Drew and I are healthy. Okay, we may not be the greatest physical specimens. We are able to exercise. We feel good most days. We don't have any chronic illnesses. Drew may not have all his fingers or complete use of his left hand and arm, but he has adapted so well many people never notice. And if they do, who cares! :) We may not be the weight or size we want to be or that society tells us we "should" be, but we are healthy. For this, I am thankful.
My kids are healthy. When Bryson was born with his cleft lip I thought the bottom had dropped out of my world. I realize now what a minor thing that was. Yes, it was big at the time, but minor now. He was healthy and I thought he was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. That situation also helped me realize that it is okay to have flaws. It is okay to be unique. It is okay to not be perfect. This is also going to help build character in him. Kids ask him what happened to his lip and he explains that that is how he was born and has had a couple of surgeries. Drew always says that kids are going to make fun of something and Bryson is learning how to deal with it. For this, I am thankful.
My kids are wonderful. Yes, they make mistakes. Yes, they argue. Yes, they require guidance and teaching. But they are wonderful kids. Bryson is a lot of help each day. Jackson is very independent and able to help me do some things around the house. Addison can throw away trash when I tell her to. They each contribute in their own special way. They bring me joy and make me laugh daily. I love them all with all my being. For this, I am thankful.
My extended family is loving and caring even when I don't feel like I deserve it. They have put up with me through good and bad and I'm sure that was a struggle at times! For this, I am thankful.
I have friends that love me and care about me. I enjoy spending time with them and their families. We laugh and cut up and have friendly banter. For this, I am thankful.
I have a great job that allows me time with my family in the summer and school holidays. I work with a great group of people who are becoming my friends. My principal is wonderful, supportive and encouraging. For these things, I am thankful.
I know God has blessed me with all of these people and things in my life. I know I have eternal life. For this I am eternally thankful. I also know that He loves me and wants me to be the best person and Christian I can be. (I will continue to work on this!) I know I don't deserve even a fraction of what I have, so I will be thankful. I appreciate my friend for showing me how much I have because some times I lose sight of these things.
So, when faced with a bad day, I will try to remember to be thankful for my many blessings!
posted by Jana at 12:28 PM 4 comments
This is a question my kids ask all the time when they are watching t.v. Our DVR has really messed with their perception of reality. We will record movies or shows for them to watch on the weekends. They know they can fast-forward through the commercials. When they are watching a program that is not recorded, they don't understand why they can't skip the commercials. Jackson always yells out, "Skip it, Mom!" when the commercials come on. I try to explain that it hasn't happened yet, so you cannot skip it. Just imagine trying to explain this to a four-year old! Just a few years ago, (okay, months for us~we are slightly behind times!) this was not a problem. If they were watching a show, they knew they had to sit through the commercials. Now they are either asking to skip or trying to push the fast-forward button to make it skip. I am a little confused about this when I am listening to the radio. If I miss something that is said I find myself wondering where the rewind button is! I guess my kids and I will have to get used to our new reality!
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Addison is saying some more words now.
bow
Addie
no~ This one just started tonight. I was wondering when it would rear it's ugly head!
MeMe~ Drew's grandmother
bubbas
waz at~ What's that
dat doo~ Thank you
Soon we won't be able to get her to be quiet!
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I am counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break. I REALLY need a break!
posted by Jana at 6:45 PM 3 comments
Jackson wanted to "sleep like a man" tonight so he is without a shirt. I guess he thinks men don't wear shirts to bed. I hope my "little man" doesn't get cold tonight!
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posted by Jana at 8:35 PM 3 comments
Laura, my sweet friend and Bryson's former Kindergarten teacher, asked Bryson to have breakfast with him this morning. You cannot imagine the excitement in this little boy! This morning he woke up excited and ready to go to school. I didn't even have to ask him to brush his teeth! When we had to stop for a red light he would let out a big sigh. When the light would turn green he would say, "There! Finally!" He watched the clock relentlessly. In the car he told me he "couldn't wait for his date with Miss S."
"A date?" I asked.
"Yes, Mom, it's a date."
"Well, I guess I should tell you that you don't kiss on the first date!"
"Mom, it's our second date and if you kiss your teacher it's illegal."
Maybe when he is 16 I will call girls "teachers" instead of girls and see if this still holds true!
Thank you, Laura, for loving my little boy. You are such a positive influence in his life. I appreciate your willingness and desire to give up your time to be with him!
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This has been a L-O-N-G week! I am so tired and ready for the weekend. I have been selling yo-yos all week at school and I am already sick to death of yo-yos! Yes, I agreed to sell them, but there has been one problem after another. I have said that I will NEVER agree to do this again. So, if you hear me debating about agreeing to do this again, just slap me!
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Jackson is so glad it is getting cooler. He likes to wear his "cowboy pants." This is what he calls jeans! He is the cutest little thing ever!
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Addison has been in a pretty good mood this week which makes things a little easier in the evenings. She even sat in my lap the other evening. She is NOT a snuggler, but she climbed up in my lap Monday evening and lay her head on my shoulder. "Is she sick?" I wondered. I even reached up to feel her forehead. Nope, felt fine to me. After a couple of minutes she got down. "Well, that was nice while it lasted," I thought. She came back with her blanket and climbed up again. I started singing to her and talking to her. She stayed about 30 minutes! She NEVER does this. I enjoyed every second of our snuggle time. I don't know when I will get to do this again.
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Time for dinner. I will try to have some more exciting stories next time. Don't forget to check out Drew's blog http://drewsreflectionz.blogspot.com/ if you get a chance. He is such a sweet guy. He is really venturing out of his comfort zone with his blog and I am very proud of him!
posted by Jana at 5:42 PM 4 comments
Hoppy Birsday to yoo! (No, this is not a type-0. This is what it sounds like when Japanese people sing happy birthday in English!)
Addie loved the food and the dessert!
Flying egg.
Dad, Espy and Addison.
Dad, Jackson, Addison, Me, Bryson and Drew.
posted by Jana at 12:47 PM 5 comments
I have decided to brag on Drew a bit. If you know Drew, you know how wonderfully he treats me. It is time for me to brag on him a bit because I certainly don't tell him enough how awesome he is! Sorry, Sweetie! Hopefully this will make up for some of the times I didn't take the time to thank you properly.
Drew gets up early each morning to make our lunches and at least once a week makes me a breakfast sandwich! It is really yummy! I never have to worry about what's for lunch because he takes care of it for me. He has been doing this for years, without complaint! He also makes sure Bryson's planner is signed and takes care of all necessary school papers. We both help him with homework, but Drew takes care of all the other stuff. He gets the kids dressed and fed in the mornings. All I have to do is worry about myself and do Addison's hair. As awesome as Drew is, he still can't do her hair! Any time he is able, he drops Jackson and Addison off at Miss Linda's so I can have a few extra minutes in the morning. He e-mail or texts me almost daily to find out how my day is going and to tell me he loves me. The nights he is home, he takes care of dinner. The nights he isn't home, he tries to plan and/or cook ahead of time so I don't have to worry about dinner. You know, from previous posts, how I HATE to cook! He loves to rub my feet and I, of course, take full advantage of this! If he knows I need some alone time, he is always willing to let me have it. He does the laundry, without complaint. He cleans the house, without complaint. He always tells me I am "off duty" on the weekends and don't really have to do anything but relax and take care of myself! You may be asking yourself what exactly it is that I do! I help do laundry and clean, but he says he would rather do it so I don't have to! How many men would say/do that? Basically, Drew treats me like a princess. I jokingly say that I deserve it considering how awful I was treated by some people in my past! I often wonder when he is going to get tired of treating me so well. We have been married for over 11 years and he hasn't even slowed down yet! If anything, he does more than he used to. There is so much more that he does, but Drew has dinner ready and I have to go eat!
So, Drew, I love you with all my heart and appreciate you and all you do for me and our family. You are a wonderful example to the boys about how a wife should be treated. Hopefully, they will learn from you and treat their wives with as much respect and love as you show me. It is my hope that Addison will find a husband to treat her as well as you treat me. I hope and pray she will not settle for anything less than what she is learning through your example. I know I am not always easy to love, but you do it without fail. Thank you for being you and for your unconditional and unceasing love. You are AWESOME!
posted by Jana at 5:29 PM 5 comments
Jackson: Is it Halloween, yet?
Me: Not yet.
Jackson: It will be Halloween in three weeks, right?
Me: Well, just two weeks and two days now.
Jackson: Hey, that's not much.
Me: Nope. Just sixteen days until Halloween.
Jackson: Hey, that's too many!
Me: I'm sorry. I can't do anything about that.
Jackson: The weatherman can make it Halloween.
(Yes, this sounds familiar!) :)
Me: HOW can the weatherman make it Halloween?
Jackson: With his magic star.
Me: What is a magic star?
Jackson: It's a wishing star. It means your dreams come true.
This little boy wants it to be Halloween so badly! The only reason I can think of is because he wants to be a red Power Ranger.
Okay, my life is pretty boring right now and my kids just aren't being very funny at the moment. So, I have resorted to answering a bunch of questions that were forwarded to me in an e-mail. There is really no purpose to these questions except for you to get to know me a little better! Feel free to copy and paste these onto your blog if you would like. Maybe they will spur some good conversations!
1. Do you like blue cheese? no
2. Have you ever smoked? just tried it in high school
3. Do you own a gun? Yes, I bought one for Drew before we were married. You might be a redneck...
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? grape
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Can you say "White-Coat Syndrome?"
6. What do you think of hot dogs? covered in chili and cheese!
7. What is your favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas~ Childhood memories!
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? just water or my protein drink
9. Can you do push ups? Yeah!
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring, of course!
11. Favorite hobby? I like to cross-stitch but don't have time anymore. Yes, I said cross-stitch! Suprised?
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I have internet A.D.D.!
13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? not being satisfied with who I am. Oh, yeah, and I cry at the drop of a hat when talking about kids or family.
14. Middle name? Renee
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment... I am hungry. I should helping Drew fix dinner. I am very sleepy.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? water, milk, juice
17. Current worry? When will we ever get ahead financially?
18. Current hate right now? this crazy economy
19. Favorite place to be? my grandparent's house in Octavia, Oklahoma!
20. How did you bring in the New Year? I'm almost certain I was already asleep!
21. Where would you like to go? the East Coast
22. Name three people who will complete these questions? Katie, Megan, Sarah?
23. Do you own slippers? yes
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? white
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? haven't slept on them
26. Can you whistle? yes
27. Favorite color? Pink
28. Would you be a pirate? Arrrrr! No, Matey!
29. DO YOU SING in the shower? Only when truely inspired to do so!
30. Favorite Girl's Name? Addison
31. Favorite boy's name? Bryson, Jackson, Drew
32. What's in your pocket right now? no pockets
33. Last thing that made you laugh? seeing Katie do lunges in the hall after school!
34. Best bed sheets as a child? can't remember
35. Worst injury you've ever had? tore my ACL when I was 5 weeks pregnant playing a game with the kids at school. OUCH!
36. Do you love where you live? Yes, although I don't like the drive so much.
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 4
38. Who is your loudest friend? Debbie! ;) Love Ya!
39. How many dogs do you have? two, Jessie and Belle
40. Does someone have a crush on you? does a 6 year-old count?
41. What is your favorite book? The Notebook
42. What is your favorite candy? dark chocolate
43. Favorite Sports Team? Dallas cowboys
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? It is Well.
posted by Jana at 5:20 PM 3 comments
posted by Jana at 4:58 PM 4 comments
Last night we were getting ready for bed. I didn't realize that Jackson had already gone to bed by himself. Bryson, being the concerned big brother that he is, said, "Mom, can you give me a goodnight kiss? Oh, yeah, can I have two and I'll give one to Jackson!" Needless to say, my little (big) boy got more than he needed! He can be so sweet sometimes.
I will try to post more later. I am at work right now. (Shhh, don't tell anyone!)
posted by Jana at 8:09 AM 4 comments
Bryson was practicing his picture-taking abilities.
Happy boys. They love to be outside.
Addie and her car. This is her favorite way to ride!
Jackson found some kuka burras. I have no idea if this is how you spell it, but you know what I'm talking about!
Bryson found some, too. Drew and the boys ended up throwing them at each other so they would stick to their shirts. So much fun!
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posted by Jana at 5:43 PM 2 comments
We went to another park today and had a picnic. The boys were able to feed the ducks again. Addie just ate the crackers. They played for a while then we went to see Drew's mom and MeMe. We had a good day. The weather was beautiful. I just love Fall! Enjoy the pictures! I know this is your favorite part, Grandmother! I love you!
posted by Jana at 8:26 PM 1 comments
My big, brave boys feeding the ducks and geese.
Addie would rather eat the crackers than feed the ducks!
Red-faced and tired. She had a good time chasing the boys around!
Brotherly love. This only lasted a couple of seconds!
Finally, they all sat down together and looked at the camera at the same time! Success!
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Okay, so I have no life! I am posting for the second time in a matter of hours. Spongebob is entertaining the boys and Drew is scouting a game tonight . I was at a conference for three days this week and a meeting all day today. I haven't sat down that much since, let's see, the summer. I needed to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. So, I loaded everyone up and we headed for the park. I took some old bread and crackers so we could feed the ducks. The boys were scared of them, so they stood on a rock most of the time to feed them! Addie doesn't know to be scared, so she was surrounded by them. The ducks and geese were trying to get her graham cracker that she decided to eat instead of feed it to them! Then we went to the playground. Addison is not afraid of anything. There were boys all around her chasing each other and playing pirates. She climbed up the stairs herself and went down each slide by herself. She even went down on her stomach sometimes! After the playground, we went walking. The boys chased the squirrels and Addie chased the boys. By the time we left, her soft pink dress was more beige than pink! A sign of a successful trip to the park!
posted by Jana at 7:39 PM 2 comments
Today has been tough. I thought Wednesday was a hard day- until today. Today is the "official" date on my mom's death certificate. Today was the day, four years ago, it became real. I have wanted to be alone today. I had to work today, but whenever I could I HAD to be alone. At lunch today I didn't want to talk to or see anyone. I just wanted to be alone. I usually enjoy being around a lot of people. Not today. When we were finished with our meeting I began talking to Katie. We shared a lot about our families and I felt much better. I know I can never go back and undo anything from my past. I can, however, learn from the past and try to be a better mom, wife and daughter for the family I have now. I miss my mom. I wonder what life would be like with her here. But the fact is, she is not here and never will be again. I have to love my family the way they are and for who they are and, hopefully, they will love me in return. I don't want to look back some day and have any more regrets than I already do. I have been taking things out on Drew this week. I have not wanted to talk to him or be around him. It seems like everything he does gets on my nerves. I know it is not him, it is just the way I am feeling right now. I hope he will forgive me for treating him so badly. Sorry, Sweetie. I will be better, I promise!
Katie, thanks for talking with me today and listening when I needed to talk! I appreciate your willingness to stay at work longer than you had to on a Friday afternoon. You are a true friend!
So even though I felt alone today and wanted to be alone today, I know I am not really alone. I have my family, my friends and I know the Lord is always with me.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalms 28:7 (Don't worry, I will give thanks to him in song while no one is around!)
My next post won't be so depressing. I will try to take some pictures of my kids this weekend and hopefully they will say something very funny!
posted by Jana at 4:16 PM 2 comments