Mother May I?

Benjamin's new thing lately is to ask permission for everything! He'll say "Momma, is it okay if....(insert whatever he wants)?" If I say yes, he'll run to daddy very excitedly and say "Momma said it was okay!" Or when I'm making his lunch he'll pull up his little chair to the island and watch me make it. While I'm putting the grapes, green beans, or whatever finger food it is at that time on his plate he'll ask "is it okay if I have one?" How can you say no to that? Sweet little man.

We've made some major progress with Savannah. She's only nursing one time a day now - right before bed. I'm a little concerned that she really doesn't drink much during the day. I'll offer her a bottle several times a day and each time she'll only drink an ounce or maybe 3 ounces. There's only been a couple of times that she's taken an entire 4 ounces. I guess if she's thirsty she'll drink more, right?

So What's Your Favorite Color?

On the way home from the gym the other day I asked Benjamin to name all of our favorite colors. He got 2 right. Mine and his. Not sure where he came up with the other two. Here's his response:
1. Mamma's is orange.
2. Savannah's is black.
3. Benjamin's is pink.
4. David's is a BIG BIG rainbow.

I must be easily amused because #4 made me laugh all the way home.

Savannah Strikes a Pose

Recently Savannah has started reaching for us to pick her up. Makes us smile every time. (By the way, she doesn't normally hang out around the house in a tutu...I was trying to get some pictures for Valentine's that day).













This is another variation of the pose, she puts her head down and stretches her arms as far as she can. Funny girl.

Children

I know I said I wasn't going to smile for the next few days but my mother-in-law made a liar out of me. By the way, I've received some phone calls and emails about the last post, seriously, it was written mostly out of humor (although there might be a little truth to it). I'm really okay - my attempt at humor failed miserably. Things are all good (except for David's leg) and I'm extremely blessed. As my dad says, "life is good". At any rate, this is an email she sent that made me laugh....

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.

And the first thing he said was 'DON'T !'

'Don't what?' Adam replied.

'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said.

'Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden fruit!'

'No Way!'

'Yes way!'

'Do NOT eat the fruit!' said God.

'Why?'

'Because I am your Father and I said so!' God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! 'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?' God asked.

'Uh huh,' Adam replied.

'Then why did you?' said the Father.

'I don't know,' said Eve.

'She started it!' Adam said.

'Did not!'

'Did too!'

'DID NOT!'

Having had it with the two of them,God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.

If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

2. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

3. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word
what you shouldn't have said.

4. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

5. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

ADVICE FOR THE DAY:

Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day

AND FINALLY:

IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:

'TAKE TWO ASPIRIN'
AND 'KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN'!!!!!

No More Nice Kelly

Just FYI, I'm tired of being nice and I'm taking a few days off....no more smiling, no more "how are you", no more compliments, no more doing nice things for other people just because I feel like it. Basically, no more being friendly for the next few days. So if you see me, run the other way. (psssst, I'm having one of those "glass is half-empty" days). Good mood come back!

Long Time No See

Thanks to Facebook, some friends of mine from high school all met up for dinner tonight at Blue Mesa. I can't believe it's been almost 17 years since I've seen these people. Wow! Really? Did I really graduate almost 17 years ago? I still feel like I'm 17 years old...still feel all geeky and insecure. Okay, so I'm twice that age now and the insecure and geeky are still there. Will that part ever go away? Geez. Anyway, I had a good time reconnecting. Go Facebook!

Huh?

Benjamin walks in the living room the other night and says this to David and me - "I bumped my head and starting mooing like a cow "moooooo" and now I go to the doctor, bye". David and I were rolling!

I've Lost my Cool

Before I had kids, I knew about all the latest groups, songs, movies, and was up on all the latest Hollywood gossip. Since kids, my television is now limited to cartoons, my music is now "Old McDonald had a Farm", and my movies are now "Cars" and any "Veggie Tales" movie I can get my hands on. I rarely watch TV just for myself. I rarely see movies for grown-ups anymore. Although I did see "New Moon" last month - which is the first grown-up movie I had seen in a theater in many, many months. Oh, oops. Did I say, "grown-up" movie? Okay, maybe not "grown-up" but "tween" movie....slight blush. (Go Team Edward). Sorry, I digress. The music in my car is either a children's CD, Christian radio, or some CD that I approve of that is suitable for kids (Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, classical, opera, etc.) Okay, you get the point, right?

While at the gym the other day I situated myself in front of one of their many televisions, which is what I normally do. I don't normally pay attention to what is on because I turn on my iPod and zone off into "Kelly world". However, that day I happen to notice the television in front of me and what was on the screen. It was one of the pop music stations. Honestly, I was grossed out. I was embarrassed. I couldn't believe that these images are considered normal now. I've come to a conclusion. Before kids, these images, videos, movies, and music were all around me. It's not that it's gotten worse, it's just that I had become desensitized to it. Now that I've been away from it for so long I'm more sensitive.

For the record, I don't consider myself too old-fashioned but I do think that there should be some lines drawn when it comes to what we hear and what we see. Let me correct that, what we are "forced" to see once we turn on the boob tube. What's happen to purity, modesty, and clean feminity? Seriously? Why can't people see that vulgarity and violence won't lead to anything good? Why aren't more people out there as embarrassed as I was? Why aren't more people out there actually saddened by the violence that's considered entertainment?

I'm going to do my best to not let that part of society saturate my childrens' lives - to filter it as much as I can. Fortunately, what I like about the age of my children now (and for the next several years, I hope) is that I feel like I have a lot of control of what images and sounds penetrate their lives. I want them to be able to keep their innocence as long as they can. What's wrong with that? Of course I don't think they should be ignorant of the tastlessness in our society. But what I can do is try to equip them of what is right and wrong in God's eyes. To pray for them to have wisdom to make wise choices and know that just because society says it's okay doesn't mean it is.

Why can't all shows be like the Brady Bunch? Why can't all music be like Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters, or Donnie and Marie? In my pefect world, they would be. Boo ya.

God's Sense of Humor

My patience level has been minimal lately and I've been a little cranky. And I haven't had enough time, energy, or even desire to figure out why. But just when I think I can't take it anymore God throws another log on the fire and heats things up a bit. As David was up in the attic doing some work he fell through our ceiling and messed his leg up pretty bad. Now we have a hole in our ceiling and I have a husband in a lot of pain. Poor guy. I don't think I've ever seen a knee swell so big. Per doctor's orders he's supposed to stay off of it for a few days.