Things they say...

It suddenly hit me tonight how much I miss writing, especially about my sweet angels and our crazy, beautiful life.  I logged back into my long forgotten blog and discovered this - a post I wrote a while back and never even published.  Well, it may be old but, here it is in its original glory.  I'm going to try my hardest to keep up on this long lost passion. 

Raising three boys is comical on a daily basis – especially being we are of the opposite gender!  They always have questions galore and the questions come out at the strangest moments.  Here's a sampling... all from the past week.

Mommy, why don’t girls have a penis? – We were enthralled in our movie picnic night when Jamison threw this doozy out.  The other two and I exchange glances as we secretly wondered to ourselves - where did that come from?!  My response: “Because girls have a vagina.”  Jamison: “Oh, ok.”  Phew!

Mommy, I love you.  You’re the best mommy in the whole wide world. – My babies love their mama, so this is not a rare occurrence.  But, on this day it came from the top of the tower at McD’s playland.  It was Saturday at lunch and the place was packed.  Some mom’s looked at me with a smile of admiration and awww, while others clearly wanted to smack me.  I ate it up as a PROUD mommy moment!

How many toes does a frog have? – Hey, it’s a valid question!

What is a butt crack? – Jamison was in his room getting ready when I hear this little ditty coming from his direction.  I thought to myself… did I hear him right?  What Jamison?  Even louder - What is a butt crack and how does it crack???  Yep, I definitely heard him right!

Mommy, why do you have two hearts… and why are they popping out?  You need to see at the doctor!  – I’ve heard this from all three starting right around the age of 4.  They learn young what “boobies” are, but the obsession carries on!  Surprise, surprise!

When is great grandma coming back [from heaven]?  It must be a long ways away! –  Oye, heartstrings tugged.

I need to cuddle until you get up, Mommy, but take your time cuz I’m not in a hurry. – Funny, adorable and clever all wrapped into one.  Smart little man!

Why do girls poop every time? – In the mind of a boy, sit = poop.  Of course, makes logical sense!  I explained the girls anatomy, or lack thereof, for aiming.  Jamison’s response: “Well, I like to sit and go sometimes when I’m feeling like I can’t stand.”  I get it, kid.

Nooo, don’t move my hulk!  It’s his shift to stay awake and guard my bunk from monsters! – Monsters and bad guys are a constant topic with three boys!  I assure them that all the monsters are locked away… and if one happened to escape; our house is sprayed with a no-monster shield.  Not unlike spraying for ants!

Mommy, the bully is outside walking her dog! – This was said in direct ear-shot of said bully (otherwise known as evil bully neighbor lady and creepy yappy dog.)  Oops, Mom didn’t win ANY points on that one!

Meet Jackson's Brain

Our eldest sweetheart barely failed a pediatric eye exam.  As a result, they referred him to a Pediatric Eye Doc.  The doc performed a plethora of tests including; touching his nose while being cross-eyed, measuring the longitude and latitude of his eyeball, and dilating him to the point of black olive'esque pupils.  Final determination: the nerve leading to the eye from his friend the brain wasn't firing as quickly as it should.  Could be normal or may not be normal.  Since he had passed an eye test previously, the doc decided to err on the side of caution and do an MRI to ensure nothing else was going on in his brain.  How does a mom hear this seemingly simple statement?  OH MY GOD... HE HAS A BRAIN TUMOR!!!  We promptly booked an MRI for exactly three days later.  

The day had arrived.  We checked into Children's at 11:30 with the procedure scheduled to start at 12:30.  Our little trooper hadn't eaten since the night before and casually mentioned a couple of times that he was starving.  He was actually smiley, playful, and not the least bit fearful of what was to come.  The moment arrived to head in to the "spaceship."  I thought for sure he'd look at this intimidating machine in this intimidating room with these intimidating people with masks on and run for the hills.  Not the case!  He walked in and hopped up onto the table before they even asked.  He laid down, chose bubblegum as his anesthesia flavor of choice, and was told he'd be feeling a little silly very quickly (otherwise known as laughing gas.)  We knew the moment it kicked in because his eyes actually started laughing.  Next up... the sleeping gas.  The Anesthesiologist explained to him that it would smell like the Carolina Panthers locker room.  She obviously knew the way to his heart because he drifted off to dreamland with a giant Cam Newton smile!

150 pictures and two hours later, they call us back as our first born lays sleeping - his liver working hard to burn off the Propofol remains (remind you of Michael Jackson, no?!?)  He looked so vulnerable at that moment, almost like he was a baby again.  He woke as quickly as he fell asleep, but apparently the laughing gas was still on board because this kid was hilarious!  

After a very long 24-hour wait for results, we received the GOOD NEWS.  His brain is perfection!!  I knew that all along... didn't sweat a thing!  All is good AND he has pictures of his brain to boot.  How cool is that!?  Check out those eyeballs!

Nature or Nurture?

Typically, when someone arrives at my bedside before 6am, I usher them back into bed and re-tuck extra tight.  Let me tell you, this is a difficult skill I've had to learn as a mother.  There is just something so extra sweet about cuddles in the early morning, that is until it becomes "the habit," and the habit is what drags me out of bed to re-tuck. They say it only takes three occurrences for a child to develop a habit, but "they" are vastly wrong when it comes to crawling into a warm, safe, and cozy bed with a mommy (daddy is equally applicable.) 1.25 times... that is all it takes and they are HOOKED!  Before you know it, it's 3am and someones toe is shoved up your nose, a freakishly sharp elbow is piercing your shoulder blade, and a kids is cradling your head, just as the picture (and yes, I too wear lipstick and pearls to bed.)  Something had to change!  After three nights of tears (mine from having to get up 15 times a night!) and some withdrawal shakes from the boys, we had broken the habit!  I now understood the importance of hallway ushering.

On this morning at 5am, I heard the telltale *THUMP* of little man jumping out of bed.  His feet set out down the hallway like an Olympic sprinter crossing the finish line, but as soon as he hits the door to my room he stops and tip-toes in.  He climbs on to the wood frame of the bed, puts his nose next to mine and whispers "mommy, I come in?"  He reserves this voice solely for this moment so as not to overuse it, and trust me... it is sweet enough to give you a toothache!  "Come in baby, but you have to go back to sleep."  I know I'll regret this decision, but I just couldn't help myself today.  Guess which child likes to sleep as the above referenced picture??  As I lay there, still wide awake, with a 43 pound, 3 year-old snoozing on my head I wondered.... Is a love for cuddling precipitated by nature or nurture?  Are we born with a cuddle gene or does our babyhood cuddle status impact our love of cuddling, or lack thereof?  

Jackson is the least cuddly of the three.  He also got the least amount of time sleeping with mom as a baby since I was ultra-cautious and sure he'd do a double back flip off the bed.  As each new kid came along and sleep became more elusive, my thoughts on the topic quickly changed.  3 boys under 4... you do what you gotta do to survive... and that means sleep!  Joshi spent a good amount of time sleeping with me and is super cuddly, but only on his terms.  Jamison would only sleep with me, so off to bed we go kid.  He is by far the most cuddly!  So nature or nurture?  Our experiences lead me to believe it is nurture.  Whatever it is, I'll take all the cuddles I can get... after 6am!

Call it Writers Block...

Ok, I lied.  I have never had writers block or any shortage of crazy happenings to write about!  Life has been a bit crazy and unfortunately, CookBoyChronicles paid the price.  Sincere apologies to my loyal followers who seemingly think I fell off the earth.

So what's been happening with us?  

Mr. Jackson 

• You'll notice there has been a "son" added to my eldest kids name.  He has affectionately renamed himself Jackson and gets downright offended if you call him otherwise.  Jackson it is, sweet boy.
• He has developed an intense love for football and is convinced he is the best ball catcher to ever grace this earth!  But there is one massive obstacle threatening to squash his wide-receiver dreams - he's a BLONDIE!
• "Mommy?"
• "Yes, honey."
• "I need to make my hair brown."
• "Why, blond is beautiful?"
• "Because there are no blond NFL players, I've been watching carefully!"
• "There are lots of blond players... and anyway, different is good."
• "But they won't take me if I'm blond."
• "They will, because you are the best catcher!"
• "Well you have to be the best catcher AND have brown hair."
• I promptly grabbed the iPad and googled "blond NFL players." The search was unfruitful and resulted in one semi-blond player (we debated his blondness for a good two minutes.)  I'm afraid I proved his point further.
• "Sweetie, I promise you... football skills are based on talent, not hair color. I tell you what, when you're 18 you can make your hair brown if you still want to."
• "Ok..................................... well does that mean I can color it before college or before the NFL??" 
• "You'll be going to college when your 18."  
• "Ok, I can deal with that."
• He's doing great in school with Art, Gym and Recess being his favorite subjects (not in that order.)  And he seems to be a very popular dude.  After playing outside with neighborhood buddies, he came meandering back in, stripped off his outside gear and plopped himself on the couch with a big sigh.  I said "what's wrong honey?" "I'm just so tired of them fighting over which house I should go to!  Why can't we just all play together?"  And that pretty much sums up his state personality.  He's strong-willed and somewhat stubborn, but has this giant heart.
  

Mr. Joshua

• Oh our sweet, sweet angel-faced middle child.  He has earned the nickname of "chatty charlie." Holy cow this kid can talk - and I mean non-stop.  It is very charming and endearing, and we enjoy hearing all of the valuable information he has to share in that adorable voice.  Jack, on the other hand, is brought to tears on occasion because "joshi never stops talking." :)  It's a lesson in patience for Jackson.  I, on the other hand, love it and could eat him up.  Unless it involves an hour prior to 6am, which happens often with the notoriously early riser.
• This kid proves everyday that he has a heart of gold.  Don't get me wrong, he has a small percentage of naughty, but he is so ultra-caring.  Mrs. Kocher readily admits that he is her favorite!  Empathetic, helpful, caring, rally-er, includer, and always the first to console if a buddy is less than happy.  Those are her words, but there's no doubt I agree 180%.  He was also awarded with the highest honor of 'Student of the Month' amongst his Kindergarten peers.  So very proud!
• Joshi had lots of firsts this past year.  Of course, Kindergarten is a big first.  He also had his first camp, first banana boat ride, first convertible, first cowboy experience, and many more.  He takes on any new challenge with grace and bravery and rarely ever complains about anything. This kid is destined for greatness!
  

Mr. Jamison

• Jamison has really come into his own in the past year.  His hilarious personality has sprouted, grown and flourished.  He is wise beyond his years and has a great talent for cracking up a room.  He's also very charming and will woo you quickly with those big brown eyes.  The ladies love him, old and young!
• He had a major change this past year that proved to be harder on me than it was on him.  We moved him out of our beloved Best Buy New Horizon to a center closer to home.  He moved the same time the older two started school, so he too would feel like a big boy starting school.  He handled the change like a champ without a single tear.  Ms. Annica said "we needed someone just like him in our room - he has an electric personality and happily contagious personality!"  Guess it follows him wherever he goes.  And we've discovered a brand new talent - he is a Spanish whiz!  How many 3-year olds can count to 15 in Spanish and rail off 30 Spanish words?  Spanish teacher said she's never seen a preschooler retain words like he does.  Quite impressive!
• Since he is only three and a half, we are still fine-tuning some social skills like; lift BOTH toilet seats, do not decorate the wall with chapstick, peeing in the front yard is never ok, and wear underwear to school - everyday.  You know, the basics.  

We've had challenges, as any family does, but we seem to have really come into our own.  Dad and Mom are friends and awesome co-parents and I am so very grateful for that.  I feel blessed and am looking so forward to what the future brings!

Baby Turns Two

Well, the way the past year has gone, my motto is "better late than never."  Our baby boy turned 2 in May and I'm just getting around to posting the pictures now.  Sweet boy - when you are all grown up and wonder why Mom took 7 months to post about your birthday, know that it was because I was far too busy playing with you.  Love you sweet angel!  Happy 2.5 birthday.

A Letter to My Babies...

Dear sweet baby boys,

It’s your mama here.  Have I told you in the last three minutes how special and amazing I think each of you are in your very own unique way? I'm certain I have, but just in case...

Jack Thomas – Precious first born.  I remember so clearly the first day we brought you home. It happened to be Valentines day and I couldn't have dreamed up a gift sweeter than my sweet Jack.  We laid you in your crib and just stared at you in disbelief, for what seemed like hours.  I couldn't believe you were really ours to keep.  You contently stared back as if trying to console the tears that were pouring out of my eyes.  What you didn’t know was that they were the purest and most amazing form of happy tears on earth – those caused by an overwhelming love for a child.  The past seven years have gone so fast, but it has been such a special journey to watch you grow and change.  You’ve had to endure a heavy, life-changing event and witnessing your resiliency and faith were a lesson learned for all.  Your braveness and courage never cease to amaze.  You are smart, proud, silly, caring, a master rule-enforcer, math whiz, mischievous, sassy, mama’s little helper, and so creative.  I am so proud of you and the man you are becoming.

Joshua Corey – Beautiful middle child.  Delivery was a rough go with some scary moments, but once you made your way into the world, the room was stunned with your perfection.  A nurse called you the most beautiful baby she had ever seen… quite the honor little man.  As you have grown, we’ve come to realize your soul matches the exterior beauty.  At the tender age of four, it is already apparent how deeply and passionately you care for the people in your life. I want to eat you up, even when you have your famous mad face on. You are always the first to notice when someone is sad or hurting and are the first to shower them with your contagious hugs and kisses.  You are known at school for your caring ways and unique ability to make a friend feel better in any situation – even if it means sacrificing your own happiness to do so.  You are fun, smart, happy-go-lucky, a master builder, boundary tester, sneaky, playful, and the peace-maker of the family.  I am so proud of you and the man you are becoming.

Jamison Reece – Three of a kind makes a perfect hand!  You were an un-planned gift from above, but the universe would not be the same without your sweet existence.  You bring so much joy to our world with your funny talk, sheer belief that you are Superman, 101 unique animated faces, constant giggles, and never-ending playfulness.  Those big brown, piercing eyes have the ability to melt anyone like butter, especially mom and dad.  You instinctively know it’s difficult to discipline you because you are so dang cute and have a way of dispelling naughtiness.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to fight back laughter while showing you the “right way.”  We watch you grow more and more each day and are always reminded of what a little stud you are.  You are my instinctively natural gentleman, always the first to hold the door or carry something for mommy, even if you do leave a trail of bananas behind you.  Watch out ladies.  You are easy-going, fun-loving, too smart for your own good, older than your years, carefree, independent, and the comedian of the family.  I am so proud of you and the man you are becoming.

Sweet children of mine, I feel so incredibly blessed that I was chosen to be your mom.  I don’t claim to be perfect.  My patience may run low when the volume hits levels only dogs can hear, or when I find red toothpaste on the carpet… yet again, when your chosen word of the day is stupid-head, or when I feel like all of you are buzzing around me like bees, moving from place to place as one cohesive hive.  The love for you never changes.  I promise to go to the ends of the earth to protect you, love you, cherish you, respect you, guide you, and teach you how to be strong, independent gentleman (we know how mommy appreciates gentleman!)  I will encourage your growth, cheer for you as you conquer your fears, be your biggest fan, and teach you about empathy and giving back to the world.  You are my heart and souls, the loves of my life, and the most perfect things on this earth. 

Love you to infinity,

Mommy

Pliers Please

The wait has been long.  The wonder has been endless. The question has been asked daily.  When am I going to lose my first tooth?  Why has everyone else in the WHOLE WORLD lost a tooth but me? Dentist confirmed first tooth would not be lost until the ripe old age of 7, five loooonnng months away. Ugh, it's just never going to happen.

Well, imagine the excitement when little man discovered that that one little bottom tooth MIGHT be a little wiggly.  Yes, it's definitely wiggly.  More wiggly.  Whoa, really wiggly.  Beyond wiggly - can now be folded in half (just plain creepy, if you ask me.)  Time for that little white wonder, who has served us loyally for 6.5 years, to come out.  We tugged.  We pulled.  We yanked.  We plier'd.  Yes, JT wanted this tooth out soooo bad he actually allowed me to pull it out with a pliers.  After three different plier styles, a couple of slips and a good yank, we plucked that tooth right out of that mouth.

 I've never seen a bigger toothless smile in all my life!

The loss of the first tooth was a definite mental milestone for this kid... like the official passageway into manhood.  He was one proud little man and I was one proud mama of his complete and utter plier braveness.  Such a stud!

Hey Baby...

Your crib or mine?

Now I'm a romantic, so this is how it's going to go down....

A little star gazing.

A little dancing.

Some ear nibbles.

Playin hard to get (but you know I'm into ya girl.)

Going in for the ever so gentle kiss...

 Love ya sweet girl.

Ahhh, young love!  Yeah, and if you noticed the beads, get your mind out of the gutter.  They're two!  

* The curly haired, porcelain cutie is Addison - courtesy of my dear friend Autumn.

It's Been Three Months Since My Last Confession... er, Post.

Hello friends.  Long time no write!!!  I promised on my last post in *ahem* JUNE that I would get better about writing.  Well, clearly my very good, and well meaning, intentions didn't pan out.  What can I say, 3 boys, life is crazy!

So what's been happening with us?  

jack

He's a big man on campus now... 1st grader!  He is absolutely loving school and doing so ridiculously well.  Brag moment: he's a math whiz!  Clearly does not get that from his mama.  The big change this year was moving schools but he conquered it like a stud and handled it like a champ - no fear!  Lots of new friends and even appears to be a class leader.  

His new love is Michael Jackson.  He knows all the moves to Beat It, Thriller, Billy Jean, and a couple other favs.  He dons the sparkly black fedora, white tee, black pants, one white glove and gets his groove on more often than MJ did himself.  Photos to come soon since my little blondie plans to thrillerize for Halloween.

Jack went through a grumpy phase where most of his communication came in the form of a grunt.  He has emerged from that difficult phase in a big way and has returned to the happy, joyful, full of love, 6-year old that we know he is.  It warms a parent's heart to see such a drastic change in your child.  Big J is growing up so fast!

joshua

Middle J is still his sweet little love bug self.  I could just eat him up!  He is however, the little night owl AND early bird of the family.  In bed by 7:45pm, asleep by 9:30pm and up with the rooster's at 6:00am, along with his signature beaming smile and "Mommy, can I cuddle?"  I swear he sets his own internal alarm to allow for pre-shower cuddle time, and I love it, but it would be nice if he could push snooze a couple times.

Joshi really is the big man on campus, pre-school campus that is.  He has conquered young pre-school, mid pre, and has officially moved to pre-school, which is the last stop before Kindergarten.  It is so hard to believe that a year from now he'll be a schooler.  My heart is breaking at how quickly he is growing up but it is so fun to watch.  

Favorites these days include Soccer John, anything pink (yes, still), Toy Story, his "babies", playing dress up, and sitting on Jamison.  He has also discovered his mischievous ways but covers them ever so eloquently with his oozing, and I mean oozing, charm.  This kid is such a delight!

jamison

Doing?  Eating?  Why?  Movie on now.  Home, me.  Eat, me.  Boy oh boy, little J has become a talker!    Not just any talker though... his unique speech is contagious.  In fact, I'm thinking about trademarking "Doing?" because it has spread like a virus amongst those who spend time with him.  It is so fun to have 3 of 3 kids that can actually tell me what they want or need.  The guessing game in the face of crankiness is a thing of the past.  Hallelujah... another milestone hit! 

It is so fun to watch development at this age.  He is two going on five and I can only attribute that to being the third child.  He works hard at keeping up with his big brothers and is almost always successful.  I know when he has had enough when I get the telltale "mommy, UP" tug at my leg.  It's a great reminder that he is still my baby.  Oh baby, don't grow up so fast.

Comedian in da house!  Little J is going to be in showbiz for sure.  This child is hilarious.

the move

The boys and I moved to Eden Prairie the beginning of August to make it easier to sell the house.  We are loving our new townhouse in a beautiful neighborhood overrun with kids.  In fact, Jack's bus stop alone fills an entire bus!  It's like nothing I've ever seen.  The parents all seem to know each other and gather every morning like it's Friday happy hour.  I keep waiting for someone to roll out the beer cart.  I, on the other hand, roll up in the VW MV just seconds before (or more often than not, seconds after) the bus arrives.  If he makes it onto the bus, it's a successful morning, even though I may have forgotten to put my shoes on.

Dad is living in the old house until it sells.  The boys have adjusted so well to having two homes and almost seem proud of the fact that they get to have special time with Mommy and Daddy.  We couldn't have asked for a better transition.  

That's all for now.  I would love to promise it won't be three months before the next post... but I've come to the conclusion that my harried lifestyle does not allow for such promises.  

Kisses.

Birds and the Bees - Turtle Style

The boys and I arrived home a couple of days ago to find that our yard had been suddenly overrun with animals.  It was like Noah's arc had disembarked in our back yard and I suddenly felt like Snow White and the three dwarfs.  A bunny the size of a small pony immediately caught our eye resulting in an olympic race to the window.  After watching the bunny clean itself by dipping it's little paw (paw? Is that right... what is a bunny foot called?) in the blowup pool that has come to resemble the Clampets, the boys honed in on a turtle.  The excitement was overwhelming.  It was like they had seen a unicorn leaping over a rainbow.

As we concentrated on our new found green friend, it seemed to be doing something very odd so I told the boys "wait here, Mommy is going to investigate further."  I jumped out the patio door and walked over to the turtle as the boys lingered cautiously in the doorway, unsure of what was to be discovered.  As my eyes focused on this turtle and it's odd behavior, a big white egg suddenly popped out.  Now it was if Mommy had seen a unicorn jumping over a rainbow because I screamed at the top of my lungs "come here guys... AND RUN!"  Jamison must have been thinking "you crazy lady if you think I'm heading anywhere near you and that prehistoric creature" because he stayed contently in the door.  Jack and Josh, on the other hand, made a t-line towards me to see what the fuss was all about.  About a minute of me saying "just watch, just watch, just watch... it will come" another finally came.

This picture is less than fantastic but you can see the white egg coming out.

As that big white egg made its way out of this poor turtles vajay, Jack grabbed my arm in disbelief, took the biggest surprised gasp of air you can imagine, and held his breath for what seemed like 15 seconds.  Joshi's eyes were as big as saucers and then he promptly asked "mommy, why that turtle have white poop?"  We all chuckled and continued watching.  Minutes passed and 4 more eggs fell into the impressive hole this little creature had dug for it's youngins.  When she was done, she eloquently replaced the large pile of mud and even managed to pack some grass over the top for added camouflage.  Truly impressive after birthing quintuplets - really!

I was holding my breath but luckily no birds and bees questions came up from these curious little fellas, but I'm pretty sure that is because I purposefully and continuously referred to her as a "he", like that would somehow throw off their reproductive thought process.  Whatever works!

Come Out, Come Out...

Oh tryicycle... where are you?  Come out, come out wherever you are!

Hello friends and loyal followers.  I was hoping an ultra cute picture of Jamison would evoke a smile and allow you to forgive me for being completely MIA for the past 6 weeks.  Life has been beyond crazy, adventurous, and just plain wild.  I'm back now and have a whole lot of happenings to update you on so, stay tuned!

Nanny Tampax

Jamison is a holy terror in the morning when the family is trying to get ready, it's almost comical, almost.  The kid is smarter than a whip and knows just the right mess to get into to get some added morning attention.  Today, as he was unloading the cupboard under my bathroom sink, he discovered a big box of tampons.  It was clear by the look on his face that this was a 1-year olds version of hitting the lotto!  He tucked those tampons under his arm and took off like Adrian Peterson running for the end zone.  I thought to myself "should I get them... hell no... maybe they will occupy him just long enough to blow dry my hair."  But first I had to check out his plan for these new found treasures.  He plopped down on the bean chair in his room, carefully contemplated the unfamiliar territory, and eventually decided it was safe to dig in.  Let's see... where do I start?  Super, regular or lite?

 Regular seems like a safe choice.

 Need another.

 And another.

I headed back to the bathroom.  By the time I returned, he had clearly acclimated himself with the stick friends and was as engaged as the moment I left.  But the sight had changed a bit...

It was like a tampon massacre, but was worth each and every casualty!