col·or·ful

Rough Cut?

My maternal grandfather is a carpenter, as well as Gordon's father.   Thus, it is no surprise that W&H wake up each Saturday morning to watch ROUGH CUT on PBS.   Most kids watch cartoons, but you can't pry my two away from this show when they are home to watch.    

Needless to say, they had a blast putting their rough cut skills to practice in my grandfather's shop in KY this week.

W {below}:

H {below}:

Even Baby H got in on the saw dust action:

 

Always looking for a way to point the boys to Christ, I told them Jesus was a carpenter.   H's reply: "Well, I'm not a carpenter, I just like to put holes in wood."   Fair enough!  ;-)

Anybody Home?

That's probably what you are wondering about my blogging.  It's been a while.   I can't tell you how many times I've thought, "man, this would be good blog material" - but reality is....

 
 These 3 keep me super duper busy.  {Yes, i've figured out why these pics are fuzzy and have corrected the problem.}   And, I've been seriously limiting computer time in order to manage my household more efficiently.   Oh, and, I'm now....

Chasing after baby H, who is almost 16 mos and walking and gaining speed daily.   Just look at the determination & concentration on his face.    And....

the self-pride!!!!!   And....

the bruises this new found skill creates.  In addition to life with boys, we switched all our computers to Macs, and I'm slowly but surely figuring it out.  Tonight I learned that I can edit pictures so easily that....

 WA-LA!!!  I can remove the bruise with one click of my mouse -- boo boo is gone.  Seriously, Macs are AMAZINGLY easy to operate.   Wow!   As soon as I publish this post, I'll be seeing if I can work some wonders on the bags and wrinkles under my eyes.  ;-)

I'm not going to try to play a complete game of catch up in this post.   Just a few....

W has had strep A twice within a 35 day period.   Even Baby H got it, which is uncommon in kids under 3.  W runs a fever and complains his "neck" hurts.   I couldn't figure out what was wrong with Baby H....for almost 24 hours he "signed" the sign for "more" constantly.   Finally, I figured out he wanted a drink {more drink} b.c his throat hurt.  Poor baby.  

H has yet to get it.   Which is only fair b.c his spring allergies went wild again this year.  We were back on about 7 meds for 8 weeks and are slowly weaning off.  H often says, "I'm about to say a bad word mom, I HATE allergies."  {hate is the bad word if you were wondering}   But, one thing H loved this semester....

Being Star of the Week and having Roxy, the JK class mascot, live with us for a week!   Roxy actually visited our household twice this semester.   Gotta love twin parenting in the same classroom.   Back - to - back "star of the week" projects that had to be different & toting a stuffed animal everywhere & to different places for 2 weeks!   H loved having Roxy with us.  W was not so interested.   

I got my childhood doll cradle down from the attic to give Roxy proper sleeping arrangements since she'd be with us for 2 weeks.   The boys weren't too impressed.   Someday I'll learn that they are boys and don't care about things like these, or may I won't and I'll continue to indulge myself.  This may be the only time my doll cradle gets back down until grandchildren, God willing, so I enjoyed it.   Okay, enough of Roxy....really s/he could have his/her own post.   Roxy is a girl when she goes home with a girl in the class, and vice versa.  

So......just wanted you to know.....

A)  We are still home.  Although our home has been on the market for 45 days...another reason contributing to lack of posts.

B)  Summer is almost here.   5 days of school left and counting!  

C) We are still having fun, making lots of noise, and I'm hoping to blog about it more soon!   We also have 3 sets of drum sticks, but prefer to use tinker toy sticks instead.  Go figure.   

For Mother's Day, the boys told G they wanted to give me an "arm brace" and a "neck brace".   Not sure if that is a cute, 5 year old way of saying jewelry, or if they plan to take me "down" on Sunday.

Be back soon, if I'm not in my neck and arm brace....

--JB

The month of December...

in pictures and a few words....

 
 
Both of the above pics were our Christmas Card photos from 2010.   In case you read and didn't get a card, it wasn't intentional.   I accidentally deleted our entire list and had to re-create it off a list from 2005.   Not fun....oh SOOOOO not fun.   Message me if you didn't receive one and I'll make sure you are added.  And, forgive us.

 
Hank got his first big bruise {forehead}.   I'm sure this will be the first of many as he is now....

 
Pulling up & quite proud of it.  He also got ear tubes the week before Christmas, and cut his first tooth {top left} two days after Christmas. 

 
Our Frazer Fir was quite possibly the most imperfect tree I've ever picked.   Lop-sided, gaps, weak branches.  Not sure what I was thinking when we picked it -- or maybe I wasn't.  I definitely took some Christmas-tree-pickin'-notes for next year.  However, I couldn't help but smile each time I sat near it and all it's imperfection....for my absolute favorite Christmas book is Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect.  God used my imperfect tree to teach me several important spiritual lessons this December.  Mainly, that weak branches cannot and were not meant to hold heavy ornaments.   For that reason, our tree had far less ornaments than usual, and several fell and then sat at the base of the tree.   Personally, I realized the weight of sin, guilt, and burdens that I need to rid myself of and leave at the foot/base of the cross.   I could go on.....but there are many more pictures to show you.

 
Also at the base of our imperfect tree were our advent presents and devotions for each day of Christmas.  This was my 3rd year to use the Celebrate Christ...25 Ways in 25 Days advent calendar.   Each year it gets easier to pull off, and this is definitely the highlight of the month of December in our house.    Curling up each morning in the 5:30 am darkness with W&H to open God's word and anticipate His coming was more than heart warming.   Keeping it real, they definitely anticipate the treat more than the spiritual lesson...but I have no doubt seeds are planted! 

 
We often had visitors in our multiple nativity scenes.   Not sure if Army man is bowing down before the King, or holding plank, or beginning push ups.   As I told a friend, I often have to pray {in agony} when holding plank.....so he was quite appropriately placed in my opinion.  He He He!!!!

 
 
The EUMK JK/SK Christmas Program was definitely a highlight....

 
 
Hil had the "star role" {pun intended} of hanging the shiny star on the Christmas tree.   I giggled when I caught him with his Grandi-tongue sticking out!

 
 
 Wilson had the "coveted" role of melting snowman.   Coveted because of the glittery top hat and the fact that he got to "melt" which basically meant fallling down as fast and ferociously as possible in front of a laughing audience.   Isn't that every little 5 year old boy's dream?

 
Following the program, 16 excited children got to decorate gingerbread houses.   After this event, I have gingerbread house making and decorating down to a science.   Although, I'm not sure I'm for hire next year!

 
 
I love, love, love the finished product of a gingerbread house decorated by grubby little preschool hands.....

 
And in case you {mostly family members} get frustrated by my lack of posting....here's proof {25 houses built and then strategically placed in a box to transport}.   Parenting plus JK room mom = very little time to blog!

 
Another tradition I love is our advent wreath.   This year, I used doilies made by my great grandmother that survived the Murfreesboro tornado as a table runner under the wreath.  So special to me.

 
Oh, and our exterior lights.   G did an excellent job this year!!!  Overall, we really tried to simpify our calendar and even our interior decorations this year.   The one quote I don't want to forget from December 2010 was from the mouth of W.   EVERY DAY, he would come to me in all seriousness and say, "Momma, we really need some more decorations in our house....it's just not decorated enough.  Momma, pluuueeaaasseeee, more decorations."  By decorations, he means inflatables and tacky!!!!!  Maybe next year my son.....

BTW, this is to be continued.....

Up next....Christmas in KY and Christmas in AR....to complete the month of December.

 

Ice Ice Baby {ok, that's a bad title}...

In case you didn't know, G works at SunTrust...the title sponsor each year of Zoo Lights!  Zoo Lights is fabulous {everything at the Memphis Zoo is pretty fabulous}, and  the addition of an ice skating rink near Teton Trek makes it even more fab in my opinion!  

Back when the Mall of Memphis was actually a mall and not flat ground, my mom let me take ice skating lessons at the Ice Chalet.   I've always loved ice skating and roller skating, but it has been YEARS since I've skated on ice, and I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to "put my money where my mouth is" so to speak, given the fact that G does not ice skate or roller skate!  And, I would be teaching W, H, and our friends 'Marqu' and 'Tria'....all who had never skated before.

Needless to say, I can still skate, and I HAD A BLAST.  I have a horrible chest cold {bronchitis} and almost stayed home, but am so glad I didn't!  For the first time ever, I was able to teach my big boys how to do something that my husband {the teacher of all things athletic} can't do.  I realize that sounds a little competetive, but that's not what I mean.   It's just that now I know why he loves to spend hours on end with them teaching baseball, and climbing, and bike riding, etc.   It is so much fun to be outdoors & active, all the while watching their faces and celebrating the small victories until it clicks.  Granted, I know I teach the kids lots of things....just usually not athletic things. 

Equally as fun was letting Marqu (7) and Tria (10) experience something they have never done before!  We ate a chick-fil-a beforehand and it was also their first time to eat at chick-fil-a.  Really, this could be a whole new post topic....but not the purpose of this post! {Aside:  we've been involved in the life of these children for a few year through a ministry started in our SS class.}

At first, there was ALOT of holding on to the rail:

 
 

And, ultimately, 'Tria decided staying by the rail the whole time suited her just fine:

 

 
Marq, on the otherhand, had it down by the end of the night.

I don't have any pictures of W&H away from the wall, but by the end, they were skating a few yards.  We are definitely going back, as I know they'll get the hang of it quickly.   It is amazing how fearless children are!

G snapped this photo of me....not a fan of my quirky grin {or the fact that if I wear toothpick jeans, I need a longer shirt, ha!}, but just provin' to mom and dad that the lessons paid off,  bc I can still skate backwards...and hold on to multiple children without tipping over or wiping out.  :-)

 

We would have stayed longer, but this guy was DONE:

 

He has a double ear infection that won't clear.  Pathetic week we've had....ENT evaluation on Tuesday.  Looks like baby H is getting tubes for Christmas!

Back-logged....

My brain is blog back-logged... .so many pictures to upload and 'post' ideas swarming through my head....and so little time to actually sit still to get them on the computer.  I guess now would be the appropriate time to admit that 3 children has rocked my world in terms of what my days look like {read: time management}.   Gone are the days of  two children who napped for 3 hours, 7 days a week -- while I tended to housekeeping, blogging, and the like.  Since having 3 children, I actually can't remember a time in 2010 when all 3  have napped at the same time....I know it has happenend, but I'm quite sure it can be counted on one hand.   W&H are 5, and only nap about 2x a week {typically Wed and Sun}, and baby H just catches a nap when he can.  Basically, that was a long, drawn-out way to say that I used to blog when my children napped.....no naps = no blog posts.   That's just reality for me, folks.   No promises that I know I can't keep.

But, these 3 things have back logged by thoughts 1: Pump It Up party pics, 2: Family Halloween, and 3:  Random Cuteness.  

(1).  After H's cast was removed, we had their  pump it up birthday party the weekend of Halloween.   

 
 
 
 

Pump it Up was full of lots of rowdy boys, primarily from their classroom of 14 boys, and a few girls who made the cut!  :-)

(2.)  And then there was actual Halloween:

 

It was IMPOSSIBLE to get all three children to look at the camera....

 

We had many wardrobe changes over Halloween weekend....we were football players, pirates, spidermen, and army men.  And Hank just sported the pumpkin sweatshirt {hand me down}.

 

It's even harder to get more than a dozen children to look at the camera!   We spent Halloween trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and a section one n'hood over on Mary Ann Street.   This was the first year W&H have really trick-or-treated.     In the past we've done fall festivals or trunk-or-treats.   When they realized a quick, doorbell ring, followed by "trick-or-treat" and a "thank you" was all it took to get gobs of candy....they were elated {understatement}.   They ran from house to house. 

 
Above is a snap shot of the running.  You can see Wilson on the far right corner of the pic!

(3).  Finally, I'll leave you with this random cuteness:

 

Don't you wish you had a tonge-stuck-out cabana boy like this to scooter your goods from car to house?   The boys love bringing in the groceries this way!

 

And this one, from our october family photo shoot.....just to give H some photo time!  This is such an age appropriate shot...he's always looking up and smiling at his big brothers!

Thanks for reading!

 

9...really 10 mos old...

Hank turns 10 months old next week...

 

In his 9th month, he has learned to crawl, pull up to his knees, get in a sitting position from his belly or back, clap his hands, and say lots of sounds/words {dada, mama, baba, dis}.  He remains the most joyful baby I've ever been around.  {yes, i am biased....but man, he's really a good baby}. 

He loves table foods.   His favorites seem to be green beans, bananas, avocado, black beans, cheese pizza, flaked white fish, diced baked sweet potatoe fries, veggie straws, and soy crisps. 

In true "3rd child" form, I have misplaced his stat sheet from his 9 month check-up, but I do know that he weighs 23.13 lbs....he's long & his head is big.   Height and weight are 95%...head 100%....I remember that much.    He wears 18 month clothing, sucks his index finger, and is quite attached to his mama....but also quite enamored with this "dada" and "babas".

 

 

 
See those big blue eyes????   I catch myself staring at Hank constantly....I feel like I don't get much done these days, but I sure do enjoy his company while the older 2 are in school.   

Belated Birthday...

On September 24th, Wilson and Hil turned 5 years old.  We have yet to have their official party due to the "boot".   But, here is how we celebrated at home....

 
Real basketballs {notice Wilson got a "wilson" b-ball, and Hil got a Spalding...remember the tennis racquet incident?...not making that mistake again}....star wars games for the leapster....and belts like daddy.   The basketballs were just a forshadowing to the BIG PRESENT.

 
Can you guess what it is?  Here is my hubby, in the dark, assembling the BIG PRESENT....He started at 8:30 pm and was still going strong with assembly at 11:00 pm....

 
HERE IT IS ASSEMBLED.....A REAL BASKETBALL GOAL!!!!

 
Our incredibly AWESOME babysitter suprised the boys by putting this "beary birthday" wooden cutout in our yard -- complete with balloons -- on the eve of their birthday.  Her parents did this for her as a little girl.  I'm still blown away at her thoughtfulness in doing this -- and I'm so THANKFUL for her.   She is such a blessing to our family and an answer to prayer {being that we have no family in town for sitting needs}.

 
Here is Hil when he realized he had a REAL basketball goal at his house!!!

 
We also had cake {small ones, since we will have a big one at the belated party}.

 

And these Ole Miss football uniforms were quite the hit, too.

As you can imagine, they are already talking about turning 6.  I'm trying really hard to refocus them on being content with being 5!

Happy Birthday Wilson and Hil!

 

Awful and Awesome...

It's been a long while since I've posted.   September ended up being one of the craziest months I've experienced in a really long time.   There is much to blog about, and I intend to play catch up this week.  One of the highlights of September happened to this guy:

 

Please bear with all these fuzzy iPhone pics.  Here is Hil, in the waiting room of Dr. Flinn's x-ray clinic.....waiting to find out if his right foot was broken.   In case you are wondering, this is the AWFUL part of the post. 

 
Or maybe it's the AWESOME part, because the waiting area was quite kid-friendly.  He made me take pictures of all the toys in the waiting room, so he could show his brother all the fun things he got to  play  with.   And, check out this x-ray room:

 

After the outer space x-ray, it was determined Hil had a metatarsal fracture in 2 places on his right foot.     How did this happen?  From a simple and disobedient game of "tag" in the lobby of our church after worship.   It did not look like the type of fall that would generate a fracture at all.  Such is the case with these type of fractures -- now that I've brushed up on that day of orthopedic class.  {OUTER SPACE X RAY ROOM = AWESOME,  THE VERDICT = AWFUL}

So, here he is...the next day....at Campbell Clinic.  He remains all smiles.  Not pictured is me, anxiously wondering if we will get a real cast or just a boot.

 

AWESOME news!!!  Just a boot.   He can take it off to sleep, and more importantly -- BATHE!

 
Hil, of course, was most excited about the sucker in his hand.   He had to grab 2....one for "brother".  The boot has been on for a month, and we get it off Tuesday.  It hasn't slowed Hil down for even a second.  He rides his bike & scooter, runs, and prefers to kick with the broken foot for added "ummphh".    He has also loved the attention the boot has generated, especially taking his xrays to school.

On the other hand, his twin brother has not been such a fan of this attention.   For the first 24 hours, Wilson wore a tube sock over his "fractured" arm.  I played along and even let him wear it to school.    On the day that Hil got the boot, Wilson crawled up in my lap to tell me how much he wished he had one {don't you remember wanting casts and braces and glasses as a kid?}...as we talked he told me, "Mom, you know, Hil's broken foot is just AWFUL.....and it's AWESOME."  

I think that pretty much sums up the heart of a little boy....this broken bone experience....and really, the whole month of September.

More to follow.....if any of you still read.

 

Rub a dub dub...

3 boys in the tub!!!!

It's photos like these that made me want to make the blog private!  Would have never posted this publically

 

The triple bath doesn't happen often at our house....but boy oh boy (no pun intended), it sure is nice to get them all clean in one fell swoop.  It's also slightly nerve wracking to protect the one in the middle.   

Hank was weighed this morning.  23 lbs.  He's exactly half the weight of his five year old brothers.  Height, Weight and Head are tipping the charts.  He likes to eat.  I am somehow managing to continue nursing (although he is very distracted and I'm back and forth about what to do going forward).  He LOVES solids (babyfood and finger foods) and screams for more at every meal.  We are already working on sign language for "more, please."  He has yet to refuse a food.  I bet you aren't suprised.  My ped suggested adding more protein to his diet (full fat yogurt, finely shredded fish and meat, cheese)  -- it's always so fun to introduce them to new foods & I'm thankful we are headed down the road where he can eat what the family eats.  Oh, and still no teeth.  Wilson and Hil didn't cut their first tooth until 10 months, and then only had 2 teeth for quite some time.  I'm quite ok with that "gummy" grin!

 

Oh, and these two picked out these SUPER FAST shoes like "daddy".    They ran in a 100 yard dash last weekend and were so proud of themselves!

Brothers....

This week was a first for me & baby H....

His first time to swing at Avon & my first time to be at the park with only one baby to care for.....

 

I intentionally dressed him in this outfit because of the pic below taken of his big brothers in 2006:

 

Is it just me, or could these brothers pass as TRIPLETS???

 NOTE:  I WILL SWITCH THIS BLOG TO A PASSWORD PROTECTED SITE ON SEPTEMBER 1.   I WILL SEND AN E-MAIL WITH THE USER NAME AND PASSWORD, SO E-MAIL ME IF YOU WANT ACCESS.  AND, THANKS, ALL YOU "ANONYMOUS" READERS WHO HAVE BEEN E-MAILING.  :-)

Going private....

Internally, I'll been struggling and wrestling with the whole facebook world and public versus private blogs.

I love reading public blogs, and I've enjoyed facebook, too.  But the whole "places" application officially weirds me out, so you won't find me there anymore either after tonight. 

I will be making this blog private at the end of the week.

I'll send e-mail invites to those I know read....but for those readers I'm unaware of.....please email me at jenniferthompson2@gmail.com for an invite to read.

I plan to make this change over the weekend.