13!

My baby is 13 today.

I remember waiting all those months for him to be born. The anticipation of what he would look like, wondering if he will cry alot, and dreaming about how much fun it is going to be when I am a mommy. On the day he was born, it was a Wednesday morning at 8:27. The nurse handed this baby to me. I was his momma. He had little blonde hair. His ears were very tiny and so cute. He looked at me with those big blue eyes. He didn't cry. He just stared at me.

Happy Birthday Eli. I love you. What a blessing you are to me.

Out of the mouth of David.

Here is a good conversation between Tripp and I. This happened Wednesday night during church.

Here's the scenario. During invitation, Tripp has to go potty (imagine that!). So, off we go to the nursery. And while he was in there, I decided to go to. He is only 3 and I pee in front of him all the time. I don't like it but I can't ever seem to go to the bathroom by myself. Anyways, I start to potty, and the conversation goes EXACTLY like this (I wrote it down).

Me: Tripp, this potty is cold on my hiney.
T: Yeah, cause your butt is so big.
Me: Tripp! Don't say that!
T: It is so big.
Me: Well, that hurts my feelings.
T: Well, it doesn't hurt mine.

Spoken like a true David. Tellin' it like it is.

Me and the boys.

I am enjoying going thru my old pictures. What I don't enjoy is how much my kids are growing up.

With this particular of photo, I see how much my kids' hair changes color in the summer time. This was October 2007 - 16 months ago - and we were on a youth retreat for church in Chattanooga. Dave and I chaperoned and we took Emma, Tripp and Mallie with us. For a weekend. In cabins. With a long, long walk to the potty. In the dark and in the cold. AAUUGHH!

I also notice how much Eli's face has changed. His hair has always been white in the summer and darker in the winter. I just didn't realize how much his structure has became more masculine. He will be 13 tomorrow. How did that happen?

Prom Night.

This is a very important picture in my life.



It was taken on September 18th, 2004. Dave and I were both in a wedding. Since we did not start dating until we were a little older (not in high school, which seems to be common in this area), we missed the prom together. So, when we were in this wedding, I called it "our prom". Got the hair done, nails done, shaved the legs AND the pits all in one day. Whew!

At the time that this was taken, Dave was whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I remember exactly what he was saying to me.

This picture hangs in my living room surrounded by pictures of me and the kids. Dave had a collage made for me as a Mothers Day gift a couple of years ago. I love that framed collection. It is one of my most prized possessions.

I guess why I am thinking about this is that our anniversary is coming up in March. I love to think about the day that we got married. I love to think of all the people who went to Vegas with us in support of our love and dedication to each other - or the ones who just went to gamble and go on a weekend trip. :) I won't say who is who - you know who you are. I will say that there are more people gathered on one side than the other. :)

What I am saying is that this picture represents when Dave and I really began our lives. I look at this and know how far we have come from this point. A turning point. A milestone. A symbol of what were are. We were discussing last night of what our family is. Where were we five years ago? Ten years ago? Everything has changed. It is just so good.

I know that of every post I do, I want my kids to someday be able to take a lesson from that particular read. Or at least just laugh at what was going on at this time in our lives. So, kids take this lesson. I want you all to have what I have. I want you to have the kind of life that I have. So, remember, don't settle. It is out there.

Ba Ba Black Sheep.

For Emma's first Halloween, I tried to come up with THE MOST super costume ever. After searching, and looking, I found a little lamb/sheep on one of the "make it yourself" costume websites. I loved it! What a cute lamb/sheep she would be!

I went to Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby and got the felt, the cotton balls, the ribbon, the glue... you get the picture. So much time was spent cutting and sewing felt and then gluing each.and.every.cottonball to the blasted outfit. I EVEN sacrificed a baby gap onesie out of her closet so she would be a super stylin' lamb/sheep.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. What happens? I proudly show her the costume. "Ohhh," she says in her sweet -little girl of 13 months- voice. And, with so much crafty pride, I slip the pretty little outfit over her sweet little white tights and then I pull it up over her belly. I place her tiny little arms in the armholes. Snap. Snap. Snap. I close the three back buttons. Turning her around so proudly I admire her. And I admire all the work I did. Won't she be the cutest kid EVER when we go trick or treating? Won't all the other mothers be so jealous that MY kid is so cute and her costume is super cool?

Guess what happens?

Sister grabs the cotton balls in her precious 13 month old hands. And she starts PULLING. And we all know that cotton glued onto material won't stay forever. So the cotton comes off in her sweet hands.

I scream. I jump. I jerk the costume off. And I go to Wal Mart. That year, she was a precious store bought little lion. It fit her personality. Exactly. :)

FYI - during our recent move, I found the costume hanging up in the back. Guess who modeled this weekend? The onesie is a 24 months. The kid is five and 1/2.

David.

Here is Tripp wearing his granddad's hard hat. This was found in our recent move.

Quirks.

Everyone has quirks. I guess that mine are more apparent to my children than what I thought. Recently, Eli told me I had OCD.

Here's the story.

I asked him to get me a bottle of water out of the van. He went and got it, and somewhere along the way, he peeled my paper off. Now, understand that I like my water. I feel as though it should always be Aquafina. But, I also like the paper that encases the middle section of my bottle of water. It is comfort to my hands.

So, he hands me my water. Right away, this particuar bottle is ruined. It is a nightmare. Not really. But I don't like it. You get the picture.

So I say,"Eli, what happened to my water?"
And Eli says, " What do you mean?"
And then, I go, "You pulled the paper off."
And he says, "No, I didn't"
And so I said, "Yes, you did. It is gone. AND I can't drink this."
And so he says, "Mom, you have OCD."

Oh, so alright, this conversation may or may not have went exactly like this. I didn't write it down. Everyone should know that I have to write it down so it is word for word. And so I have to tell that this may not be word for word. But, the bottom line is this: He pulled my paper off, I didn't want to drink it, and then he called me OCD.

All my kids have issues.
Eli, for instance, likes to goof off when he should be doing work. Does this qulify as a quirk? Or is this a teenage habit?

Tripp has a ritual when he wakes up in the morning. He likes to be wrapped up in his blanket, laid on the couch in the same spot and then get a sippy with red juice.

Emma likes to get the most attention. I guess that is a middle child/girl thing.

Everyone has their quirks.

The Weekend.

This weekend was spent mostly just moving more stuff and lounging around. We have had a special guest - my 4th child - Mallie. Since her parents are moving, she has been visiting frequently. She is so quirky and witty. What an attitude! She is tired of being away from home and she told me,"I don't want to be here." Gotta love the honesty.

When I was getting ready for church, this is what I found watching TV. That is Tripp and Mallie. They are big buddies.

Later on the in afternoon, I tried to have an impromptu photo session with my kids. They were playing in the floor, we were listening to music (which seems to be a daily occurrence here) and I thought maybe I could get some shots of them. Have you ever tried to pose THREE kids? Especially when they are not interested and only feel like pestering their mother?

Here is what I got.

Eli picking on the little kids - they love it!

Oh, no. The girl is sensitive. Eli hurt her head.

NO, wait. She is faking.

And then I got this shot. I love it. It is the only good one.

a lazy night.

This is what ended up happening last night. Actually, this picture wasn't from last night. It was last friday night. We are starting a Friday night- cuddle and sleep - ritual. It is just THAT good.



Dave and Emma slept together on the couch. On the other side, I ended up with Tripp - both of us sleeping also.

Eli was hidin' in his room.

Look how pretty.





Notice her bus number tatooed on her hand?





On to other news-


just hanging out today.
This is my roller skatin' giraffe cake eatin' Batman Vol football player.

(He LOVES Little Debbie Zebra cakes - but he calls them Giraffe cakes)

What are they learning in church?

I came home this afternoon and started my weekend off right by cleaning house. While I was vacuuming, I asked Emma to go upstairs and line up her shoes in her closet. I told her that was her chore. I then reminded her that today is Friday, and that is allowance day. And to get allowance, she has to do some chores.

She looks at me and says," Turn the vacuum off." I do
Then she sits down on the steps and says, "In the bible it says husbands help wives to clean their house to make a help meet."

Gotta love the lesson that Mrs. Barbara is giving my daughter.

Look at Emma's scarf!

See that line of yarn on that stick? That is Emma's new scarf. It should be ready by next winter. Or maybe the next.

Last night, I skipped class (!) and joined my good friend Amanda on an adventure to a knitting circle. Wow! It was so cool. It advanced my desire to wear long dresses and live like Laura off of Little House on the Prairie. Now, I really can't wait to plant that garden Dave is dreaming of.

I am going to learn how to "can" next. I made the mistake and gave away a bunch of canning jars to a lady at church. Can I take them back? I am going to grow my own vegetables! And make my own clothes!

Not being sarcastic, really. I am super excited. I have visions of having my girls and boys pictures done in the fall.

Just imagine this -

Emma and Mallie in matching little rust colored fru-fru scarves,'

sitting back-to-back underneath this big tree in my new yard that turns

all sorts of colors in the fall.

Eli and Tripp with boy'ish toboggans that match the scarves.

Simple little smiles on their sweet little faces.

Everything knitted by me.

Life is good.

I got tagged!

I got tagged - thanks, Toni!

***Rules***

1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.

2. Go to the 6th Folder and then pick the 6th Picture.

3. Post it on your bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture.

4. Tag 5 other glorious peoples to do the same thing and leave a comment on their bloggy tellin’ them ’bout it.

Let's see what happens....




This is Emma at an Outlaws football game in September 2007. This is right before she turned four. She is so sweet! Dave has been coaching for years, and Emma always says,"Daddy coaches, and I cheer." On this day, she was standing on the field with all the "big" cheerleaders. She always hangs out on the field with them.

Random thoughts and happenings.

Well, here is what is going on... Emma learned to tie her shoes last week!
She was practicing in brain gym at school. She had been trying to get it for a while, she came home and did it! This is a picture of her tying my shoes this morning.



Here is Eli this morning. Doesn't he look so happy to be going to school?




Emma and I started our first reading "project" last night. We are doing a chapter a night. Our first book is a Junie B. Jones book that we picked up on family night at the book fair. My girl wants to be a reader so, so, bad. She sat on the steps for about 10 minutes "reading". She can do basic sentences, just not chapter books - yet. Kindergarden next year is going to be a long year, I tell ya.



How about these three monkeys? This was after bath time last night. Everyone was fresh and clean and running wide open. Why do baths make kids hyper? Why not calm down? They knew bed time was imminent, yet they just got pumped up even more... go figure. :)

Dirty mind of a three year old boy.

Imagine this situation: Kids are with me at work after school.
Annie is playing (again). Beginning of the movie. Kids sitting on little chairs, like the theatre. Right in front of the TV. All is quiet.

The conversation goes something like this.

Emma: (singing) - "Tomorrow, tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow,
they'll be sun....."

Tripp (looks at Emma) - " huh, huh, huh, they say bottom."

Perverted early, much?

My dad.

My dad had a stroke last June. It was very scary for me.. he is all I have of my family. I don't have a mom and my kids don't have a granny. So, in some ways, I depend on my dad for alot emotionally.



So, when he had his stroke, things changed with him. Sometimes - well, alot of times, I can have a conversation with him and he doesn't get it. My "little" brother and I describe it as "losing him" in ways. Almost like a death. Somehow, he is not the same.



So, last week, he brought a cake to a church function for V day. And Tripp loved it. Now, my dad will do things like bake cakes or cook sometimes, when it is convenient for him. His efforts are sweet, really. He does a good job.



So, look what he brought over awhile ago, while I was posting my angry ihavehadabadday vent.



A cake he made himself - red velvet - that says Trip David Sadler Loue, Pa (he told me he ran out of V's for loVe.)







Tripp wanted a piece of cake in an ice cream cone. I obliged.

Tripp and my dad.

I really have no complaints.

Eli's finger.

Middle one injured. Not broken.

I'm in a mood.

I have had a terrible day.

I guess this will not be one of those IlovemyhusbandIlovemykids posts.

I am downright pissy. Maybe if I write about it, I will feel better. This type of mood I am in, it is few and far between. Maybe it is menopause induced. I will blame it on that. Not all 15,000 other things that have went wrong today. It is one of those days where you just want to get back in bed and start over. So, here, I will list what is wrong with my day. Then, it won't look so bad, and I will feel better. And not like drinking. Alot. And smoking. Alot.

*for the record, I don't drink or smoke*

1. Got up this morning. At 7.

2. Got to work. Late. Behind on my work.

3. Van went to the shop. We are in denial about alot of things.

4. Shortly after arriving at work, had to leave work, get all three kids, go back to work. Kids fight as they watch the movie Annie. It's a hard knock life, indeed.

5. Eli stubbed his finger last night after church playing basketball. So, after arriving at work with all the kids, I had to leave work with all the kids, take Eli to get an XRay. Cost $25 copay. Not broken. Cost for lunch at Dairy Queen - $18'ish dollars. Time spent in the doctors office 1 1/2 hours.

6. Even further behind on my work.

7. Kids fighting. Annie playing. Printer won't work. Had to leave work to go home and print from my computer. And now, it is 4:17 and I need to be back at the church by 5 p.m.'ish for a Ladies' Day Meeting. And I have to STILL finish my work.

I will stop now.

Ok. I am alright.

Happy Valentines Day!!

Valentines Day started last night for us. And, it will run all weekend. Tonight is a church thing. The men are cooking. And, of course, tomorrow after church is our 20 hour date courtesy of my dear mother in law.

Dave got me some perfume... this is a big accomplishment. I have been asking for the past 10 years or so. Seriously, for the last several years, I have asked him to smell perfume and pick out what he would want me to smell like.

He did a good job with his choice of gift. I got him a foot massage from a massage place in Cookeville. I hope he likes it.

This morning, we gave the kids their gifts. Emma had already told us what she wanted. Tripp loves chocolate. That is easy enough. But for Eli, I opted for a big pack of beef jerky. And he loved it. He would choose beef jerky over candy any day.

Here are some pictures from this morning.

This is Tripp's special face. I love this face.

A good morning hug.

Tripp- eating the candy for breakfast.

Look at their animals. Tripp named his "beary" - it is a puppy. (Everything that Tripp names ends in a "y". Toothbrushy, kissy, give me a huggy, blanky, sippy - you get the picture).

Eli is not in the pictures because he went to a friends house. He is big that way.

Boots.

On the left you see Emma at age 3. She loved to wear my big black boots. She loved to wear any boots.

Last night, we were all in the living room listening to music and the kids were dancing. She put on Mallie's big black boots.

She wants her own pair. I don't wanna get any for her till she is older. There is a certain responsibility with big black boots.

Busy.

This has been a very busy time for my family. I am still trying to find the balance of work, school and the kids and Dave and the house and church.

Valentines Day is just around the corner. My lovely mother in law is feeling sympathetic to the cause and has agreed *or been forced* to watch the kids so that Dave and I can have some special alone time. She says that we can leave Sunday directly after church and come back Monday morning. I hope this all works out. I won't know until it happens because anytime we try to be alone - someone gets sick. Tripp got up last night at 12:30'ish with a tummy ache and I thought - well, here we go. But he has been fine.

I think we will stay at home and watch movies. Maybe take naps. It is funny how kids change the whole dynamics of a home. And they should. I just don't remember what it was like NOT to have kids. I guess that is because I have been a mom since I was 20.

So, Happy V Day. I love you Dave. You will always be my big V.

Ballerina Girl.

Emma started taking dance over two years ago.

I still remember the excitement of the very first day. I had finally got a girl, a girl that was a girly girl. She loved to paint nails, fix hair, and twirl and spin. So when "we" got the chance to take ballet, "we" jumped on it.

Anyways, back to that first day. I had shopped for leotards, tights, and soft little pink ballet slippers. I had bought hairbows that matched different styles and colors of skirts. I had purchased a special bag to carry her things in. And then, on this one particular Saturday morning, we were off.

As we pulled in to the parking lot and got out of the van, she seemed a little scared. She stopped, looked up at me, and slipped her tiny little hand in mine. I leaned down and kissed her soft little cheek. I knew that I would remember this moment forever.

In we went. She loved it. She danced, twirled, and jumped. And she has been dancing ever since.

Today, due to unfortunate events (so I thought) I had to leave work and take Em to her ballet and tap classes.

I stressed about the wasted time, the things I could be doing. I worried about my unfinished schoolwork, the dinner that was not going to be made, the boys that I would have to leave with someone. But, again, as we walked in, I thought about how much I need this time with her, how she needs this time with me. I was thankful to be able to go be with her, and we could do something together.

Her teacher, Mrs. Beth, invited the mothers to come in and watch the girls perform at the end of class. They have began using the bar during this quarter. I was so proud when I watched Emma. She knows all the positions. She can plié. She holds her hands "just so" above her head. She dances. And then, at the end, she runs over to me and hugs and kisses me. She was glad that I was there. And so was I.

Before Church.

Here are some pictures that I managed to snap this morning before church. Notice Tripp's hand casually in his pocket? That was NOT solicited by me. He posed. And, the kid looks just like his daddy. Oh my.

Where is Eli, you may wonder? He is in the bathroom trying to stratigically place his hair where it looks messy - but not on purpose. He is always the last one out the door. And, he is the kid with the sullen face.

Emma proceeded to strike a pose. This is one of her many supermodel poses. She also posed by the tree, up against a tree, and practiced changing her facial expressions.

Look at this boy. Just so you know, this is his "special face." I get this face when he is trying to get out of trouble, when he is cute, when he is sweet.

I have even been told- during punishment, "But Mom, I am giving you my special face."

Oh wait, here comes Eli. Sullen teenager. It is 8:40 am.

Last Night.

This is last night. Dave had fallen asleep with Emma. Tripp decided to go lay on them. I got this shot at about 11 pm. (Yes, I know that my kids should be in bed by then. We had been playing.)

I love my husband. I have a serious fasination with him. Seriously. And, this has become worse in the past week since we moved. I really figured out that he and I work well together. Maybe I just like the way he works. :)

When I am stressed out, he is able to fix it with calmness. For example, when I bought this little, nifty (so I thought) clothes basket that held three different varieties, and I couldn't get it together, I SCREAMED. He is so cool, that he walks into the room and puts it together. Just like that. No stress. And, I love how handy he is with a hammer. I keep telling him all the things to put together, and he does it. Just like that.

And besides all his house handiness, he is an awesome daddy. He is a quick cuddler, boo boo kisser, hugger, and a player. He laughs with the kids. He talks to them. He is so much fun.

I pray that my boys will be half the daddy that Dave is.

What I would want them to know.

I think I am going to start this new thing called "What I want them to know"

You know, that information that they should know - really useless information - in case something unfortunate happened and the mom was no longer, um, part of the worldly picture?

Well, this could be important.

1. I would want my children to know to always have a firm handshake. A firm handshake is important. Especially for my boys - I want them to know that they should shake a woman's hand firmly also. I HATE when a man shakes my hand with a limp wrist, like it is going to fall off. And then he holds my hand like he is going to kiss it. It makes me feel like he feels like I am inferior. And I really HATE that.

2. It is important for my boys to know to kiss their wives/veryimportantgirlfriends on the forehead. To me, this is a special thing. Dave has done this from Day 1. Not that it was special for him on day 1, but now it is a special thing he does. They see this. Tripp has kissed me on the forehead recently. My heart is full.

3. Look at people in the eyes when you are talking to them. Enough said, boys.

4. Use your manners. They can do so much. Please, Thank you, excuse me. You all can go far on manners.

That is good for now. I am going to throw some in when I think about it.

Weekend. And Eli is big.

Well, the kids have been out of school most of the week. Dave has been at home being the mom since I have now became a working mom. Not only a working mom, mind you, but a working, going to school mom. I am emotionally exhausted. But, I like my job. And I like a check. I just have to find my balance.

Yesterday afternoon, I took Eli to get a couple of things for school - things of the clothing persuasion. The cute boy who told me only two years ago that " Walmart is fine" when I asked him where he wanted to school shop - well, that boy is no more. He is still cute, yes, handsome and growing up quick. But he has been replaced with a boy that likes American Eagle, Aeropostle, Ambercrombie and all that stuff that makes me have to get a job. Standing in the store with him, I helped him pick out jeans. Not just jeans. Jeans in the MAN section. More specifically, he is no longer in the kid sizes. He wears a 28/30. How did this happen? I started out with this cute- Tommy off of the Rugrats - baby. He lay on my lap, and looked at me with those big eyes. He was so skinny and cute. Now I have a boy/man that will be 13 in a couple of weeks. Only a few years until he goes to college. Where did the time go? My first baby is big.

So, I leave you with a picture of my first born boy. Ah, Eli, I love you so much. The first time I held you was absolute magic. You made me a momma.

Eli and Matt this past summer.

ALOT to post.

Keep reading down. I will have several posts in a short amount of time.

My head is full of thoughts.

Off to class.

Body Image.

Had a talk about body image (in not so many words) with my FIVE YEAR OLD daughter a few days ago.

Here is the senerio. I am in the bathroom, doing something... fixing my makeup - I think. Anyways, Emma comes in. She is topless. She has jeans on. She looks at me and says, " I need to lose weight." So I say, "No, you don't. Why would you say that?" And she replies, " I don't like the way my body looks. My body looks funny."

I explained to her that she is beautiful, that God makes us all different, and the most important thing is that we are healthy.

The next day, she came downstairs and says, "Mom, I want to be a supermodel."

Ahh, a little girl with dreams.
She has since been praticing her walk, her turns, and her look.

Where does it come from. I have always been careful not to use the F A T word around her. I have always exersized - except for the past six months - but that is another blog in itself.
STILL, it is already about looks. How does it come to this? Is it from something as simple as me wearing makeup? Is it Hannah Montana and the Disney Channel? I wish someone can tell me why she doesn't understand - even though I say it over and over - you have to be pretty on the inside as well as the outside.

Hmmm.

Funny questions.

We had a new conversation.
It went something like this.

Emma: Mom, do cows pee milk?
Me: No
Emma: How does their milk come out?
Me: Well, they have cow boobies, they are called udders.
Emma: AAAHHH, Well, I am telling Macey.

Macey is a 7 year old (!) kindergartner in Emma's class. I won't say anymore about that - except that Macey is the girl that told Em about sticking her tongue in her boyfriend's mouth. But that is another post all by itself.

Where have I been?!?!

Ah, I love my Internet service. Sad to say, I have been without since last FRIDAY (!). How does that happen, you wonder? Well, WE MOVED (!). I am so happy to be in a different, larger (more mine) home. I love the yard, I love the character, I love the fact that it is different.

Whew!

So, I have spent the weekend packing, unpacking, packing and unpacking. We did have minimal help that included Dave's friend Pat and my brother Chris. Yet, we survived. We wrangled the kids as we moved furniture and boxes. We explained to a sleepy three year old that we CAN'T go home - we are home.

My sweet husband has lived in the house we left for 23 (!) years. So sad to leave, yet now, I think he is OK. In fact, probably more than OK. I think once we finish the other addition, add him on a grillin' deck for the summer, and get everything situated, he will be as ecstatic as I am!

(!) - Just felt like sharing how excited I am with the move (!)

I have lots of stories to blog about, once my Internet is back to functioning.

Good to be back (!)
Mel