Boys Will Be Boys

People ask me all the time if we'll try for a girl. One, it's none of their business. But two, I secretly love being the mom of just boys.

We were at my Grandma's house a few weeks ago when the bug guy came to spray. It didn't take long for The Lime to catch on and start pretending he was a bug guy. Then Doodlebug saw how much fun he was having and wanted to join in. I must say, I love these bug boys much more than the ones who used to move into the area during the summer and take over the YSA ward.

They sprayed the lawn, around the outside of the house, and even tried to exterminate me.

I love them and their sweet imaginations.

Last Monday, the rain took a break and we were able to soak in the sun and warmth and play outside for a little bit. Because we've received a lot of rain (hallelujah!), the ground is super saturated and the dirt is muddy. A boy's dream! I had hesitations of allowing them to play in it but LaVor told me to relax and let them be boys. So I went inside of the house.

Not too long after, I heard laughing and screaming and knew somebody fell in. It was Doodlebug. Into the bath he went and into the washing machine everything else went.

There's not a whole lot of sugar and spice around here but we love our snips and snails, and puppy dog tails.

Doodlebug - Tally Mark 20

-Says "thank you" (in his own language).
-Loves playing with The Lime's Legos.
-Loves oatmeal.
-Can buckle himself into his car seat and highchair.
-Likes to play hide & seek behind the shed at The Lime's school.
-Three new teeth have barely erupted and one more is just about to poke through.
-Won't sit still long enough for me to even out his haircut.
-Does this funny running/marching thing.
-Figured out how to unscrew things (the milk carton, toothpaste).
-Still tucks his arms underneath his chest when I hold him.
-Likes to make gargling sounds like The Lime.
-Can still take two naps if I time it right but sometimes only gets one nap, and somehow we manage to survive those days.
-Is becoming a happier, more fun to be around kid the older he gets. Hallelujah!

The Lime - Tally Mark 72 - Part 2

-Likes doing his own hair.
-Is teething (6 year old molars).
-Decided he likes pastrami sandwiches.
-Wants to be in the Coast Guard so he won't die (apparently that branch is immune from catastrophe?).
-Wears size small shirts, size 7 pants, and a 13/1 shoe.
-Speaking of shoes, he loves hi-tops.
-Never remembers what he did at school when I pick him up.
-Tattles on himself.
-Overuses the word "like"...a lot.
-Sings often. Our favorite song right now is Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots.
-Inherited my motion sickness. Can't play on the iPad in the car like he used to.
-Does the hang ten sign with his fingers at least once a day.
-Thinks he's the smartest person alive, but asks you not to ask him addition problems.
-Still talks about his pretend friend JJ.
-Is the best 6 year old we know!

The Lime - Tally Mark 72 - Part 1

My Sweet Boy,

As I sit here typing this, I can hear the rain tapping on the roof just like it was doing six years ago. At this time six years ago, my body was doing its best to prepare to bring you into the world. While that was our special day, I'm glad that we're celebrating it now and not re-living it :)

What a year you've had! You played two seasons of t-ball, you traveled to two new states, you experienced death for the first time, you started down your path of education, and I think you've grown a foot or two (okay, maybe not that much but I feel like you'll be taller than me any day). We found out you're allergic to chicken, turkey, raspberries, and peaches. The poultry doesn't bother you but you've been begging for the fruit once we told you you couldn't have it anymore. Maybe one day!

You seem to be six going on sixteen. You want to be "cool" and dress like older kids but you still bring Lucifer wherever we go. Your little attitude has gotten you into some trouble this last year but we're hoping you're getting it out of your system so by the time you are sixteen, you'll be a doll.

One of your biggest fears about starting school was if you'd know anyone in your class. Not only have you made some best friends in your class, you have lots of little friends in several grades. You take after me (in more ways than one) and recognize kids while we're out and about. You're aware of everything and can usually tell me what class they're in, yet I don't know if they all know you. And that's okay!

You like to be read to at night. We've read every Berenstain Bear book we have, several times, and just finished your Eyewitness Book about WWII last night. You might be a little young for nuclear bombs and concentration camps, but your desire to learn history is strong. You are a lover of old things. You still haven't been to Alcatraz (me neither!) but let's hope this will be the year that we make it happen!

If we'd let you, you'd stay outside all afternoon long and ride your bike. Back and forth, up and down the driveways, you go. You are the neighborhood chatterbox and have no problem striking up conversations with any of our neighbors. You're the first one to say hi and the first one to wave. You love them and they sure love you. You've even got this connection with the teenage boy across the street. He waved to you one day and you said, "I think we're best friends!" He calls you bud and says "what's up?" and you think it's pretty cool. His name is Hank and he also plays baseball and drives a Ford truck, which I think makes him even cooler in your eyes.

Just like in previous years, you've dreaded getting older. But just like 5 was an awesome year, you're going to have just as much fun as a six year old!

Even though we've spent more time apart this year than ever before, and I hate being away from you, I've loved seeing you gain confidence, knowledge, friendships, talents, and experiences. I hope that you use all of your amazing potential for good, and remember what I tell you everyday when we kiss goodbye: "Make good choices!" You're a smart kid and can do great things! And I can't wait to see what those great things will be.

Thank you for being my sweet boy, my Freddy, for giving me hugs and kisses, and jumping into my arms and onto my back. Thank you for holding my hand and getting excited when I work in your classroom. Thank you for wanting to snuggle on the couch and asking me to play with you. You are a sweetie pie and I wish you a majestic sixth year of life!

Love,

Mommy

Dinnertime Shenanigans

I love food. Love it! But when it comes to dinnertime at our house, I dread it. I dread thinking of what to make, I dread making it, and I dread sitting down to eat it. Because without fail, someone will complain and object. And it's usually one (or both) of these two.

We need to go grocery shopping so I'm down to using whatever we have on hand to whip something up for dinner. Last night was potato hash, scrambled eggs, and sourdough toast. My scrambled eggs are looked down upon compared to LaVor's so I knew it'd be a fight to get The Lime to eat them. Doodlebug scarfed his down then threw his arms up and said, "Ahhhh!" which means all done. We were off to a great start! Thankfully, The Lime said I pre-mixed the eggs well enough so he ate all of his. But then I had to try and convince both of them to eat their potatoes (which had salami, bell peppers, and red onion in them) and their toast. That's when things got interesting...

Doodlebug kept his mouth shut tight, whipped his head back and forth, swatted the fork away; he tried everything to prevent the food from going into his mouth.

The Lime tried distracting himself from the task at hand. A little coloring and playing dead was way better than eating your dinner.

Time ticked by and voices were raised, tears started flowing, and some even began gagging. But everyone finished their dinner (even the sourdough toast that tasted like vinegar). By the time dinner was through, so was I.

Even though I dread it every night, I absolutely positively refuse to cater to their little pallets and make three different meals. If there's anything I learned from when The Lime was little it was that everyone eats the same thing (we used to feed him the toddler ravioli and such and then it hit me, "Why are we doing this!?!"). It's a pain in the butt to deal with stinkers at dinnertime but I know it'll pay off in the end.

After WWIII erupted and then quieted down, so did the boys. They played, wrestled, loved on each other, and made me realize that those 30+ minutes of pure chaos is nothing compared to an eternity of happiness.

Ebates

I think I should be their spokesperson because I can't quite talk about them enough.

Over Thanksgiving, we spent a few nights at LaVor's aunt and uncles' house. One night, we were gathered around the kitchen table playing games, when his uncle announced how much he was saving on his recent purchase because he ordered it through Ebates. "What's that?" LaVor asked.

It's super simple, and almost seems too good to be true. You sign-up with this website and each time you want to buy something online, you log into Ebates first, search for the website you want to buy from, and it'll take you to that website. From there, Ebates keeps track of your money spent and will give you a certain percentage back.

I received my first check a few weeks ago and I've got to tell you, it's sort of nice to receive a check in the mail for doing pretty much nothing.

This is the year that I'm going to get in the routine of saving money. Any extra we receive (like the checks from Ebates) will go into savings.

Not only can you receive a certain percentage back through your purchases, you can also earn money by referring new members. Hence why I have that handy link to the right of the screen -------->

If you're looking to save a little here and there, I invite you to join Ebates. And then be sure to tell your friends and family so you can earn a little extra more!

New Year, New Park

We were still trying to get over our colds when the new year rang in. But after being cooped up in the house all of Wednesday, we needed to get out for a little bit on Thursday and rejuvenate our bodies (and hopefully not share too many germs).

I came across a local park that we had never been to before but was right up our alley.  It's a huge big-rig looking structure!

There were three different slides, the front end reminded The Lime of the gates that contain bulls, and a small rock climbing wall. Enough to keep all four of us entertained for a good hour.

Doodlebug and I started going down the slides together but it didn't take him long to want to ride solo. That boy has no fear.

We started off with the smaller one and worked our way up. Even I was nervous to go down one of them but it didn't phase him at all.

The Lime ran wild, pretending to be a cowboy and a surfer, and wanting to help Doodlebug as much as he'd allow.

It wasn't until we were getting ready to leave that I saw the playground was intended for 5-12 year olds. Oh, well. Doodlebug is just a little advanced.

We look forward to spending more time searching out new things and adventures in the upcoming year!