An Early Visit

It seems like not so long ago that your sweet baby teeth were pushing through your gums, giving you a fever as you struggled to sleep at night. I imagined you were experiencing a dull ache in your head and you had a tendency to "gum" your food.

Now, for a whole other reason, you seem to be experiencing the same troubles. Struggling to sleep, gumming your food and saying "my head hurts a little bit, Mommy" I imagine after a fall like the one you had at school you will probably be losing your two front teeth. Many parents have said to me in the past two days that their child has experienced something similiar and kept the teeth, but I say to them, you have not seen my baby. The tooth that he did not chip on the monkey bars this summer is seeming to hang on, but the other front tooth has gotten more and more loose over the past few days. He now has a fever that does not want to go away with motrin or tylenol, and a blister and bruising along his gum line that extends out to the 5th and 6th top teeth. My poor baby is in pain, and it shows. We will be heading to the dentist on Monday (hopefully) where we will determine if an early visit from the tooth fairy is inevitable. He has started an antibiotic after a late night trip to urgent care last night. Time will tell. I will not be posting a picture, for this is one thing I do NOT want to capture on film, and hope to forget about in time, so no picture to help remember, even when I can look back on this time and smile. Wonder when that will be?

Monotonous

Sometimes.....

It's hard to 'be in the now'.

Laundry, appointments, errands, cleaning, nose & nether region wiping.

You get swept away with the monotony

My husband reminds me often......

the need tos and have tos can be great opportunities

to teach, and spend time

and enjoy my sweet babes.

Thanks Dad-O!

Thumb Sucker

I have two little thumbies

They're with me day and night.

My favorite thumb is on my left.

The other's on my right

My thumbies always comfort me

when I am feeling sad.

They help me to protect myself

when I am feeling mad.

My thumbies help me fall asleep

when I am feeling tired.

I do not know how better friends

could ever be desired.

A New Life

UPDATE: WELCOME, CAMPBELL NICOLE KYTE!!!

LOVE YOU ALREADY!!!!

She is on her way!!!! And I can't wait to meet her!!!!

Praying for you my precious friend, your life is about to get so much better!

A favorite...........

The year we moved back to MO was a difficult year of transition. My husband gave me a card on our anniversary that had an anonymous quote on the front. I often refer to this quote that now hangs on our refrigerator just waiting for me to create a beautiful way for it to be displayed. I think I struggle with how to display it because the words are such beauty all by themselves. It is a favorite........

We did not come here to fit in.

We came here to be who we are.

We did not come here to work.

We came here to live our dreams.

We did not come here for the stuff.

We came here to love each other.

We did not come here by accident.

We came here with a purpose,

that is uniquely or own.

Bouncing into Birthday

This year was B's first birthday where he got to invite friends and chose the venue. Up to now we have had cake and ice cream at our home with family. Benjamin decided early on that he wanted a train cookie cake and he wanted to celebrate at the House of Bounce. I was excited about not baking (because I don't) and was unsure of how the HOB would turn out. I made reservations for the HOB and ordered the cake. I found some train themed invitations at Hobby Lobby for 2 dollars a pack of 10. Benjamin helped me make the list, put the stamps on the envelopes and went with Dad-O to the post office to drop them off. It was great lead up to get him excited for his big day.

I am not sure why I was apprehensive about the HOB but I was wrong to be concerned. It was so much fun!!! As you can see!

IT was the perfect venue, and the 10 kids that came had a great time. The adults seemed to have a great time too.

Benjamin has so many people who love him! Great friends and awesome adults in his life! It was a RED letter day!!

friends attended: Allie and Brody, Austin and Will, Garrison and Riley, Aiden and Abby

gifts included: whack a mole game, fishing game, jungle book dvd, star wars kite and bubbles, arts and crafts stuff, trio building blocks

The art of GIVING

After our birthday morning traditions, Benjamin got to open his present from Emme and presents from us. He has wanted these small monster trucks called "powerscouts" for a while now, after playing with them at some friend's house. So, he got a whole set up of them from Mommy and Dad-O. He was so excited! I loved seeing him open his gifts like such a big boy and reacting in such a grown-up way, really understanding the celebration. Emme and I went and picked out a gift to give B from just her a few days prior. She helped me wrap it and actually kept it a secret until he opened it. She was so precious to watch, sitting back and watching her big brother in the spotlight, excited to give him the "thomas roller coaster" she had chosen for him. I am so proud of them both in so many ways. Watching them go through the gift opening process proved to me, once again, they do listen to us, and they are grateful for what they have.

My FOUR year old boy (isn't he SO cute!)

Birthday Morning Traditions

He had balloons waiting outside his door. We were going to put them inside his room, but we are weird about the possibility of waking our children before it is time (that might be because their time is usually so early). It was funny to watch him adjust to waking up, first walking around them, and then realizing with a smile that the balloons were, in fact, for him, the birthday boy!!!

He also got a chocolate donut cake with four candles on it and his first of many happy birthday's sung to him for the day. Two simple things that will each year mark the passing of another year.

A few Valentine's Day Traditions

LUV juice with heart shaped ice......yum, yum!

Valentine Cookies...... decorated with LUV

and LOTS of SPRINKLES

Much of which end up in our tummies

and "hand" made Valentines to our Dad-O with the sweetest LUV notes

EVER!

A letter to my baby boy on his fourth birthday

You came into my world

my world shifted

it will never be the same

has never had more meaning

You have my hair and my nose

my tendency to be....type A

you made me re-think unconditional love

you gave me a patience and a calm I never knew

but also an incomparable fear and worry

You changed my perspective

you made me a mother

Thank you...................

You were conceived after trying for what seemed like an eternity

I took a test in the early morning hours and hopped back into bed

we turned it over together to reveal...you were on your way

we felt your presence even before my tummy grew

we learned you were a boy, holding hands, looking at each other

we prepared for your arrival

then you came and we realized nothing could have prepared us

you brought us joy unspeakable

you made us parents

Thank you......................

he touched my tummy to feel you kick

he held my left leg, coached, danced, and rocked with me through the pain

he cut the cord and lay you on my empty tummy

I saw him over your shoulder when you took your first steps

you have his almond shaped eyes, his hands, and his swagger

you made him a Dad-O, you gave him the name

Thank you...................

You, glorious you

have the face of a cherub

the biggest of hearts

a love for life

a willingness to touch and hold softly

an "all boy" spirit

you have no idea how strong you are

but would not hurt a fly

you have perfected the art of winking {and it melts me every time}

butter soft skin, white blond hair that is darkening over time

sea blue eyes that sparkle when you laugh

a sense of humor like your Dad-O

a strong need to protect your sister

but you still let her get under your skin

a drive to follow the rules

do things "the right way"

you want to know how things work

find un-conventional ways to "play"

love it when I sing to you

and when Dad-O pretends to scare you

you are rough and tumble and willing to snuggle too

you are you

Thank you.......................

Happy Valentine's Day

The little things....

This is a saying I look at everyday

It sets in our kitchen (my artistic ability is in other media)

I can't seem to get the motivation to erase and replace this quote

with something that draws more emotion out of me

this quote has layers of meaning to me......

I came home the other day feeling extremely tired and just kind of angry at the world that I was sick, my son had been sick, my husband's back hurt, and my daughter was having some private issues too. I was just down. I went back in my closet, ripped off my heels (that were killing my feet) and glanced down at where they landed. This is what I saw.....

It brought an instant smile to my face. Thinking of my precious daughter and her love of all things miniature, of her sweet hands that must have dropped this little purse in my closet. I thought of her little feet that carried her into my closet and wondered what her little mind might have been thinking when she looked around at her mommies belongings......

the little things.............

And these little trains that I constantly step on, and boy does it hurt. These little trains are a reminder to me. That precious little voice exclaiming "choo-choo" and him asking me for help creating his track layouts. Those sweet little hands with fingernails just like his Dad-O's wrapped tightly around those trains pushing them into different scenarios that his amazing imagination has conjured up. They remind me of his need for me to help him, his love of playing with his mommy,his innocence....

the little things..............