Rainy Day Rambling

What a glorious rainy Tuesday afternoon we are having!  I've always liked Tuesdays, not sure why?  But, I always have.  Yesterday was out of control, but today has been bliss.  We all need a day or two like this each week.  The rain has my boys couped up inside, and I like that!  They are playing indoor basketball ~ living room court.  The dog is sleeping soundly on his bed in the sunroom.  Every so often when the boys remark loudly, he'll raise up one heavy eyelid and peep out at them.  But, then, he slowly closes his eye again and drifts back into peaceful blissdom ~ breathing slow and deep and loud.

My daily laundry is done ~ waiting in everyone's respective basket to be put away.  I am sipping coffee ~ enjoying the rain and a good basketball game ~ Oregon versus Indiana.  Lije is curled up by his "buddy," the sleeping Rain.  I love listening to him whisper sweet words to his furry friend.  He loves hard, my Lije.

And, in the distance I can hear the cry of my youngest coming from his room upstairs.  So, I am sending Lije to talk to him and give me a minute or two before I have to leave my coffee and rainy window view.

Erik Daniel asked to sit in his bed earlier today and look at books.  He sat in there for a good 20-30 minutes all alone and flipped through books.  This completely baffled me.  None of my other children would have ever asked to be confined to their crib all alone.  He is unique.  They all are.  Sweet loves.  Each one so different from the others.  At times I try to compare them, but, seriously, they are so different.  It simply isn't possible.

JCT, I am convinced is not from the same planet as Erik and I, and I am not sure how he landed here.  But, I am soooo glad he did!!!!  He adds so much to our world.  Yesterday Joshua was given a University of Oregon, Singler, jersey.  JCT put on a Duke jersey, so they could play Singler vs. Singler. But, JCT was struggling with the fact that his Duke jersey did not have Kyle Singler's number on it.  Later, he announced to me that he wanted a Kyle Singler jersey.  I quickly said, "Well, you'll have to talk to your Daddy about that." He turned his head, flipping those long straight strawberry blond strands, and said, "Oh, I don't need to do that.  I've already talked to Sean, and he'll take care of it."

Oh, he will, will he?

So confident, that funny little man!!

Then, today I announced to the boys that Daddy bought us a new DVD player.  Our old one has been broken for a while now.  JCT quit playing basketball, smiled up at me, and said, "Oh, good!  What kind did he get?  A Blu-ray???"  Seriously, JCT, a blu-ray?  Erik and I are not techno savvy. We just kind of float along, and before we are completely outdated we join the rest of the world.  We got our first smart phones a few months ago. Before that, we were both using "Go" phones.  I'll never regret that move!  But, to be honest, JCT was more excited about my iphone than I was!!  As soon as I brought it home, he asked for it.  He played with it for a few minutes then asked when I was going to buy some apps.  He is something.  And, no, Erik did not buy a blu-ray.

Now all my little monkeys are playing upstairs ~ hide and seek, I think.  And, my thoughts are beginning to turn toward dinner.  I am thinking we will do something simple and fun that everybody likes ~ like breakfast for dinner ~ pancakes, eggs, and fruit.  Eriky D just came to sit with me.  He says, "De dunder scures me!"  And, I'm okay with that because I get to steal a bunch of sweet sugar from the baby soft skin on the back of his neck.  Yum!

Yesterday evening I called my husband from my car outside his office and asked if he would let me in.  He came out to find me all alone ~ the boys at home with a sitter!  You should have seen his smile!!  I highly recommend surprising your husband at the end of a long, hard workday with a night out alone with you, his favorite friend.  We enjoyed a quiet evening, looking across a gently lit table and talking about all the things that we haven't had time to talk about lately.  And, after we discussed the main things, we just enjoyed chit chatting over a yummy meal.  I love quiet alone time with my love.  On the way home, Erik joked that he almost forgot we had a houseful of sleeping kiddos.  It felt like old times.  Marriage is such a gift ~ a gift I never forget to be thankful for!!!  We've been through so much together, and I love that when we are alone, the richness and fullness and love is not only still very much alive, but over the years it has grown in depth and beauty and tenderness.  It is truly an amazing thing to share your life with another.  I'm so grateful.

I keep thinking one of these days I will post about one of our school days, how it works, what we do, etc.  But, every day differs here and there, and so I keep putting it off!  I keep thinking I will nail down a schedule, and then I will post that so I can have a record of what our year looked like this year.  But, I have come to the realization that with young children you have to be flexible, and I will never have a strict schedule that we adhere to perfectly each day.  We have an order of events.  Three of us have check lists that we keep up with throughout the day.  But, I tend to go with whatever is working each day.  If at 8:00 the little boys are busy playing in the sunroom, I don't make them come sit and listen to a story.  I do math with one of the big boys while the littles are occupied.  If I want to do grammar with Joshua, but Lije needs some TLC, then I put off the grammar and read to Lije, or I hold Lije while I teach grammar.  And, this is why, we do not adhere to a rigid schedule.  But, I feel we do have order and stability ~ it is just flexible!

I remember Roan telling me once that when her children were young, she would teach while little ones crawled on her head!  I thought, at the time, that that sounded awful, and that I'd never be able to do that!!  I am a tunnel vision girl ~ one track!!  But, God has grown me so much in that!!  Now, I invite my little two to sit in my lap while I teach the big boys!  Especially Eriky! He will curl up, head on my shoulder, silky in his hand, thumb in his mouth, and snuggle in while I teach.  I like that!  And, I envision myself, a couple months from now, holding a newborn while teaching.  The newborn stage is too short!  I'm a believer in holding them as much as possible until they no longer want to be held!!  Life is just too short!

Well, the rain is still pouring down.  My boys are completely occupied in imaginative play ~ knights!  And, only Rain and Eriky are near to me.  They want me to protect them from the "dunder."  Ahh... the peace.  And, I will end with my afternoon's counting. . .

*  Raindrops breaking the pond's surface.
*  Little boys ~ my superhero knights in shining armor
*  Kissing soft baby neck skin
*  Distant thunder rolling
*  A hand or heel protruding from my swollen abdomen
*  A sweet, old, easily frightened, dog
*  A peaceful afternoon in a house full of couped up boys ~ only with Jesus!!
*  Grace that goes on and on and on...

The Box, the Love. . .

The will has surged today as it so often does.  He was born a leader, born strong, born with an inner drive and confidence that did not come from his mama.  He knows how he wants things, and he still, after years of working with him, struggles when things cannot be exactly the way that he wants them to be.  It is a good characteristic when it comes to his ability to tackle new things with the strength and confidence of an expert.  Ask him anything, he'll have an answer.  And, 9 times out of 10, it will be the correct answer.  He amazes me daily.  But, he, also, challenges me daily.

And, today was one of those days.  Off and on all day, he pushed, a little here, a little there.  And, so finally I had had it.  We were standing in the garage arguing over a box.  A box.  It is a cute box, I'll give him that.  It came from Land of Nod, and it has an airplane on the side of it.  And, he wants to keep it.  I see no reason to keep it.  We've had it for months now.  It just sits there looking cute.  It's time to recycle the box, but he is suddenly attached to it for whatever reason.  And so, he is arguing with me while his brothers stand around and watch.  Silly argument, I know, but we've been pushing each other's buttons all day, and finally we were face to face in direct disagreement.  So, I said, and I realized even at the time that this was a silly thing to say, but still I said it, "JCT, you act as if you love this box more than me!" (I know, I know, but I'm pregnant.  Cut me some slack.)  And, so he smiles a silly little grin, cocks his cute little strawberry blond head to the side, and says. . .

"I love you both the same."

Seriously.

Correct me if I'm wrong, JCT, but did I not give birth to you?  Endured hard labor, natural labor, to free you to life! And, need I remind you that you were sunny side up making your delivery just that much more uncomfortable.  And, that is just the beginning. . .

So, I say, "What?  You love us the same!  James, I'm your mom!" as his brothers stare with eyes like saucers, jaws dropped.

And, then, Joshua, my oldest, my voice of reason, my sweet defender, says, "James!  NOBODY loves a box as much as they love their mom!!  That's crazy!!"

So, JCT smiles, because he likes the way he has worked this situation, and he looks at me with eyes shining, and says, "Well," and he pauses as if he is thinking it through, "Well. . .  I love you a little bit more. . ."

Uggghhhh.  I quit.

I know my son.  I know he loves me.  This is the same son who if he had it his way would do all his schoolwork in my lap.  This is the sweet son who loves on me to the point I have to tell him to please. quit. hugging. me. so that I can finish making dinner.  He has asked on more than one occasion if he can live with me forever.  This is the son who every night when I kiss his forehead and cheek, he rubs my kisses in and spreads them all over his face.  I know he loves me, but some days. . .

Whew.

He can wear this mama slap out!

Tonight Erik had a ball game, so I was flying solo during dinner, bath, and bedtime.  And, when I came downstairs after the last book, song, prayer, and kiss, I smiled to myself and thought about how much I love being mommy to my four little men.  But, specifically, I was thinking of JCT.  Even after a will surging day, I am so thankful.  He adds so much to our family.  He is so unique and so fun to mother.  I love him with all my heart.  He's a great kid.  So, I paused in the kitchen and rested my tired body for a moment leaning into the counter.  I was completely worn out from all the outside playtime, from the bending and lifting, from the holding and carrying, from the mental and emotional challenges. . .

So, for a moment before looking at my to-do list for the next morning, I paused and took a deep breath in and out.  And, then I looked down at the counter, at my to-do list, and this is what I saw. . .

I took in the moment and smiled.

For every stress, for every strain of motherhood there are one thousand blessings.

Winter Wonderland

Well, the winter storm came and left us with more snow than anyone expected. Our area received between 9 and 11 inches of pure fun. We have played and played and played. The boys were sooooo tired last night. They played hard yesterday! Just walking in that much snow will make you tired!!!

Joshua and Erik were on a Father/Son trip, so they missed the big snow. :-( But, they've made memories and had a blast doing what they were doing!! But, while they were away, I was so impressed with sweet JCT!! He took off without looking back when the neighbors came by on their four wheeler. He has come and gone with them off and on for the past two days. He hears that four wheeler and runs out the front door to play. Usually, he would ask what Joshua wants to do, and then he would do whatever Joshua decided to do. But, without Joshua he has been fine ~ confident and brave ~ going off with the neighbors and trying new things! He decided that he wants a 4 wheeler and a sled for his birthday! Ha! If only we got this much snow every winter!!!!! Oh, to live further north!!! ;-)

My yard is still covered in white, and that is heaven to me! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! Mama took lots of pictures for me. I am never in pictures because I usually always take them, so it is funny (and nice :-) to have pictures of me with the kids! Today the roof is dripping, and that makes me so sad. I am hoping and praying for at least one more snow before the end of winter!! But, in case we don't get one, we made the absolute most of this snow ~ snow cream, snow angels, snowmen, snowball fights, sledding, and lots of cups of hot drinks sitting by windows displaying our very own winter wonderland. . .

Science and Gratitude

Again, I am not ready to post a menu plan this week. This is our last week of soccer, and that will help tremendously ~ at least then we will sit, once again, and eat all together at the same time!! Right now I am just doing the best that I can to get by day in and day out.

On a funny note, I was reviewing science vocabulary words with the boys one day last week. I quoted a definition. The word I was looking for was germination ~ that was the correct answer. JCT responded first to the question. And, this is what I heard him say. . .

"Darn it!"

I was dumbfounded. I said, "Excuse me, but, we do not say that." He stared at me completely shocked and taken aback. I continued, "I don't know where you heard that, but we do not say that. Do not say it again, please!"

Joshua looked at me completely confused and in defense of his little brother said, "Mom, he said dormant. What is wrong with dormant? It is one of our vocabulary words."

Ooops. I said, "Oh, well, okay! I thought you said something else. Sorry!" I couldn't contain my laughter!!! :-) Of course, then they wanted to know what it was that I thought he said!! :-)

I have a gazillion pictures to post, but I'll do that another day! On to gratitude. . .

I am thankful for. . .

* A cold rainy day and a warm toasty house.

* A week that is not quite as busy as last week.

* Sleeping babes snug in their beds.

* A baby that every so often wiggles and tickles me deep inside my tummy.

* A somewhat clean house.

* A wonderful, handsome, selfless, loving husband who is as steady as a rock and who God uses to still my storms.

* Christmas around the corner!!! Ahhh, the lights, sounds, smells, and beauty of the season!!! I can't wait!!!

* Our God Who came near, Who stooped to look down upon us, Who humbled Himself and came to die so that we might live!

Happy Monday!

His Own Little Man. . .

He is his own little man, my James Christofer Truett. Yes, sir, he is!

Erik snapped this quick picture of JCT and some of the rest of his little choir group as they were getting positioned on stage. They were singing during our Sunday evening service which is very casual, but JCT insisted he wear his "preacher suit." I tried, at first, to talk him out of it, but then I decided why not?? You can't see it in the picture, but he wore his black converse high tops with his "preacher suit." He has his own unique style.

Joshua and Erik ran their second 5k together yesterday (Race for the Cure). They both really enjoy running together. They ran again this morning before the sun was fully up. It is starting to bother JCT. He wants to be part of the fun. I couldn't tell Saturday if he was upset because he missed out on running with his brother and his dad or whether he was just jealous that they got free Yoplait, and he had none??

Bless his heart, he just can't keep up. Erik keeps encouraging him, telling him when he can run 3 miles without stopping to walk, then he can run a race with them. So, this afternoon he decided to practice running. Daddy mapped out a track in the yard and timed him. He ran without stopping for 20 minutes and 30 seconds!! Go, little man! I was inside piddling on the computer while JCT ran circles on the make believe track.

JCT came bursting through the back door, "I did it mom! I ran 2 miles without stopping! I'm getting better!" I encouraged him, told him how I proud I was of him, etc. Then, he promptly asked for "leg medicine ~ the purple kind" because his leg muscles were sore! I gave him some Tylenol. Then, he grabbed our most current Eastbay catalog, and began searching for some running shoes.

Because, after all, he is now officially a runner. So, he needed some blue running shoes, no doubt the most expensive ones Eastbay sells.

Oh, and when I put him to bed tonight, he looked at me with his big green eyes and announced, "Mommy, next time I sing in front of the church I'd like to wear my Elvis suit." His white Elvis suit ~ complete with rhinestones and glitter ~ 100% appropriate ~ as long as they are singing How Great Thou Art.

I love my little man!!

It's Unamimous

JCT wrote this note to Joshua. . . They have converted him. Now, it is unanimous. The boys want a brother and only a brother! Let me help you read the note above, "Let's go boys! To: Joshua. (the tracing of the hand is meant to represent the word "Five") Five boys in the family." JCT likes to shorten "the" to "d." Maybe we have some Jamaican roots that I don't know about? Not sure?

Anyway, here is the flip side of that sheet...
Let me translate "The babe in Mom's tummy will be a boy." I am not sure what the "ind" at the end means?????

Anyway, I found his little note, and it made me laugh! :-)

JCT-ball!!!

He has watched for two years as his big brother played a handful of sports. He has gripped the chain link fences, watching intently, waiting his turn, wishing, praying, asking, hoping. . .

And, his day finally came. . .

Finally, after years of waiting. . .

Only, bless his heart, it wasn't quite that easy. . .

His first scheduled T-ball game was cancelled due to a high school play-off game. His second game was cancelled again because the high school team won and moved on and once again was playing. . .

Finally, finally his team was scheduled to play their first game. We counted down the days, the hours. . . But, when that long awaited morning finally came, JCT woke up and said that his "neck" hurt. Daddy took JCT to work with him and tested my little man for strep.

Positive.

Then, Monday he woke up to a sunny happy day, this was, once again, to be his first t-ball game finally!! Hurray!!!!

"Will it rain today, Mommy? Will they cancel my game?" he asked. I assured him that it was sunny with only a 20% chance of rain!

Fast forward 6 hours, and the rain clouds rolled into our little town. And, as I drove around running errands, there was no denying the thunder and lightning that indicated that he would once again not be able to play. His little voice hopeful from the back of the van, "Maybe it will just rain a minute, and they will not cancel my game."

Tears shed with each and every cancellation.

But, last night FINALLY, my little man got to play in his first game EVER!!!!

Number 23 ~ like Lebron James. . .

One of my favorite things about t-ball is the way the entire outfield leaves their positions and runs for the ball after it is hit!!! You simply cannot stop them!!! So cute!!!

And, here he is, my little man, up to bat for the very first time. He waited a long time for that moment!!!!!!

Running to first. . .

Whoa! Wait a second! Who is that handsome coach watching him run??!!

Joshua helped out by placing the ball back on the tee. He loved being a part!!!

It was a good evening! I was so happy for my little man!!! He finally got to play!!!!!!!!

And, now somebody else is gripping the fence and waiting his turn. . .

It won't be long, little Lijah. . .

JCT's Preschool Graduation. . .

Last Thursday evening my 2nd oldest graduated from preschool!! I always love a reason to celebrate one of my children, so this was a fun occasion for mom and son!!!

First, all the kiddos came out and sang a few songs. . .


JCT is not shy, not at all, but he was very serious and focused throughout this event. That was so funny to me!!!


He is on the top row far left. Afton is on the second row, second child on the right. She smiled the entire time she sang, silly girl!!!

Then, the graduates left and came back in their caps and gowns!

My big little man. . .

Here he is with a few graduate friends of his. . .

This is J. Her mama works with Erik. . .

This is another little buddy. . .


This is one of JCT's ballgame buddies. He has a big brother Joshua's age, so JCT and this little guy play while their big brothers play their baseball games. I love the look on my little man's face. . .
And, here he is with his buddy/cousin/sister/whatever you'd like to call our sweet Miss A. I love how absolutely comfortable they are around each other!!!! And, how JCT looks all protective of her!!!They look so old!! Our babies are growing up!!!!

JCT with his sweet teacher. . .

Pop got to be here for this happy evening!!!! Here he is with his biggest fan. . .

And, here is a family picture minus Elijah!!! He kept moving in and out of the picture!!

I am so proud of you, little man!!! You are so smart and so sweet, and we love you so much!!! We think you have what it takes!!!!!!

Interesting. . .

James Christofer Truett is an interesting kid. He is an interesting kid for a variety of reasons, but one of them sticks out more than the others. It started this year at school. There are a couple of boys in his class that like to give him things. By that I mean, they bring him gifts a lot. It all began with the spiderman backpack he came home with last fall. I informed the teacher that the backpack was not JCT's. She informed me that the owner of said backpack insisted that JCT have it. I was uncomfortable with it, but we took the backpack home ~ JCT smiling the whole way. Erik took one look at the backpack, asked whose it was, I told the story, and he, without hesitation, said, "Give it back tomorrow."

Since then he has been given dinosaurs, snakes, toy cars, a robot costume, etc. And, every time it happens, I just shake my head, and say, "JCT, do not keep taking your friend's toys!" But, then he insists, "Mommy, they want me to have them!" And, inevitably, it won't be long before he comes home with another toy.

I was at school with him one day, and when it was time to go, I noticed that JCT was holding a Chick (from the movie Cars) toy in his hand. I asked him where he got it, and he said smiling, "Samuel gave it to me!" So, I marched JCT over to Samuel and said. . .

"Samuel, did you give this car to JCT?"

"Yes," he said.

"Well, don't you think you will want it later?"

"No. I want James Tistifoor to have it!"

"But, Samuel, when you get home and you want to play cars, don't you think you'll miss it? Don't you think you'll want to play with it one of these days?"

"No. I want James Tistifoor to have it."

I pry the car out of my son's hand and try to force it into Samuel's hand. "I think you will want it later."

"NO! I want James Tistifoor to have it!" And, with that he ran away.

I looked down at JCT.

A funny little smile spread across his silly little face. . .

a smile that said two things. . .

1.) SUCCESS

and

2.) 'I told you so'

all at the same time.

Then, just today I was at JCT's preschool for a magic show, and David's mom came up to me. She said, "We have this spiderman riding toy that David has outgrown, and he is insisting that JCT have it."

I just shook my head.

Then, the truth came out. . .

I asked her, "Why? Why does he want JCT to have it?" She said, "Well, David was talking about outgrowing it, and JCT mentioned that he had little brothers who might like it."

Little brothers who might like it. . .

Hmmmmm. . . . .

Then, when he got in the car to go home, I noticed that he had a dragon toy in his possession ~ another happy meal toy he acquired from a friend.

If I didn't know him better, I'd wonder if he was bullying these gifts from his buddies. But, JCT is not a bully. . .

So, either he has really generous friends, or he has a way with words and people.

I'm beginning to wonder. . .

The Sweetest Thing!!!

I am a believer in loving on my kiddos like crazy before I tuck them in their beds. I have never been one to just place my babes in their cribs or beds and walk out of the room ~ not that there is anything wrong with that! I just have my little routines ~ unique to each child. I scratch Lijah's head and sing to him. I hold Erik Daniel and sing to him. The big boys I just simply talk to and kiss and hug. But, when they were younger, I had special songs and a special way that I held them. I have done things a little different with each child. I just do what they like best ~ what seems to calm them the most, etc.

Anyway, today I was putting Elijah down for a nap when suddenly Elijah's sleepy face turned into a huge smile. I looked behind my back, and JCT was peeking through a crack in the bedroom door. I asked him to wait for me on the steps. When I left Elijah, I found JCT crying on the steps. I thought, perhaps, I had hurt his feelings???

So, we walked down stairs hand in hand, and I asked him why he was crying. He tried twice to tell me, but I couldn't make out his words for his crying. Finally, when we got downstairs, I sat on the ottoman and put him on my lap. I said, "Now calm down, and in a voice that I can understand, tell me why you are crying." And, he said words that made this mommy's heart cry. He said. . .

"When I was three, you used to hold me and sing to me, but now I am too big for you to hold me like that anymore!!!!"

Now, how many times has my heart yearned to hold Joshua or JCT the way I did when they were little?? It took me by complete surprise that he felt the same way!!!

So, I picked him up and cradled him with his big boy head laying on my left arm just the way I used to and rocked him for a few minutes.

And, he smiled. . . big time.

And, my left shoulder hurt. . . big time.

Man, do I love my big baby boy!!!!

A sweet moment and a sweet memory!

Light in the Darkness. . .

JCT is my thinker ~ the one with all the questions ~ and all the answers!!! :-)

The other night as I was going through the motions of our bedtime routine, JCT asked a question that shook me right out of my auto-pilot like stupor.

I was reading the story of Creation in one of our Children's Bibles. I got to the part about God saying, "Let there be light" and there was, of course, light. And, before I could move on to the next sentence, James Christofer interrupted me.

"Wait a second. I just thought of something."

I am always intrigued by his thoughts, so I asked, "What did you think of?"

He said, "Well, I've never thought of it before, but I guess God didn't create the dark. It was just there, and He created the light."

I pondered his thought, then agreed with him that it never says that God created darkness ~ just that He created light in a dark void space.

I thought about his question for a long time after I kissed his sweet cheek goodnight. Did he have any idea as to the depth of the question he posed? I've heard many times the whole deal about did God create evil? If he created all things then He had to have created evil, right? Then, I've also heard it said that God didn't create evil. God is love, and in Him, because of Him, love exists. But, apart from Him, in His absence, evil exists.

And, JCT's question kind of seems to back that last theory. In God there is light and apart from Him there is darkness. He brought light and love into a dark, empty, void space. Take away the Light, and what are you left with?

He's a Little Square. . .

But, we love him just the same!!!!!!

Random Craziness

Love them. . .


This has been such an interesting week. It began with JCT developing a strange rash all over his body - neck down. I attributed this to the fact that I recently switched from a fragrance free detergent to a naturally scented detergent. I didn't think much of the rash ~ figuring it was simply eczema, but my doctor husband took one look at it and said it looked like "strep." So, the next morning we took the little one to Daddy's office to be tested. Before he left JCT asked me, "Now, this isn't going to hurt, is it?" I cringed.

He added, "I mean, like, he isn't going to cut my heart out or anything, right? I mean, like, he is just going to stick a little stick down my throat, right?"

Relieved, I said, "Yes, you are right. Just a little stick down the throat. Daddy doesn't cut hearts out. That isn't in his job description."

So, he left with Daddy, and I came to the office to pick him up 30 minutes later. And, our darling son with no fever, no symptoms ~ other than the rash, was strep positive. Go figure?? He hasn't acted sick, not one moment ~ except when he woke me up last night to tell me his ear hurt. I gave him Motrin and sent him back to bed, and he slept like a baby the rest of the night!!!

Joshua caught me off guard earlier this week. We were discussing these funny little bracelets that are all the rage at the elementary school right now. They are sort of like rubber bands except they are shaped like animals and a variety of other things. All the kids are wearing them, and Joshua has been given a good number of them at church. He wore 6 or 7 of them to school and came home without any. We were discussing his bracelets when out of the clear blue sky, or so it seemed to me, he said, "I gave my heart to Jesus."

Now, he did this several years ago, so it surprised me to hear him say it. So, I questioned him, "Today? You gave your heart to Jesus today?"

"Yes," he didn't hesitate, "at recess."

"You gave your heart to Jesus at recess??" I was so confused??

And, then it hit him! And, he said, "No, Mom! I did that a long time ago!!! I gave my heart to Jesus (but this time he pronounced it the Spanish way). I gave my heart bracelet to Jesus!! And, I gave my cross bracelet to Macy and my t-rex to John Daniel. . ."

:-) Funny!

It was one of those things that I laughed about off and on for a while!!

In other news we have had a couple of glimpses of spring here lately!! But, it is cold today, and I heard a rumor that we may get snow this weekend??? Craziness!!

And, speaking of craziness, my son, who has been feeding himself applesauce for a while now, decided to get a little crazy last night. Instead of washing dishes, I was washing my sweet son in the kitchen sink after dinner!!! What a cute little mess he was!!! :-)

Maybe I should keep a closer eye on him??

The big boys alternate between football, basketball, and baseball these days. This afternoon they were playing basketball ~ the Hornets (Joshua) versus the Cavs (JCT). They kept score by using tally marks drawn with sidewalk chalk. Very fun! After a particularly nice move made by JCT (I think he stole the ball, but, honestly, I don't remember what he did that he was so proud of!! :-), he put his hands on his hips, looked me in the eyes, and said, "They don't call me Lebron for nothing!!!!" The kid cracks me up!! Oh, yeah, did I mention that he has strep throat?? And, he was playing basketball in the 40 degree weather!! You should have seen the way he looked at me when I told him that he couldn't go to choir tonight because he was sick.

Funny!

JCT's Dino-mite Party!!

In the past Joshua and JCT have always shared a party, and originally that was my plan for this year. They both like football, and Joshua very confidently announced that he! wanted! a! football! party! So, I started planning one big football party for both of them. But, after several afternoons of playing dinosaurs, reading dinosaur books, and working out of dinosaur activity books with JCT, I felt a twinge of guilt. He loves dinosaurs. He has never had his own party. He has a little preschool class of friends. He deserves his own little celebration. So, I changed gears and began planning two parties, two cakes, two menus, two sets of activities, etc. Erik and I decided to have the parties on the same day ~ one right after the other. They have many mutual friends who would want to be at both parties, and having the parties one after the other would make it much easier for the parents of those friends.

The day was very cold and overcast, but we still had a great time!! JCT asked specifically for a blue and orange t-rex cake. The inspiration for his color choice was his love for the Florida Gators!! So, here it is. . . Just call him Timmy T-rex!!! :-)

Outside Pop and Deana B's Diddy were finishing up putting together the boys' birthday present!! Woo Hoo!! So fun!!!

Since JCT had never had a party by himself, I was a little concerned about how many children would come. I had not received many rsvps, and I so wanted his birthday party to be a blast for him. Well, I worried in vain!!! Check out how many of his sweet friends came to celebrate with him!!!!!Here he is blowing out his candles, the big 5 year old birthday boy. . .
And, here I am making a volcano erupt for the children. . .And, here are the kiddos digging for fossils. . .
JCT and I "made" the fossils a week or so before, and it was great fun. We used two different recipes, rolled out dough, and I let him put his dinosaurs' feet down in the dough to make footprints. Some of the smaller dinos we layed down in the dough and made impressions of their whole bodies. And, then some of the dough we rolled into ovals to make dino eggs, and some we shaped into small dino bone shapes. JCT and I had almost as much fun making the fossils as his friends did digging for them!!

Deana B., our official family photographer, took this picture of my new prayer partner, Nikki, and her husband and their youngest son, Timothy. We've been praying together since the beginning of the school year, and I love her to pieces!
I think the party was a success!! JCT was able to celebrate with his buddies all around him!! I think he had a really good time!!! Now, it is time to kick-off Joshua's party!!!

February 4, 2010

What a sweet date it is to me ~ February 4th!!! My two big boys turned 5 and 7 on this day this year, and that was cause for great celebration!!! Erik woke the boys up by playing, very loudly ~ I might add, the song "You Say It's Your Birthday." Then, we gave them a little birthday happy. They each got a book. . .
Later that morning, I picked JCT up a little early from preschool, and then headed to Joshua's school to check him out for an hour. Then, the three of us headed to a new Mexican restaurant for a special birthday lunch date!!! It was all well and good until. . .


the waiters came over to the table to sing a Spanish version of Happy Birthday to the boys!!! Little did I know that they were going to put cream pies in the boys' faces!!!!! Yeah, that didn't go over real well. In fact, I fear they may never let me take them to this new restaurant again for fear they will get the same pie-in-the-face deal!!! JCT handled it better than Joshua, but neither one liked it!!

About a week before their birthday, I overheard JCT announcing to Joshua how many days were left until their birthday. And, I thought about what a sweet thing it is that God chose to give them the same birthday. JCT came three weeks early, and until my water broke unexpectedly, the thought of my oldest two children having the same birthday never even crossed my mind!!

But, God knew.

And, He gave these two a special little tie to unite them in a unique way. They are not twins, though I actually get asked that question from time to time, but they do share a special day. And, I love to imagine them as grown men calling and singing Happy Birthday to each other!

They are pretty fond of one another! I love the sweet bond that is developing in their hearts!

Sweet gifts!! Thank You, Lord!!!

Monday

It is naptime on Monday afternoon, and I am enjoying a hot cup of creamy Bifferdoodle while I listen to SCC sing and JCT play with his Fisher Price Batcave. The house is peaceful and quiet, and I am soaking it in prepping for the craziness that is to come later this afternoon when the littles wake up and Joshua returns home ready! to! play!

Next Monday I am going to begin doing my weekly menu plans again, but this week is Joshua and JCT's birthday week, and it is crazy to say the least!!! Two cookies cakes must be made to take to the boys' classes, and then all the preps for their party on Saturday!! That combined with a week full of evening activities means that we will be eating quick easy meals like pizza, chicken nuggets, and loaded baked potatoes!!!

And, next Monday I plan on beginning another little habit ~ recording some of the things from my thankful list. . . I began a gratitude journal last October. I got the idea from Holy Experience's blog (I'm not sure of the address. I access her blog through bloglines). And, she has a Gratitude Monday idea where you list things you are thankful for each Monday. I like that idea! So, I am going to pick my favorites from the week prior and record them on my blog each Monday. Let's see if I can remain faithful???

A few things that are making me smile these days. . .

1.) The cold of true winter returned for the weekend. Oh, how I've missed those low temps!! Erik and I bundled up to take Rain out Friday night, and it. was. freezing. cold. And, I had the biggest grin on my frozen face because I love winter weather!!! My mom says it must be the two years we lived in North Dakota when I was a little girl that makes me love the cold and snow so!!! I get giddy when the national weather service issues a winter weather advisory! I watch the weather channel and access weather.com over and over just to see what is headed our way!!! The thought of getting snowed in thrills my soul!!! If only snow came without ice!!!

2.)

Enough said.

3.) JCT came home from school a couple weeks ago with this paper!! How sweet is this. . .

After I read his paper, I asked him, "What do I smell like, JCT?" And, he said, "You! Smell! Great!" And, my heart smiled so big!!!

4.) A sweet real little boy sort of friendship is blossoming between Joshua and JCT. And, I can't tell you how much my heart loves to sit back and watch. They love to play football outside together until they are frozen and it is so dark that they can't see well enough to play any longer.

They had done exactly that this particular evening. When they came in, I was cooking dinner, and they crashed on the couch to watch a movie together. . .

I love that they play hard outside. It is such an important part of being a little boy!!! I make them wear their "play clothes" when they play outside because they will destroy their "good clothes" if I don't! Check out JCT's knees after an afternoon of pure fun. . .I love it!!! They are the marks of little boy joy!!

5.) This next one made me laugh out loud! On Friday we got a great deal of freezing rain, and Joshua got out of school early which made for a fun afternoon for the boys. They couldn't play outside because of the weather, so JCT begged Joshua to play dinosaurs with him. Guess what big brother came up with to make everyone happy. . .

The stegosauruses versus the tyrannosauruses. . .

Dinosaur arena league football!!

Boys! Boys! Boys!

Who Does This To Their Son. . .

Who in their right mind gives their sweet helpless newborn a name like James Christofer Truett?

Not only does he have 3 names instead of 2, but also, we expect him to go by his first two names put together. Yes, he does go by the shortened version, JCT, at times, but his name is James Christofer, not JCT, just ask his father.

I used to always wonder how old he would be he learned to spell his entire name out without asking or copying it. I began when he was very young to sing the letters of his name to him to help him. The little song I made up goes to the tune of B-I-N-G-O. Except his song goes a little something like this. . . (I really have to sing it for you because I have to run the letters at the end together very fast in order to get them all in!) J-A-M-E-S, J-A-M-E-S, J-A-M-E-S CHRISTOFER!!" He caught on to the song about a year ago, and he could sing all the letters in the correct order. But, it wasn't until sometime in the middle of the first semester of this year that he began writing his name without copying it. Now he often brings home papers that look like this. . . (He wrote "JCT" before and after "James Christofer." Don't let that confuse you!)

The first time he brought a paper like this home I laughed out loud, and my first thought was, "Who does this to an innocent child??" It still makes me laugh every time he does it because it always looks the same ~ with the letters trailing down the side of his paper. He tends to go with just writing JCT most days, so it is a special treat when he comes home with a paper like this one! Here is another one just for kicks. . . He brought this one home today, and I don't think the letters go quite as far down the side of the page! I'll count that as improvement!!!!

Christmas Things

This post is actually quite overdue. I took several of these pictures a week or more ago. Thomas found his way back beneath our tree for another year of driving in circles over and over again, bless his heart! Note that Curious George is taking a nap under the tree!!! Things like that make me love my life! I had no idea he was under there when I took the picture! Just like the rest of my house, there are stray toys here and there! Take for instance, the time I found a toy polar bear in my freezer!! Oh, life is never boring and always smile-inspiring around here!!!





And, here are our new stockings. I finally bought the boys "real" stockings this year. In years past I just used a hodge podge of stockings given to us over the years. Now they have their own stockings with their names on them, and I am getting Erik and I stockings to match theirs!!!

Last Thursday was a blur!! I went from Joshua's school Christmas party (Where I have to laugh because Jesus' dad was there, and he is the man that takes carry-out orders at our local Mexican restraunt. So, as I was leaving, I wished Jesus' dad a Merry Christmas, but quickly added, "I'm sure I'll see you before Christmas! I have to have my cheese dip!!" To which he said without hesitation in his Spanish accent, "And, your quesadillas, yes?" I laughed all the way to the car because he knew my order!! Now that is funny!) to the house to change and bathe and feed dinner and then I ran out the door again to take JCT to his preschool Christmas program. Then, I ran home put the boys to bed, said a few words to Miss Megan, our faithful sitter, and then headed back out to our church's Deacon/Staff Christmas Party! And, I was beginning to feel a little sick, so I was a bit worn out by the time I got home!

Here are a couple pics from the special evening! I hate Erik had to miss seeing JCT sing!

JCT is on the far left in green, middle row! And, Afton is 6 kids over! The pretty lady standing next to him is his teacher Mrs. Nina. We love, love, lover her!

Okay, now this next picture took my breath. Not because it is a fabulous picture or because JCT or I look great or anything. Rather, it is because I look old. I'm not just a little girl pretending to be a wife and mom ~ playing house. No, I am really 34 years old. I am really aging. I have wrinkles!!!! I don't look like a college girl anymore! I look like a thirty something year old woman!! I feel like a kid, but I look like a mom! And, the thought just blows my mind. . . Check out my crows feet. . .








You can't see it very well with the picture this size, but trust me they are there ~ lots of them ~ smile lines, huh? But, my reaction when I saw them was not one of disgust.

I actually smiled.

Growing old is part of life, and I am not immune to it. I am aging, yes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing! All the years ~ the courtship, engagement, wedding, pregnancies, the children, the lessons, the long nights, the worries, the busyness, all that is my life ~ that is what I see when I look in the mirror and see those silly lines! They say I've been there, I've lived life, I've experienced life to the fullest, and that is a huge, huge blessing!

I have the same feeling when I catch a glimpse of one of the grey hairs in Erik's head or his beard, and I think to myself, "Wow! We are really doing it! We are really growing old together!" I guess the best way to sum it up and move on is to say that when I see those little signs of aging it makes me feel blessed to have lived, loved, been loved, and walked through life hand in hand with my sweet Savior every step of the way. Could anyone ask for anything more?

I digress, now here is a pic of me and my big boys. . .






And, my sweet girl, Afton, (well, technically she isn't mine, but I love her like she is!) wanted to be in a picture with us. . .






After the program, Santa came and talked to each child. I'll end with a sweet picture of JCT and Santa. . .

Merry Christmas!