Booty-licious and Lots of Other Fun Stuff

At the risk of embarrassing my precious boys when they are much older, these pictures are part of the reason I have had even less time to blog as of late: potty training. And any mama who's ventured down this road will tell you (as they've all told me) that it's more about training ME than THEM. This has definitely proven true in our house, and we're going with the more laid back approach, not rushing it and just working on it when we're home and don't have much to do.

So far, it's been going pretty well...knock on wood. I'm slathering them up with the SPF 55 and letting them play outside with the occasional interruption for a potty break. The only down side will be weaning them off the coveted "pee pee tweat" (one small smartee for getting it in the potty without having wet big boy pants). But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We're taking baby steps here, and so far it's working for us.

The only real problem we've had has been finding days that we are actually home. Those are few and far between so far this summer. Not that we're complaining at all, mind you! We've had such a good time lately catching up with family, hanging out with friends at the pool, and even having some family down to visit us too.

More pictures to come of our time with MawMaw and PawPaw soon. Thanks for checking on us...

Fun in Montgomery

This past week Michael was out of the country for work, and so the boys and I headed to my parents' house for a very long, and very relaxing visit. While we were there from Monday through Saturday, it passed by way too quickly and we were spoiled rotten as usual. Here are just a few of the many pictures I took.

One of the boys favorite things to do is walk down to the pond to feed the ducks, geese and turtles. This time they opted to ride their "my-cycle" (motorcycles). My dad is a very talented songwriter and musician. His grandmother taught him how to play the piano when he was little and the boys always love "helping" him play the guitar. However, they don't like any "help" whatsoever when they sit down to compose on the piano. My Papa has 4 or 5 orange, tangerine and tangelo trees on his farm in south Georgia. When he comes, he always brings some for the boys to share. Every morning after he reads his Bible and fixes my Nana's coffee he peels some oranges for their breakfast. (Easy to see why this man is one of my true heroes). Drew is gobbling them up as fast as he can peel them.I'm pretty sure that after this week Ben and Drew both think that "ice-sicles" are a food group all of their own, and a perfectly acceptable meal.Drew and Pop snuggling in the morning. The boys almost always sleep downstairs with my mama and daddy because my mama says she "doesn't want to miss a minute of fun with them." So, I am usually able to get in a few extra minutes of sleep while we're there. I just love the next two pictures of the boys with my Nana and Papa.
For the past few years on Mother's Day Weekend my parents' church has had a Mother-Daughter Tea, complete with teapots, beautiful teacups, tea sandwiches and lots of yummy desserts. It was such a neat thing to be able to go with three of the most important women in my life. Without my Mama and my Nana I wouldn't have a clue how to be a mommy to Ben and Drew. They have taught me everything I know, and I am blessed beyond measure to have been put in their lives.

We had a good time while we were there. It was just what we needed to get us through the week without Michael. We sure were glad to get home to him though, and we were equally spoiled over the rest of the Mother's Day weekend by being together again. All of the treats he brought home were just icing on the cake and made our weekend even more sweet.

So, even though this is a little late, I just want to take the time to say to all the wonderful mothers in my life, Happy Mother's Day. The young ones, old ones and in-between ones: you all are treasured gifts for which I am so thankful.

Play Ball!

We've had one of those weeks where the week is now almost over, and I'm just now catching my breath. It's been an eventful past few days around here as we had the best and worst of our week all in the same night. I guess we just try to be efficient that way [insert sarcasm here].

One of Michael's friends that he has worked with for many years, Pony, was here from Taiwan on business. Rather than have Pony just sit at the hotel after work, Michael invited him to come to the Sounds game with us and the twins for his first ever Baseball game. I'm not sure who was more excited about being there: Pony or the boys. I"m pretty sure it was a tie.

We had just sat down to eat dinner overlooking home plate at Judge Bean's when Drew went over to the couch right next to our table. I said "Drew, get down off that couch, and come back over here." He was in the process of obeying me - something that I'm proud of since that's not always the easiest feat for a toddler - and jumped off the couch (typical exit off a couch, mind you), lost his footing, and busted his forehead on the metal corner of the plate glass.

I'm not gonna lie: It was bad. Possibly the worst thing I've ever seen. Deep, long, very bloody and all in the middle of the restaurant. Once we finally got some band-aids on it, my little man was fine. He was as happy as could be with his bandages, and content to eat all the ice cream that Judge Bean gave him. Judge Bean (who was more than helpful and so kind) made many many calls from his cell phone to find the team doctor. I feel like the whole thing was completely under the control of God since the man filling in for the team doctor that night is a Sports Medicine Pediatrician at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

He took the four of us and Pony down to the team locker room where we saw several baseball players, and Drew had them all entertained in minutes talking nonstop. He and Ben thought it was so neat to see all of the bats, baseballs (or as they still say "bee-balls") and tables where the baseball players get fixed up. Dr. Gregory took lots of time to clean the cut out well, and he was able to use DermaBond, rather than stitches to hold it together.

Drew did so great! He was so brave, and only got upset when I had to hold him still so that the DermaBond could set. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of him. And proud of Ben too. He was so sweet to sing his A-B-C's to his brother when he was upset to try to calm him down. Needless to say, we gave them all the treats they wanted when we finally finished up and got to watch the game. Suckers, popcorn and juice all around.

Here is Drew sharing his popcorn with Pony

We really wanted to get a picture with Pony and both the boys, but on top of Ben being a little shy, he really hates having his picture taken. So, here is Drew cheesing for the camera. (you can just barely see the stitched up cut above his right eye.)

And what family outing would be complete without a picture? The boys are holding up their very own baseballs that one of the players gave them while we were getting all stitched up. So very sweet, and they boys have only parted with their souvenirs to sleep.
So, yes. A very full week indeed. The boys are fine. Drew's head is fine. In fact, he was back to his normal self running around and jumping off things again the next morning (as I about had a heart attack every time he moved). But what can you do? They're boys, you know. Full of energy and life. Life that I am so thankful for.

Truth be told, right now there is probably more damage on my heart than there is on his head. It's hard for a mommy to see her baby get hurt. Harder than I ever knew it would be. Someone once told me that watching your children is like watching your heart outside of your body. I feel that way. But I'm so thankful that I serve and am loved by a Sovereign God who is always in control. He was Tuesday night. He is today and every other day. And the truth is that He used a terrible thing to draw me closer to Him and to teach me how to be a better mommy...just like a good parent: always loving and always teaching.

So we're good now. Back to normal, and just enjoying the spring weather. We're hoping your week has been a little less eventful than ours. Thanks for checkin in on us!

Family Day

One of the best decisions we made when the boys were little was to get a zoo membership. Every time it's pretty outside and we have a day together the boys always want to go to the zoo. No matter how often we go, they never get tired of going. So this morning that's what we decided to go do since Michael took today off and we had such nice weather.

Every goat that Drew saw her ran up to and said "Hi. My name Dwew. What your name? Mommy, he's not hearing me. What's dis goat's name?" Every. Single. Goat. It was pretty adorable. He has always been such an animal lover. Ben, true to his style, hung back a bit to get the feel of things and checked things out slowly. But once he warmed up to them, he decided that he liked the goats too.
One of their favorite parts of the zoo is the Lorikeet Landing where you can give the birds some "juice." But since every Metro School (it seemed) had a field trip to the zoo today the Lorikeets were pretty shy and didn't come out to eat. Here Drew and Ben try to give them some nectar, despite the birds' unwillingness to participate.
And the biggest hit of the day by far was the carousel. Or as they kept calling it, the "ferris wheel." They laughed and smiled and waved to Daddy the whole time. Just look at those smiles. Can you believe they are both looking at the camera at the same time AND smiling? This might be a Blankinship family first.

So we are just home enjoying being back together again. All is right in our world. Thanks for checking on us!

Second Verse, Same as the First....A Little Bit Louder, A Little Bit Worse

As it turned out, the tucking-in-bed-then-leaving-the-room routine was actually working....for a whopping two nights, that is. Monday night and Tuesday night I put them to bed and they stayed in their own beds all night long and slept the whole night through!! It was great to have a full night sleep again.

But last night we got home from church kind of late, and they were really wound up. So, I did the same routine we had been doing and walked downstairs to check some emails. When I came back upstairs and it was quiet, I assumed that they went on to bed as they had been. I was wrong. Here is what I found in the corner of the room behind the rocking chair: So I guess we still have a little ways to go before we are there. But we're taking baby steps in the right direction, I think.

This week's weather has been nice and a few days I've just turned everything off and had the windows open because it's felt so nice outside. I guess the boys thought so too because this is how I found them when I came downstairs the other afternoon. They've never even thought about climbing up onto this high window sill before, so I'm not sure what sparked the interest. They just thought it was so fun to feel the wind (after they took their own pants off) and then jump down to wrestle with each other. I grabbed the camera and we had a great time just enjoying two of the simplest things in life: the spring air and each other. The best things in life really are free.

Thanks for checkin on us! Happy Spring!!

Here's a funny question:

If a tired mommy has exhausted every single trick in the book as to how to get her boys to go to sleep now that they are in their big boys beds to no avail, and she uses a last resort method of simply closing the door and ignoring anything that might be going on in the room until there is silence, what will she find when she goes back in the room?????

The answer:

Two empty beds, one buddy on the floor on top of all his blankets (can you see the top of Ben's head?), one buddy under the bed, and the remnants of a really fun party in the dark with two best friends. Good thing I took the nightlight out...or else that party may have gone on all night long.

April Showers Bring May Flowers, We Hope

Thanks for all the encouraging words and suggestions about the big boys beds. We are taking baby steps towards making it through the whole night. Every day gets a little bit better. At least that's what I'm telling myself to make it through the sleepy fog I seem stuck in. ;)

Other than that, we've just been laying low and hanging out. Not too much to report around here, and that is very nice. The constant rain of this week has kept us mostly home-bound and that has led to some pretty funny discussions. For instance, the other day we were coloring at the table and I say to Ben "Ben, can you spell your name?" I've been working on this for forever, it seems like, and usually he'll say "no, I can't do it." But this time he says back to me "B-R-E-Ubble-Yoo...pause...X-Y-Z! Yay!" So I guess we need to keep working on that one, since I'd hate it if he went to school spelling his name Brew.

And then in the car on the way to church last Wednesday night I was just sort of talking to myself and said aloud "Oh, man, I left my Bible at home." And Drew immediately says "Oh no Mommy!!! You need Jesus!" I had to laugh out loud at how it sounded. But its so true, buddy. So true.

I don't have too many pictures to share. But here are a few I took last week after the rain when our backyard was full of mud puddles. I bundled them up, gave them each a plastic fork to dig with, and we had a little bit of some messy fun. Thanks for checking in on us.