Skip the cake. Eat the frosting.

Our cake decorating bag still contained a lot of icing, so my husband cut the bag and handed it to Ellie (5 yrs).

We all know cake is just the means of getting the icing to your mouth anyway! Skip the middle man and go straight for the frosting!

Ellie in sugar heaven!

Can't help but smile!

Have you ever let your kids eat just the frosting?



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A Letter to a Worm

My 3 yr old boy, Sam, holding a worm.

Dear Mr. Worm,

Please accept my apologies for the damage Sam caused you.

He's only 3 years old and his fine motor skills are still developing. He tried to hold you gently but didn't realize that his squeezes and pinches hurt.

The way you moved across the ground without arms and legs fascinated Sam. He giggled at feeling of you squirm across his hand.

What Sam really wants is a pet but mama refuses to allow him to have a dog, so he has settled for finding worms in the backyard.

I truly am sorry about the plastic bag and cardboard box fiascoes. Sam believed he prepared you good homes. He filled the containers with dirt and grass and water, just like outside.

He didn't understand that too much water would cause you to drown. Or that sitting in the sunshine would cause you to overheat and shrivel.

Again, my apologies. I can only hope that you forgive us.

Yours sincerely,

Sam's Mom


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My Child Colored Himself with Marker, Oh yes he did!

Hi! My name is Sam and I am 3 years old. My mom and dad left me in the living room with a blue Crayola marker. Even though I know better, I decided to write on myself. How do you like the stripe down my forehead and tongue?

O! But that's not all I did!!

I also colored one hand completely and was working on the other hand when Daddy walked in the room and stopped me.

See? That hand is COMPLETELY colored! The other one would have been, too, except Daddy had to spoil my fun.

Through this we learned a funny thing about washable markers - if your sweaty hand is coated in marker and you touch something (say the couch, wall, or sink) then you will leave a hand print.

Mama didn't think this was a very fun discovery! She scrubbed my hands with soap and water and still didn't get it all off. Eventually I got to play in the shower for awhile and most of it washed away.

Playing with a marker is a lot of fun until you get caught. Have you ever colored on yourself with a marker?


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15 Years and Counting!

Fifteen years ago I wore a beautiful white dress and said, "I do" to a handsome young man in a black tux. It's been a crazy 15 years! But then we started off kinda crazy!

Our courtship lasted 9 months. We had been friends for 3 years, hung out together during summer school before our senior year in college, started dating in August, talking about marriage over Thanksgiving vacation, engaged in January, and married in May.

We were so young!!! (And our photographer was so terrible!)

Lots of great college memories represented in this picture!

Still love these girls! Wish we lived closer!!

Joel and Stephanie, May 2012

I can't believe it's been 15 years! 3 apartments. 1 house. 1 chronic disease. 4 c-sections. 3 employers but 1 job. 2 trips to Malaysia. And too many "I love yous" to count.

I can't imagine doing life with anyone else!

A Messy Life Moment

Edited November 14, 2011: If you are visiting because of the winner announcement on The SITS Girls, WELCOME!  I'm so excited to have won The SITS Girls Bloggy Bootcamp giveaway. I can't wait to meet you awesome ladies and learn from you in person!! Now on to the post that brought you here...

Spending time with friends and family can lead to fun and memorable moments, but also some very messy ones. One messy moment I will always remember occurred in 2006.

Picture with me. {insert wavy flashback lines}

A younger me, 2nd trimester pregnant with my third child, seated at a table in a Mexican restaurant in El Paso. Also at the table are my in-laws, husband, 1 year old son, 2.5 year old son, and husband's uncle and aunt. This was our last night in Texas after spending the previous week celebrating the life, and mourning the death, of my husband's grandmother.

{Camera focuses on our table}

My 2.5 year old starts coughing. Not quiet, clear-my-throat coughs. Noooo. These are hacking, gagging, hear-you-across-the-restaurant coughs. Oh joy.

We had already ordered so I didn't want to leave; truth be told my pregnant-self had been looking forward to that meal all week! At that time the closest thing to a Mexican restaurant in Rhode Island was Taco Bell. It's just not the same thing, folks.

So I took William out of his high chair and set him on my lap facing me. With a wall behind us I just prayed his coughs would be muffled and not bother the other customers.

Then IT happened.

William coughed one more time, gagged, and proceeded to throw-up grilled cheese sandwich down the front of my shirt. Being the experienced mom that I was I bolted from my seat, thanking God I am at the end of the table and that our waiter had seated us right beside the bathroom.

I'll spare you the details and just say that my mother-in-law is the BEST EVER! She helped clean up William, me and the bathroom without being asked. A mother-in-law that cleans up vomit in public, yeh, she's PRICELESS!

You would think I would go back to the hotel after that but, no. Our meal had just arrived. So Will and I resumed our place at the table and everyone ate a little quicker. Until the coughing started again.

Then IT happened. Again.

Two year old vomit all down the front of my shirt, for the second time. sigh. I cleaned us both up in the bathroom. By now everyone else had finished their meals and ordered dessert. Surely the boy's stomach was empty, I thought. So I raced 3 buildings down the street to our hotel, changed my clothes and raced back so I could finish my now-cold tacos. I seated myself, took Will from my mother-in-law and began eating.

Then IT happened. Again.

Sometimes it takes me awhile to learn a lesson. In this instance it took my son vomiting down my shirt 3 times for me to learn to take vomiting children home, or in this case, to the hotel. Even if your pregnant, Mexican-food-craving-self tries to tell you to do differently. This is a life lesson I strongly recommend you learn through my experience!

It was messy. Memorable. And now, nearly 6 years later, hilarious.  But I don't want to ever do it again! Would you?!

Be sure to like Stephanie's Mommy Brain on Facebook where I share frequently share messy and embarrassing moments from my life as a mom. 

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com. Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

Happy 6th Birthday, Ben!!

Happy birthday, Ben!!

Today you are 6 years old.  I can't believe you are getting so big!!

This year brought a lot of exciting things to your life:

• you started kindergarten at home.  You have enjoyed studying birds, bats and insects in science.  Your love for animals continues to grow.
• you learned to read!!  Reading still takes effort for you but it's getting easier as you practice each day.  You often go into the living room to work on phonics because you can't focus with Will talking in the kitchen.
• you spend half of your classes at co-op with Will and the 6-9 year olds.  You usually like science, art, and p.e.  But drama and language arts/Bible are NEVER favorites.
• you have become quite the class clown in our Flying Creatures science class.  I knew you would thrive in that class, which is why I volunteered to teach it.

• you decided you don't care for peanut butter and honey sandwiches but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are still favorites.
• you have become more adventurous in eating.  Home made chicken noodle soup, meatloaf, chicken pot pie are recent meals you've eaten.  It helps to have dessert afterward as a bribe.
• you are a fantastic big brother!!  You love to carry Sam around and wrestle with him, although he doesn't always appreciate the attention.  You usually help Sam climb inside the indoor playground at Burger King.
• Legos are now your favorite toy.  You still play with Thomas the Tank Engine and Lincoln Logs but not nearly as much as Legos.
• You met your cousins Joshua, Daniel and Susanna for the first time this year.  We rented a huge cabin in Tennessee together.  You four big boys slept in one bed together.
• You visited Washington, DC for the first time.  The pigeons impressed you more than anything else.
• You draw very well and your handwriting is impressive for kindergarten.
• You still share a room with Will and most days get along.  One of these days you are going to realize you are stronger than he is.
• you learned to wink and curl your tongue.

I love you and am SO glad God placed you in our family!!  You always make me smile.

Love,
Momma

You might enjoy:
Benjamin turns THREE?! How did that happen?! (2008)
Happy Birthday Ben! (2010)

What's in your pocket?

While unpacking suitcases from our recent vacation to Tennessee I delivered my children's clothes to the appropriate rooms.  A few minutes later I returned to the boys' room to find my five year old pulling PINE CONES out of a jacket pocket.

A jacket I had just unpacked from a suitcase.  A suitcase I had packed in Tennessee and never noticed the extra bulk.

What is it about little boys and hauling things home?!  Be it rocks, sticks or PINE CONES?  After 7.5 years as a Boy's Mom I've learned to just laugh and shake my head about these things.


So, what have you found in a pocket?  Anything living?  Or does the boy in your life smuggle things home that are too large for a pocket?  I'd love to hear about it!!

Overwhelmed By Life

I'm a little overwhelmed by my life today.

We've started school.  My 2nd grader reads well above grade level but still needs a lot of my attention with the curriculum we chose.  My kindergartener can't read yet so requires my help with almost everything.  And the pre-K 4 year old is so excited to have her own school books she can hardly stand it.  Meanwhile the (almost) 2 year old is greatly offended to be gated in his room alone while we do school.

In addition to school there's the laundry that doesn't fold itself, dishes that multiply in the sink when my back is turned, and bathrooms that grow stuff if I'm not diligent.

Oh!  And we're still re-doing our half bathroom.  Walls and floors are done.  Now Joel gets to install the new vanity, sink and toilet.  Then I get to do a little decorating.

All of that to say, Stephanie's Mommy Brain will be on hiatus for the next 2 weeks.  By then I should have us all on a working routine and find time again for blogging.

Wish me luck!!

Ps.  On a positive note, I have lost 17 pounds since June 1.  :)

T-ball Trophies on Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy birthday Mom!!!

Please head over to my mom's new blog, Country Road Faith, and leave her a comment.  It would totally make her day!!

Thanks!

Happy Birthday Will!

Happy 7th Birthday, Will!

This year you:

• Developed a love for reading and now devour Box Car Children books in 2 hours.
• Lost 6 teeth.
• Performed in your first play at Home School Co-op and loved it!
• Played T-ball for the first time.
• Made me laugh a lot!!!

Guess what!

I love you.

Wordless Wednesday: Ellie Girl, 3.5 years.

My Ellie Girl at 3.5 years

Rhode Island Great Flood of 2010

The rain came down.  And came down.  And came down.

That's the best description I can give you of March 2010 in Rhode Island.  Think I'm kidding?

The National Weather Service said its rain gauge in Warwick recorded 16.34 inches, nearly double the old March record of 8.84 inches set in 1983.

The average for the month had been 4.43 inches.

And just like the kid's song "the rains came down and the floods came up."

I won't forget Easter week 2010 for a long time.  Sewer services in several cities failed as a treatment plant and pumps were flooded.  Oh yeah.  That was pleasant.  For several days we were told NOT to shower, wash laundry or flush.  To do so was to risk sewage filling your house.

Ewww!!

We were fortunate.  We had some water in our basement but it was kept under control with a wet/dry vacuum.  Joel estimates he emptied over 100 gallons from the vacuum.  I believe it!!  And we aren't even close to the flooded rivers/streams!!  The ground was just so saturated that the water seeped into basements.  Our neighbors continued to pump water from their basements for a week after we stopped.

Joel is vacuuming up the water in this picture.  This was probably our worst section.  When he discovered the water the floor was covered about 1/4 of an inch here.  As soon as he sucked the water up you'd see it coming in again.

We didn't lose anything of value - in large part because I store our stuff in plastic tubs.  This is just part of our collection!  Most of these are kids clothes.

I can rightfully say "I survived the RI Great Flood of 2010" but it's not an experience I care to repeat.  And we got off easy.  Our neighbors are gutting their basements.  Other people in our state lost their homes and their businesses.  We are fortunate.

Have you ever survived a flood or natural disaster? 

Wordless Wednesday: A Happy Boy

Happy Birthday Ben!

Dear Benjamin,

Today you are 5 years old.  How did this happen?!  It feels like just yesterday I walked the hospital hallway waiting for you to be born.

My obstetrician, Dr. M. guessed that you were around 8 pounds.  She was very surprised by how big you were when she delivered you.  I remember her asking the nurses how much you weighed - 9 pounds 9 ounces.  No wonder my belly was so big!!

You are about average in size now but even our pediatrician, Dr. S., says you are "solid."  He's right!  You are very muscular.  Probably because you are extremely active.  You love to play outside, run up and down our hallway and literally climb the walls.

For the last 6 months you've been very interested in animals.  During rest time you usually pour over the pictures in your animal encyclopedia or your bird encyclopedia.  At the library you are more interested in the animal books than the story books.  One day you'll be able to read the descriptions of the animals for yourself but for now you are happy to have Daddy or me read them to you.

Your interest in animals is also evident in your drawings.  Almost every day you fill pages and pages with pictures of various animals you've seen in your books or watching videos.  All that practice is making you really good at drawing.

Your personality has definitely developed this past year.  Without a doubt you are an introvert and very shy.  Large groups of people scare you.  Making new friends is not easy for you.  It's hard for me not to push you to be more outgoing.  I know the smart and funny boy that you are and I want other people to know that about you also.

I am glad God put you in our family 5 years ago so I can watch you grow up.  Just don't grow up too fast!  Happy Birthday!!

Love always,
Mama

Wordless Wednesday: A Beard Like Daddy!

 

Ben, 21 days from 5 years. :(

Fort Wetherill on Family Fun Friday

A sunny and (relatively) warm Saturday in January makes it difficult for my family to stay indoors.  So when just such a day came a earlier this month we packed a picnic lunch, pulled on coats and gloves and headed out.

This excursion was to a new site (for us) - Fort Wetherill State Park.  The funny thing is it wasn't the site I thought it would be.  Oh well!  We still had a great time exploring the old concrete army bunkers and imagining what it was like filled with soldiers and giant guns.

Here are a few of our pictures from the day:

What does your family like to do on a sunny Saturday in January?

The Tale of Two Knocked Out Teeth

Once upon a time there were two brothers who liked to wrestle with each other.  We'll call them Will and Ben.

Well, one night while wrestling on the floor in the hallway, the younger brother, Ben, accidentally caught Will in the mouth with his knee.

This caused Will to start yelling and run to their Mama.  After much dramatic gesturing and wailing from Will, Mama understood that Ben had knocked out Will's front top two teeth.




Since the 6 year-old Will's teeth were already loose, Mama reacted as any normal boy's mama would.  She laughed, looked at the gaps and asked where the teeth were.

The End.

Merry Christmas 2009!!

Merry Christmas!

This year we've enjoyed a slow and lazy Christmas.  Our family opened part of our gifts Christmas Eve.  We started this tradition a couple of years ago as a way to help us focus more on Jesus and less on our presents.  (We don't do Santa but that's a whole other post.)  We'll finish opening gifts Monday morning with Joel's parents (who arrive late Sunday night).

We really had a non-traditional celebration this year!  Domino's "catered" Christmas Eve supper and Christmas Day lunch.  Joel scrambled eggs and toasted bagels for Christmas breakfast.  And I whipped up a batch of Creamy Chicken Enchiladas for Christmas dinner.  Who needs a pecan pie and fudge to have a "real" Christmas?

Even though we were a little off the beaten path for our meals, we did follow our tradition of giving each boy a tool.  Sam received a tape measure; Will received a level and hex wrenches; and Ben received a set of crescent wrenches.  Don't they look ready to help Daddy?

All in all, it was a restful and happy day together as a family.

Preparing for Christmas 2009

Here's what we've been doing to prepare for Christmas 2009.

I made this wreath (my first EVER) at MOPs in early December.

It's hanging on the door leading from the breezeway into my kitchen.

We also decorated our Christmas tree

the weekend after Thanksgiving.  A rare thing for us!

Nativity ornaments on our Christmas tree

remind us of the reason we celebrate.

Ornaments for past Christmas Celebrations

remind us people and places we have loved.

Ornaments to remind us of our fun Maine 2009 vacation
and a fun Christmas activity from the past.

We attended the Home School Co-op Drama Classes program.  Ben and Ellie are singing a cute song with other kids from the 5 and Under Class.

Will is pretending to be a bird in a skit about the Parable of the Sower.

Joel and the kids hung up Christmas lights for the first time ever!
This is 3 strands of lights that go up a flag pole at the corner of our garage, along the roof of the garage and breezeway, and down the corner where
the breezeway connects to the house.

One night we put the kids in their pajamas and drove around looking
at Christmas lights.  The kids were very confused about driving
around aimlessly!  We found TWO houses with lights set to music!!
I hope it was the beginning of a fun tradition.

We've read a lot of Christmas books.
Watched The Grinch (original version), Frosty the Snowman,
and The Muppets Christmas Carol.

Each night we've read part of the Christmas story from the Bible, a Children's Bible or One Wintry Night for our Jesse Tree readings.  The kids have taken turns adding an ornament to our tree each night.  I printed the Jesse Tree ornaments (the paper dove in the picture) from the internet last year.  Hopefully I'll have something better for next Christmas.

 

That's what we've done to prepare for Christmas.  

What have you been doing?