Holidaze

Every year it's the same thing. I can't wait for the holidays & begin the countdown after Halloween. Then it gets here & passes in a blur of parties, presents, shopping & eating. Of course with 3 kids everything is a blur but you get the point. This year we're waiting on 2 babies to grace our large family, Keith is finally home for good & the boys are all healthy. I truly couldn't ask for more, so I won't.

One flu over the cuckoos nest..

The flu hit us hard this week. Reid had to go to the hospital for fluids & a little rest. His temp reaching 106.1 was scary for all involved. The body does some strange things to compensate at that temp. Anyway, Reagan was next. His fever was never that high but he joined his brother in violating the poor toilet/sink. Forced to do double duty while the other sibling was occupying the toilet, our sink has been scrubbed & sanitized to the max. Laundry has also doubled since towels, clothes & blankets are in high demand when kids are sick. Being forced to stay inside has made me a little loopy. I was talking about cabin fever & Rowan ran to me & touched his little hand to my forehead & exclaimed "Your cabin fever is really high Momma. You should go to the Doctor." **Sigh**. Good thing kids are cute...

That which does not kill me...makes me really fun to live with.
**Glad my hubby was home & could help.

Friday Fill-ins

1. He was a turkey this morning..(Reagan).

2. October is what I look forward to most this time of year.

3. My best friend is new.

4. I promise to be honest with you.

5. Appearances can be totally accurate.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was Reid & Reagan @ the bus stop.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to burgers- Martha style, tomorrow my plans include family and Sunday I want to get ready for the week.

Reid

I knew I had a strong emotional tie w/ Reid. If he's sad I know it, if he's having a bad day I can feel it. Most mothers have this w/ their children, it's nothing special. But when you have a child like Reid it comes in handy. He's been "fine" on the outside. Made a new friend, happy about school & got new clothes for school. But last night as I was about to get in bed I had a strange feeling I needed to talk to him. It was overwhelming actually. He was already coming to my room. He layed in my bed & just poured his little heart out. He's sad & doesn't know why. He told me he's grateful for everything he has but his brain tells him to be sad & mad. He tries to feel different but he just can't anymore. It gives him a headache. His medicine for Asperger to control his tics & his other meds to stabilize his mood can cause depression so we're making a Dr. appointment to change those. I'm so happy he felt he could talk to me & let me know how he is feeling. I'm always proud of him but last night he proved to me again just what an amazing kid he is.

Back to school

All around the world parents are shopping & praising God this week. No, it's not Christmas. It's time for kids to go back to school!! Yay!! I can honestly say I will miss my kids. I enjoy the lazy days of summer & their friends running in & out. I enjoy play dates where they can all be present. If I was a black belt in patience like a good friend of mine I would home school. Don't get me wrong I would love to. But my kids would learn nothing & I'd become one those moms that drinks..during the day. Spending more time w/ Jennifer has afforded my kids the chance to see home schooling up close & personal. It's an all day, every day thing. Kids are always learning, we know this. So every experience is turned into a learning experience. So this year my kids have voiced several times they'd like to be home schooled. When I laughed out loud they stood their ground. "Jennifer can teach us. We can go to the Coppock Academy." (Yes that's what they call her house) Wanting to save my friendship I had to let them down easy. "She has a 3 person class limit," I lied. Groans & whines wafted through the air reminding me maybe I'm ready for school to start....soon.

Breakfast Shmeakfast

I saw this idea on another blog & as usual..ran with it. Using waffles to make a breakfast quick, easy & healthy..sign me up. Here is what we made our first go round: Elvis Special. Peanut butter & banana. While I was heating the waffles in the toaster I supervised the boys cutting their bananas using a butter knife. We spread the peanut butter on one waffle & placed the teeny tiny pieces of banana on top. We then placed the other waffle on top & PRESTO! Waffle Sandwich, Elvis style. It was easy, new & the boys ate very single bite!! I think it will be a great solution for those busy mornings!! Here are a few other toppings we are going to try:

Jelly
strawberries
cream cheese (all different flavors)
blueberries
egg, cheese & turkey
honey
cinnamon & sugar

It's awesome the way the boys are thinking of things to put on here & try. I'm thinking it would be easy to eat in the car as well. Anyway, they loved it & it made their morning. Mission accomplished.

Off the wagon

I fell off the bloggin wagon. But I'm back. So many new things to report I'm not sure where to begin. Reid is about to be a 5th grader. Both him & Reagan won 1st place in baseball. Although I was extremely proud of their trophy's I was more proud they recognized there is a reward for effort. Because they did work hard for those trophy's. Reagan will be in 1st grade & is learning more every day. Rowan has continued to amaze me. He is still the most stubborn child known to man. I pray he harnesses that power & uses it for good rather than evil. This summer has been fun & several lessons have presented themselves. We've met new friends, lost some & learned family is always there. A week ago we all lost my grandmother. She was the most generous, loving, christian example of a woman & my heart truly aches for my mothers loss. But I know she's home & dancing w/ my Papa. Football is about to begin & I will post pics as soon as we get Reid's pads & helmet. We're enjoying the lazy days of summer as I'm sure most of you are.

Ladies Man

As I watched Reagan strut to the car I noticed something was different. He slammed the door & threw a gun shaped piece of paper @ me & exclaimed
"Grace said to call her."
There it was in hastily scribed pencil. "Call me Reagan. Heart Grace." The number is written so huge, it can't be missed. Subtle. Reagans goofy smile was evidence of how pleased he was.
"So, can I use your phone?"
"Easy tiger, she's probably still here waiting for her mom. Later maybe."
This seemed acceptable so he sat back & relaxed. Upon hearing the big news Reid is rather disappointed it's his birthday & he hasn't been given such a gift from the universe.
"He's only 5. It's not fair."
After we get home & I endure a few rounds of "Can we call her now?" we call Grace. Her mother has been expecting us. Grace wants Reagan to come play. She just loves Reagan & talks about him all the time. He has his first "date" next week.

Bird nest/Kickball

After being on house arrest due to flooding this weekend my boys are all about outside. Fine with me. When I was younger playing outside meant finding whatever I could to entertain myself & doing it for hours. Because if I bugged my parents I had to come back inside. My kids however need a referee & help deciding what game to play. "Where is this ball?" & "I want that bike." They're in & out so much it hardly qualifies as playing outside. It's more stand-at-the-back-door-whine-fest. Anyway, the highly competitive game of kickball began like any other. Soon enough I was called to get the ball out of our neighbor's yard & then it was stuck in a tree. Really stuck. The little tykes plastic shovel wasn't going to cut it this time. Reid found the step ladder & when he lifted his head into the branches he discovered a nest. He knows I collect them so he stuck his hand in it & jerked it back quickly. "Momma the nest has an egg in it." I went up to investigate & saw that sure enough he was correct. One tiny perfect egg. I told them to move away & be careful because there was a baby in there. They quietly stepped back & stared at the tree. As soon as we moved away what I presume was the Mama bird came back quickly. They all took a vote & decided to leave the ball there to provide extra shelter for the baby. And to be honest Mama bird was giving us the evil eye.

Bragging rights

My oldest son Reid is about to be 10. The countdown has begun. In his short life there have been many things for me to brag about. He talked early, he's smart & I've heard many times..handsome. I agree with all of these things. But lately there is one comment I'm hearing that makes my heart leap more than anything. "I had no idea. " It's the response to many people seeing Reid & watching him participate in several activities like a normal kid. After they've learned he has Asperger's. A form of Autism. I have never been more proud of anything in my life. Reid worked so hard & went through so many things in the past 2 years. Physical therapy, ABA & medication changes. If the simplicity of those words imply ease I can assure you it was no small task. Physical therapy was a grueling, everyday task that was a true endeavor. ABA was a necessary evil. And the medication switch sent our family into a year long nightmare. But I can honestly say that my prayers & his were more than answered. For him to be able to play & go to school like "a normal kid" is nothing short of a miracle. Reid being on a 1st place baseball team & making A's is all music to my ears. But having someone tell me that he looks like a normal kid is literally the best thing I could ever hear. Normal never sounded so wonderful. I'll take it.

Locker Room

On any given day at our house you will see random boys in underwear, shirtless & I'm almost afraid to admit...sometimes both. Apparently clothing gets in the way of random activities. The Wii usually has it's competitor's sans shirt for Reid & pants less for Reagan. Rowan has shown no preference yet. However I will say that it does take quite a few moments to wrangle him into pj's after his bath. Sometimes I fell a bit strange. Like for instance the other day Reid was in the shower. Reagan & Rowan in the bath. When they all surrounded me for clothes & lotion I got a little...claustrophobic. I looked around & found I was surrounded by..male genitalia. I know they're my kids & whatever but can I just say sometimes it's a bit much. I also believe that a certain motto must be given it's due. Boys can be gross. Farting in faces, burping, slaps on the butt. All commonplace. It's not their fault though. I had enough boys to create the locker room mentality so I take full responsibility. I look at it as practice. My kids will never be uncomfortable in the locker room, or anywhere else for that matter, when it's time to change for P.E. or sports. I will wait a couple of more years to work on the perfect towel snap. For their own safety.

** For your own entertainment purposes & my embarrassment I've included a list of questions/quotes heard around our house.

1. Who wants to smell my armpit?
2. Did you smell that? I just farted.
3. ______ just farted!! Gross!! (while sniffing the air & rushing towards that person laughing)
4. Come here I have to tell you something (burp in face).
5. Oh my gosh my feet stink. Come here & smell my socks.
6. Can I have more underwear? Just trust me..

Edward has good manners..for a vampire

I let my son watch Twilight. (He had to cover his eyes @ 2 parts.) He didn't notice what I thought he would. Instead he noticed Edwards manners. He caught Bella's apple. He opened doors, bought her dinner & rescued her. "He sure is nice for a vampire," he said. He also liked the way Edward dressed & how smart he was. "Edward is pretty cool & smart." I am pleasantly surprised I must say. Reid is very sweet I shouldn't be surprised. At the beginning of the year a dad of one of the girls in his class came up to shake his hand. "I hear you pull out my daughter's chair everyday, that's great. You're a nice young man." I turned to look at Reid & he just shrugged it off. Apparently a few weeks later she didn't like it so much that he did this for every girl. Reid also noticed that Edward is different & some people don't like him. People are mean to him. He has experience with that as well. I guess out of all the role models I can think of, Edward isn't so bad. He is handsome, smart & well groomed. All in all, he's pretty nice for a vampire.

Toddler fight Club

I always told myself I would never tell my kids it's ok to hit someone. Fast forward through several years & different incidents & as usual, I lied to myself. My nephew is a serial hitter. I love the kid but he hits all the time, for no reason & thinks it's funny. He also likes to throw things at people's faces. Like trains, metal cars, etc. When he's at my house I always did the whole 'No hit, hands to yourself" that works on most kids at least once. So after the third time Reagan came to me complaining & nothing was working I committed the mother of all parent sins. I told him to hit back. Mostly because I got sick of watching my kid take it upside the head & smile it away. Something snapped & I remembered how some kids/people never learn. My kids know when he comes over, they're gonna get hit so they hide the heavy stuff. If nothing else I taught my kids they don't have to smile as they're getting smacked in the face with their own toys. My nephew didn't mind. I brought old karate equipment & a kicking bag & let them go at it. I wouldn't normally recommend this method but I can report the hitting is less severe & less frequent.

Thomas Addiction

Rowan has always liked Thomas. It is truly his first love. He knows all the trains, their names & colors. He can spot Thomas on anything a hundred yards away. Thanks to a wonderful marketing strategy Thomas is indeed on anything now. Stickers, plates, clothes, pillows, band aids, toothbrushes, blankets, socks, lunch boxes & backpacks. Which we have. All birthday presents from loving grandparents, aunts & uncles. Rowan likes to rotate his favorites. One week it's Rheneas (pronounced Ru-nay-us) to you novices. The next week it's Billy. Thomas is getting hard to escape. Nowhere is safe. Target & Walmart have a section devoted to Thomas. I went to a christian bookstore last week & was drug to a certain area after Thomas blue was spotted. In order for everyone to get out in one piece we purchased Mavis. It was also a bribe because we had several places to go that day. I'm an enabler. I know this. The sad thing is my only wish is that Rowan had a cheaper habit.

He's touching me!!!

We all know this game. Played in the backseat on many a family trip. Short or long. If this was an Olympic sport I hate to brag but MY kids would take home Gold. I assure you it's an artform they've mastered. Coming so close to an arm or leg without actually making physical contact is a gift. I'm so happy they've all found their gift & yet so disappointed because there's no bumper sticker for it. I would slap that sucker on the back of my car so fast. "My kid came dangerously close to actually touching his brother, but didn't." Not so catchy when in fine print, huh? I swear today the middle child actually raised his shoulder to allow contact just so he could make contact of his own. It was in the form of a 5 year old punch to the leg. Annoying like a mosquito. But the damage was done. Reid screeched & howled like Reagan was performing ancient Mayan brain surgery through his nose. I realized a sacrifice had to be made for unity so I took away every one's privileges for the evening. Soon the togetherness was back on as chants of "You're so mean, You can't do that to us" floated through the house. "Us" was the two people that were just pummeling each other. Faced with the loss of precious TV, DS's & PS2's brought them back together. It continued through dinner as my apparent lack of compassion was discussed at length. The whole time getting along marvelously. The only touching was high-fives & bumps given to show camaraderie.

Jonas Brothers

I'm deaf. 74,000 fans were at Reliant Stadium & I promise you over half were girls. Girls scream. Loud. A lot. Especially when anything Jonas is involved. They were fun. Sang all the faves. The boys had a blast, which was the whole point.

Fuggiddabout it

I want to know how it's possible for children that can memorize video game levels to forget what to do every...single...morning. Here's the deal. They stagger out of bed every morning & go to the couch. I remind them breakfast is on the table. They proceed to stagger to the table. Protests begin. "I wanted cereal, not waffles." "I wanted apple juice, not orange juice." I remind them I don't care. They decide to eat. After that is over it's time to brush teeth, put on clothes & go to school. What happens is they disperse in every direction. I threaten to take away privileges. They start putting on clothes; aka wrestle time with your brother. Stealing socks, laughing at stuck heads in shirts. Good times. Always a bonus if farting is involved. With three boys that is frequently the case. I take away a privileges & we're back on track. Then it's medicine time, hair fixing, lunch passing out & backpacks. This always makes me question WHY they even put the yellow gummy vitamins in the container? I have like 3 bottles w/ nothing but yellow gummy vitamins. I use it as a secret punishment. Whichever kid has been the biggest problem gets it. Moving along, whoever is line leader announces so several times as they elbow their way to the front door. Now it's time to go to the car. Who could forget that? My kids. Running like a wild herd to the car they drop stuff, try to pass "the leader". I'm still locking the front door & round the corner into complete chaos. By now I'm cursing myself because they don't ride the freakin' bus. I could be rid of them by now. While I buckle Rowan in his carseat Reagan has forgotten how to buckle his seat belt. I explain it...again. Reid is jacking with the radio & laughing at Reagan. Rowan is upset that he dropped his train & nobody can reach it. Now we're in the home stretch. I take the kids to school silently telling myself it's almost over. They hop out @ school & I exhale. If I could peel out I would. Instead the mental count down begins & Rowan & I head home. What are your mornings like? Better, worse or the same? If they're better, please lie.

My playroom was clean for 37 seconds today!!

There's a room in our house I'd like to annihilate. It looks like it's been bombed anyway. My kids have a 6th sense when the the toys have been placed in the right place. So naturally that means it's time to go put it back..on the floor. I tried to soothe myself once by thinking they'll grow out of it. Considering my husband is the type that drops his clothes on the floor..BY THE HAMPER, I can only assume that's false. I even organized it with cute IKEA toy bins I thought would do the trick. Wrong again. I gave up today when Rowan came into the room & pulled out every single thing I just put away & said "Mom, why did you move my stuff off the floor?" Silly me. So here's to everyone that's ever stepped on a block, train or miniature weapon of some sort. I feel your pain, literally.

Yes, hell is a bad word..

So, there's a song making the rounds by American rejects (I think?) called Gives you hell. Obviously I try to skip this when the little ones are in the car. However, they stayed in the car w/ Reid while I ran back into the house for something the other day & as luck would have it..that song was on. When I got in the car I changed it. Reagan was the first to ask why. " Is hell a bad word Mommy?" "Well, it depends on how you use it. That song isn't very nice." We went on our merry way & I thought the subject was closed. Until we arrived at Academy. Reagan hopped out of the car & raised his arms really high. Then he proceeded to shout "What the hell is up everybody?" I had to hide my combination of shock, embarrassment & humor to explain why he couldn't scream "What the hell is up?".

My kids Pediatrician is my BFF

I see my kids Pedi more than anyone else on the face of the planet. My kids know when we're headed that way & start screaming in the car. "I don't want a finger prick, I don't need a shot. I'll be good." **I'm a horrible mother because on several occasions I've told my kids if they're not still & quiet, they will get worse & have to go get another shot.** We always start w/ a rapid strep & more often than not, it's positive Yeah!! If there was some kind of medical bingo, we'd always win. I see her so much I feel I should bring her something when we go. Wine, roses, candy? Then I remember it's $20.00-$30.00 a pop everytime I go per kid..DANG!! No wonder she always has the cooloest shoes. She appreciates my business though because I get a HUGE bag of samples, goodies, coupons & she calls me back from her own cell..no call block. I'm her biggest client so she has to woo me. So sad, but I'll take it. I know all the nurses by 1st name & they know us. Three more visits on my punch card & I get to use the V.I.P. section. Woo-hoo!!

Some High School kids aren't useless

**ANNOYING ALERT: I will randomly drop the word cool several times.** I'm not cool anymore. I digress, I'm not 9 year old cool. I don't even know which Puma's are ugly & which ones are awesome. Shoe shopping with my son has taught me a few things. A- Guys do care about shoes. B- They get so overwhelmed one pair is all they can handle at a time. C- They truly have no clue about the cost of a shoe determining the look of said shoe. Reid likes all white. He knows I will not budge on this so he tries to pick shoes with the most visible section of white. For some reason white leather,vinyl/polyester is way more expensive. Forget about how dirty white shoes get as soon as you walk in them. They are cool. Which leads me to another issue. The amount of white on your kids shoe is proportionate to the amount of red clay/dirt they have at your kids school. Guess how much our school has? So, the coolest pair of Puma's had one teeny tiny infinitesimal stripe of black. "What about this pair?" Nope. "But Mo-o-o-om. It's the only cool one!!" Of course it is. "All the other ones are ugly." Hmm-mm. I see. Easily distracted as 9 yr olds are I point out, I think, another cool pair. I get the eye roll & sigh. Which, by the way has made vast improvements since my youth. The eye roll itself has gotten soooo big it could easily be mistaken for a seizure...from a novice parent of course. Adidas & Nike's have apparently had their run. No longer cool, they sat being ignored. He finally saw a pair that I was willing to get. Until I saw the price. I don't pay $90.00 for my shoes!! They were cool however. Oddly enough there just happened to be a pair underneath them that was exactly the same. The only difference was it had no white at all. The 1 inch piece of leather had been dyed black. This made that shoe uncool. It also made it $49.99. While Reid was looking for other shoes I grabbed the nearest, cutest high school couple I could find. "Hi, how are you?' Great. "I'm not strange. I promise. One day you'll understand. Blah, blah, blah. Can you walk over there in a minute & tell that cute kid you like these shoes?" Sure, I used to do the same thing to my mom, blah, blah, blah. "Thanks." A few seconds later Abercrombie & Fitch said they liked the shoe..BAM! We're done shopping. We now have a black pair of Puma's & one pair of Adidas as well. (Abercrombie said she liked Adidas).

Valentine's Day

In recent years I've gone practical w/ V-day. I appreciate original, usefull items. So this year I got the boys each 10 of their new favorite songs for their ipod, a shirt, new flashlights, matchbox cars & candy. They loved it. Hubby got a new wisk & some kitchen knife that can cut through anything. In return I got taken to lunch, flowers & money for shopping. OH.. & time to shop all by myself. FUN!! The boys were actually sweet to each other that day. No fighting & lots of hugs. That was my actual gift & I enjoyed it so much!!

Is it crazy in here or is it just me?

I'm baaaack. Baseball practice started which means I said goodbye to my life. Why do these coaches do this? I have 2 kids. practice at 2 different places & of course different days. Men are responsible for this I just know it. A woman would have designated practice times staggered at many levels with coordinating times & drinks. But alas, a man is in charge. They seem allergic to common sense sometimes. Sports & thoughts of championship trophy's cloud their judgment. I cut them slack only because I myself, have behaved that way at numerous sales. But all of this means I've had to shift schedules, ask for help, & stop my horrible procrastination habit. Drats!! Forced to find a positive I've learned baseball wears kids out. Like falling asleep at the table, face in the food, sleeping in the next morning...exhausted. Can I get a AMEN?? Ha. Aside from the crazy baseball parents it's fun. BTW- Is it assault to crush Xanax or Valium in a brownie & serve it to these freaks? I mean it's almost my civic duty. Like taking keys from a drunk driver. It couldn't hurt might help? Their kids future apparently hinges on practice. Since there are so many scouts at Instructional T-Ball I guess I'm the lazy parent. Reagan's glove has seen about as much action as...well, you get the point. I thought I was paying these people to teach him? I am wrong. He's supposed to know all these things already? He's 5. He can barely dress himself, catching a flyball is nowhere on this kids radar. So come game time Reagan will be the kid picking flowers in the outfield. Hopefully the brownies will be ready & the crazy parents won't notice.

For the love of money

While perusing the local Marshall's Rowan fell in love w/ his first Piggy Bank. I personally think it's odd to buy something to put money in. I mean if you're actually trying to save money & start collecting change it's weird to already be in the hole because you had to have a ceramic pig/baseball. But try telling that to a toddler. So when we get home with Piggy Bank Rowan is all about finding "monies" to shove in the appointed slots. Couches, my purse, under the sink? Nowhere is safe. Seeing the desperation I let him know Daddy's closet has lots of change on the floor. **backstory** When I married Greg & moved in we discovered a box in a closet from college. Apparently he "forgot" he had a BOX w/ $700.00 worth of change. I know. I know. Greg is a change magnet. Seriously. So upon entering his closet I hear "Monies, monies everywhere" in the most excited voice. Rowan's chubby little hand can't keep up as it will only...grab..a...few..coins..at...a..time. Frantically grabbing every nickel he asks for help. (You must know that Greg has change in his pocket, it falls on the floor & he doesn't pick it up. It's an odd game we play. He also leaves real money in his pocket & I find rolled up bills in the dryer ALL the time. I do get paid to do the laundry..ha ha!!) So I decide to help all the while realizing the cool stuff I can get w/ this Pandora's Box of change. I'm so not above dumping change in that green thing @ Walmart. I know it's our money to begin w/ but it's "free money". Leftover money. Now a couple times a week you will see a blur of legs & the rattle of metal against ceramic pottery as Rowan plunders his untapped resource. Happy kid check. Full Piggy check. Clean floor check. Win win.

Friday fillins

1. Oh, I am so thirsty!

2. My waist changes, big and little.

3. During sleep, I wake up.

4. Grey's Anatomy; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be not coughing.

6. A straw is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie w/ hubby, tomorrow my plans include something outside and Sunday, I want to go to Church!!

What's new & what's that smell?

This week my kids decided to finally share w/ each other. They decided to share their colds, bronchitis (RSV) & other funkiness. Gotta start somewhere though, right? Reid & Reagan went back to school today & so Rowan is back to being the Lone Toddler. He's handling it well. I think he finally understands brothers gone= get any toy for extended amount of time. Took him long enough. I have it now but I'm fine because as we all know as an adult I can take Dayquil. This stuff is AWESOME!! Even though I'm sick the laundry's getting done, toys are being sterlized, etc. I'm such a weakling Benadryl knocks me out like GHB. So it's no wonder this stuff has me climbing the walls. Kinda nice though so whatever. At least I'm not sitting on the couch w/ a fever, cough & death wishes anymore. After all this is done I may even have enough time/energy to tackle that smell in the car. You "real" moms know what I'm talking about. At 1st you ignore it. It may just be from outside (yeah, ok). Then you try to think back..what did I let them eat in the car last? Next is the ignore phase. During this phase I llike to use Lysol, Neutra-air & an assortment of other cover-ups. Then as we all know comes the last phase. Your kids notice & the sun has baked the smell into your seats. Hazmat called & said they're not coming this time. So, it's up to us to dig under coats & toys to find it. However, I'm high not stupid so Greg can handle it when he gets home.

My Kryptonite

We're home from the hospital. Reagan was treated w/ a super-duper cocktail of steroids, albuterol, rocephin, fluids & oxygen. He's feeling better & now Rowan is sick. The only reason I feel ok about it is that I now know exactly what to do for him. I'm ok w/ all illness except when breathing issues are involved. Blame my traumatic youth in which my younger brother was life-flighted 2 times in front of me & was always having these horrible breathing issues. Eventually he got a pacemaker & all was well. But the lingering helplessness has affected me apparently because that's a soft spot for me. I'm impervious to vomit, fever, the runs..whatever. But respiratory distress of any kind is my Kryptonite (spell check for all you sci-fi fans?). It makes me nervous & very unsure of what to do next. Reagan turned a very funky purple-gray color. It wasn't blue so I thought ok..we're not that bad off. Not true. Purple-gray is bad. I guess I wanted the movie style "he's blue" type scenario. His lips & eyes were purple around the edges & he looked very pathetic. I figured instead of the very dramatic ambulance call I had time to get him there myself. I threw him in the car & drove to the ER. Greg was already home because I'd called him. He was taken back right away because by the time we got there he was vomiting & had worse color. After they checked his pulse & Oxygen (one too high, one too low) he was taken back right away & all was good. Usually I cannot be shaken w/ my kids. With Reid I learned early they look to me for assurance. I remember when Reid was at Shriner's & they had to scrub him every day..I was a rock. After everything was over I'd go in the hall & cry w/ all the other parents but during that I was in the moment for him. Encouraging, strong..you get the point. But this time I felt very...out of control & nervous. Especially when his Oxygen kept going below 90. The magic # is 92 they said. When it went all the way down to 88 I felt so helpless. I found out my kids can burn their hand practically off, cut their eye open & have surgery in front of me, & whatever else. But having a breathing issue is out of the question. I hope they listen.

Friday Fillins

1. Enough with the Mrs. Oprah Winfrey. Someone has a big head these days..

2. Cheese causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving an Icee..wierd I know.

4. Chelsea Handler makes me laugh...even though it's so wrong!!.

5. I wish I could go to the outlets next week.

6. Physical Fitness has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a nice run, tomorrow my plans include baseball tryouts and Sunday, I want to chilax!!!

I should obviously be writing about Reagan being sick. He (we) were up all night using the nebulizer. His fever has been up to 103.4 & he's miserable. He has the flu & the Croup. We all know about the sick kid stories..nothing new. On the way to the Pediatrician's office this a.m. they were late opening so we went to Target. Before you berate my parenting skills let me preface by saying it was early, nothing else was open & Reagan was riding in the cart. Anyway, I made my way around to the Children's section & the Universe decided to pay me back for it's unfairness. The back story is I buy nothing unless it's on sale. Like %75 of sale. It's in my DNA. So, the rack said %50 & I wasn't gonna look EXCEPT that I saw the orange tag & the entire section said $1.24!!! What?? Holy crap. All their kid t-shirts, sweat shirts w/ hoods, w/out hoods, long sleeve shirts, jackets, pants. were on CLEARANCE!! Nothing was over $2.48. I filled the basket w/ all my new found treasures. Even in my clearance haze I remembered to buy a few bigger sizes for next year. (I'm no rookie) I then thought enough to go to every dept. & check it out. Men's was the same scenario. So Reid got ALOT of shirts & those cool sweat-shorts that are super comfy. They were $2.78. CRAZY. I got 7 huge bags full of clothes for under $50.00!! Reagan was very happy too because there was a nice, comfy robe for under $3.00 that he got to wear right away. Thanks universe. I feel better & the robe was a nice touch..

Dinner Dilemna

Lately dinner with Rowan has been a struggle to say the least. He's always "full of eating." Tonight while everyone was enjoying my broccoli-rice casserole he was protesting. About 10 minutes into dinner Reid hands me my cell phone & walks away. A second later it rings & he asks to talk to Rowan. Rowan gets on the phone & his eyes lit up. Reid is acting like his most beloved character..Thomas the Train. First I'm shocked because that's a pretty great idea. Second, I'm impressed because this may work. Third, when one sibling goes out of their way to help another is a parents greatest accomplishment. Only Rowan's not buying it. He's telling "Thomas" he's full of eating" & he can just buy more trains. The 3 yr. old naivety has worn off. He starts pumping "Thomas" for info & sadly Sir Topham Hat needs him for something. Reid came back in the kitchen so pleased with himself I hated to see his plan not work. Promises of ice cream seem to fall on deaf ears so we had to resort to the last tactic we have. He can't get up until he eats 3 bites. Hey, it works on Super Nanny. 10 minutes later he's had his 3 bites & all is well in the Howard home. But I must say that was the most entertaining dinner we've had lately.

Our weekend

We had friends over, football games, 1st black eyes, Monkey Munch, baseball registration, homemade hamburgers. Just great, stay @ home fun. We usually try to "find" something to do. We barely left the house & had so much fun. Busy, but fun. It was awesome to not have to pack everyone up & go somewhere. You get the point. I'm soaking it up since baseball starts soon & we'll never be home. So hopefully I'll have a more interesting post tom.

Cookie

Reid & Reagan went back to school this week. You can't hear it but in my head the Hallelujah Chorus is playing. Rowan, however, is not happy. His playmates are gone. The house is a little more quiet but bubbers ( that's what we call Rowan) is so lost during the day. So we went to eat lunch w/ them @ school. Before I even saw Reid's class Rowan was already running down the hall & was wrapped around Reid's leg. Reid scooped him up & they were both so happy. I admit I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. We ate lunch w/ Reid. He even shared his ice cream w/ Rowan. That's a big deal in brother-land. We saw Reagan for a while & then it was time to go. On the way out Rowan got bummed again & asked if we could all come home together? I promised we'd see them soon & he asked if we could wait. Now keep in mind these are all the same kids that were willing to duke it out over the last bit of Honey Nut Cheerios this morning. My Mom radar is going off a little bit. Finally I gotta try.

"Bubbers do you miss Reid & Reagan?"
"Yea-I miss Reid."
"Just Reid, not Reagan."
"Uh-huh."
"Why?"
"Reid gets me cookies."

Apparently last week while I was busy doing whatever, Reid was the chocolate-chip supplier.
After school I got the whole story. Whenever I would tell Reid to watch Rowan while I took a shower he had to stop playing his video game. One day he asks Rowan if he'd sit still on his bed while he played a game...for a cookie. Of course he did. Reid said after that Rowan would just walk up to him & say "cookie." Reid said it was so cute he would get him one. The cookies are on the top shelf of the pantry now.

Witching hour

So, in my family the "witching" hour is right before my husband gets home. It's past snack, before dinner, boredom has set in & I have no energy left. What is it about 4:30-5:00 that makes me wish tranqualizer guns were legal? I wish I had it in me to be June Cleaver. I would have dinner ready, kids clean & a cute outfit w/ matching apron on to greet my spouse upon arrival. Sadly, it's more than the opposite. It's like the evil twin of opposite. Kids are crazy, I'm checking the clock every minute & Greg is always stuck in traffic. My kids are allergic to the couch @ this hour because watching a show is not possible. Suddenly they have standards. The same kids that beg me to watch a moronic, talking sponge now have opinions on different shows. Amazing. After the 38th "No more snacks, get off your brother, get outta the kitchen, quit jumping on the couch, off the couch, etc" Gregs home & I breath in a sigh of relief. He's like my WWF tag team partner. Just when I'm about to get smacked across the face w/ a chair he tags in. Now I can go to the bathroom, put laundry up w/ my ipod on so I can block out the "noise" & various other things I can never get done for some reason. If I'm lucky we'll need something from the store.

Getting to know...me

My name is Terra Howard. Wife to Greg. Mother to Reid, Reagan & Rowan. We also have a dog named Merphy. She is a girl but that doesn't count because she can't eat chocolate w/ me & doesn't have to shave. I love to write. But I write like I talk so if you're the draft checking type you will find your quota of typos here...have fun!! Everyday I find myslef in situations that are...unique. Boys are beautiful creatures. But they are no doubt born little men. Stinky feet, farts, food intake are just everyday topics for me. I endure because that's what a Mom does..right? I gave up having nice furniture & delicate little things 3 years ago. It's no match for indoor baseball, running, throwing & not catching. Maybe one day. (insert sigh here) Whoever I can rope into reading this will learn about Reid. He's my 9 yr old son w/ Asperger's. My hero. My 1st son that I've learned so much from. Reagan, my 5 yr old that is the daredevil, rockstar w/ the biggest heart. He's my easy one. Rowan is my 3 yr old. Who knows what he will be. 3 yr olds change like the weather in Houston, every 5 seconds. But I anticipate he's unique. He's everything his brothers are not & more. I honestly haven't figured him out..but I can't wait to learn. Greg is the poor guy caught up in the middle of all this madness. I love him for everything is & more for what he's not. He's smart, funny & dorky. I love it!!! He saves me & the children everyday. Literally. I hope to keep up w/ this blog for the memories & for the personal gain.