B-Man & B-Bode's Blog

Just Different

2012-02-03T13:52:00.002-06:00

At any given time of the day, you can walk into Booker's room, and this is what it will look like. Toys put away (for the most part), dirty clothes in the hamper, etc. Bed not made, but we aren't bed makers, so that doesn't surprise me.
At any given time of the day you can try to walk into Bodey's room, and this is what you will find... or worse!

It's just amazing how different they can be. Booker takes pride in keeping his room picked up. He even tells Bodey that he works very hard to keep his room clean. He is also not the one to throw a fit when I tell them to clean their rooms. He already knows he's done. He figured that out a long time ago. I don't think Bodey will ever figure it out. He could just care less. Now, I know that as the mom, I could do something about this... I just haven't yet. But it might be a new lesson in the very near future.

Leavenworth Wrestling Tournament Results

2012-01-23T17:49:00.006-06:00

6 & Under 43B - Bodey Feezell's place is 4th and has scored 3.00 team points.Round 1 - Bodey Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) won by forfeit over Cole Hofer (Bobcat Wrestling Club) (FF)Round 2 - Owen Sanders (STA Wrestling Club) won by pin over Bodey Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) (Pin 0:58)Round 3 - Connor Scott (Turner) won by pin over Bodey Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) (Pin 0:23)Round 5 - Gavin Jennings (Bobcat Wrestling Club) won by pin over Bodey Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) (Pin 0:43)

I thought Bodey took 3rd at the meet because he got a bronze medal, but apparently that's what color they get for 4th too! Bodey is such a strong little boy, but has a long way to go maturity-wise in wrestling. Which is fine... he is only 4. We really just wanted to get him exposed this year. He is also lucky, because the way his birthday falls, he will actually get to wrestle 3 years in 6U, and his 3rd year he'll be 7. So he'll definitely have the advantage, and experience, by then. Right now, Bodey likes to be on his back. Strength-wise, Bodey's got it. It is really hard for those kids to get him down. But when they do, he just lays on his back for them so that they can have an easy pin. Isn't he just a sweetheart? But, he doesn't care that he loses every match. He is the best sport ever. And I just love that about him. On his last match on Sunday, after he got pinned and the other kid was acknowledged for his victory, I saw Bodey tell the ref something. And then the ref started busting his gut laughing. I was worried, because you just never know what that little boy might have said. Afterwards, the ref told the coach what he said. "I don't care if I lost, my dad said he's gonna give me candy at home anyway." Greeeeaaaaat!

6 & Under 46A - Booker Feezell's place is 2nd and has scored 12.00 team points.Round 1 - Noah Bailey (Leavenworth County Spartans) won by pin over Booker Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) (Pin 1:37)Round 2 - Booker Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) won by pin over Liam Stillions (Bonner Springs Wrestling Club) (Pin 0:12)Round 3 - Booker Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) won by injury default over Roman Gabriel (Olathe East) (Inj.)Round 5 - Booker Feezell (Tonganoxie Wrestling Club) won by pin over Dominic Ramirez (Leavenworth County Spartans) (Pin 0:50)

Booker has really come a long way this season. After the first practice I thought for sure Booker was going to have the same attitude with wrestling that he does with other sports. In other sports Booker just doesn't really care. He's not that interested and kind of wanders off to do his own thing. And that was how the first practice went. But since then, he has come alive. It's really fun to see the competitiveness come out in your child. Booker wants it all. He's got the "Go Gold or Go Home" attitude right now. This is good and bad. I'm glad he wants it. I'm glad he has something to work for. However, he still hasn't gotten a gold medal, and he gets kind of bummed. He's a really good sport though, and knows that he needs to put in the hard work at practice to keep improving, and hopefully get that gold medal. This last tournament was by far Booker's best. The first kid he wrestled had beat him before in Olathe, and this time Booker did much better against him, even though he still got pinned. But after that, Booker pinned his other two kids! One of the pins was in 12 seconds! We have two tournaments left, and then I might enter Booker in the state competition, since 6U kids don't have to qualify. If he still has his fire, I'm gonna let him go for it!

An Artist in the Making!

2012-01-17T18:43:00.003-06:00

Last week when I picked Booker up in the carpool lane, his art teacher stuck her head in the car and was very excited to tell me that a piece of Booker's artwork was going to be displayed in the Central Office. I was so stressed out that she was making me hold up the carpool lane, that I didn't realize what she said. You people have no idea how mad some of those mama bears get when you actually stop to let your child in the car, and they don't just hop in your car as you drive by. But she was really excited, said she hadn't even told Booker yet, and she would be sending a note home later. Ok. Central Office? Like the front desk at the school? Cool! But Cori told me that the Central Office was the Administration building across the street from our house. Even cooler! And, when we got the note from the art teacher, we learned that only one other kindergartener and three 2nd graders' artwork was going to be displayed. So today after school we drove over to take a look at Booker's "Two-Dimensional Room" picture.
He has pictures on the wall, a rug on the floor, a ceiling fan.... quite a bit of detail! Of course I think it's pretty great!

Booker has always had an "eye" for drawing. Since he was 3 yrs old, he's been very careful to color in the lines. He has the best imagination. I just love this side of Booker. It is definitely something he got from Dusty. This girl can write her name, and that's about it. Dusty and Booker can picture something in their mind and put it on paper. Dusty's home projects always start with him drawing all these angles, writing out dimensions, etc. It just amazes me. Booker told me yesterday that he wants to write a book. He wants to be the author and the illustrator... "That means I will write the book and draw the pictures, Mom." YES YOU WILL! Go get 'em, buddy!

The Boy's Terminology

2012-01-13T11:23:00.002-06:00

From Bodey:

"Mom, I have to go poop!"

He runs into the bathroom and then I hear, "Oh, nevermind, that was just a flamer poop drop. That means you just think you have to go poop, but you don't."

Never a Dull Moment

2012-01-06T18:09:00.002-06:00

The other night, I threw the boys in the tub. I've been letting them play in there until the water is cold, while I toodle around the house. Well, from the livingroom I heard Bodey belly laughing. I mean full out hysterical laughter. Then Booker ran out into the livingroom, buck naked, yelling that Bodey had pooped in the tub. REALLY??!! He's four. This was no accident. I was beyond mad. I had to get two freezing boys out, wash the tub, wash the toys, and then rewash the boys. Not cool.

I bought the boys a "Devotional For Boys" book that we read one story a night. While reading, I could tell Booker was really soaking it in. Asking good questions, praying, etc. Then Bodey interrupted. "Mom, is that a real life deer that daddy shot on the wall?" I told him yes. "Well, some day you guys need to take it down and get all it's jerky out of it." And that's how well the story of Jesus was sinking in for Bodey.

December 2011

2012-01-04T22:44:00.005-06:00

I've been missing for a little while. Probably because December was crazy. But fun. The boys were out of school for 13 days for Christmas. We really didn't do a whole lot, but Dusty was off too, so it was nice just to hang out as a family. Both boys started wrestling and had their first tournament on Dec. 18th. It was intense. I was so nervous, anxious, and excited that I didn't sleep for two nights before the meet. So, I'm a little competitive... And, wrestling is really exciting! So far, they both enjoy it. We have practice 2 times a week. They have good nights and no-so-good nights, but get tons of energy out nonetheless. Couldn't ask for a better activity in the winter when it's harder to get outside and play.

In Booker's first match, he lost 14-12 in overtime. His second match he got pinned, and his third match he actually got a pin!! The first time he lost, we didn't even tell him. But after watching other wrestlers, and noticing that one of them got to raise their hand at the end of the match, he quickly learned that he had lost. It was good; it made him try harder for the win. Overall, he placed 3rd in his bracket and got a bronze medal.

Booker's mean face. Looks a little crazy to me...

He finally got to raise his hand for a PIN!

Bodey's first match lasted 11 seconds. The kid knocked him down and laid on him, and Bodey just let him. It was quite humorous! His second match he had a bye, and his 3rd match he had a fire lit under him. He fought hard all 3 periods and ended up winning 12-4. Overall, he was 2nd in his bracket and got a silver medal.

Here is Bodey's mean face.

Here's an action shot - typical Bodey looking up for direction on what to do next!

And then we had a very merry Christmas. Nice, relaxing, short, and to the point. And the boys got spoiled, as usual.

Elvis' Final Days...

2012-01-04T22:38:00.003-06:00

for this year, anyway.

He flew around on our fan

Ate Santa's cookie
Rode the cow in the Nativity set

Went sledding down our wall

Got into our marshmallows and left a note from Santa

Took over Dad's stocking

Overall, Elvis was a hit to the kids, and a little exhausting for mom. But, he'll be back next year and the boys can't wait!

Booker's Prayer Tonight

2011-12-19T22:54:00.001-06:00

Dear Lord, Christmas is coming soon. I know it's not all about Santa, or the presents. It's about giving, sharing, and Your birthday. And if you're bad, you get on the naughty list and don't get any presents. But that's ok, there's always next year!

All Shook Up

2011-12-13T20:42:00.004-06:00

Elvis has our home "all shook up." The boys love to wake up, and even argue about who gets to wake up first, to discover what Elvis has been up to after his nightly trip to the North Pole. Here's what he's been up to the past few nights.

A closer look... (excuse the bad photography)

He tp'd our tree!

And made himself right at home.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Elvis The Elf

2011-12-09T23:10:00.004-06:00

I don't know how this happened so fast. I've seen Elf on a Shelf around for a few years now, and always thought it might be something I should get for the kids. And then I always back off when I remember it costs $30. But yesterday Cori said she got one for her kids, and that stores around the city were starting to run out of them. And even then, I still wasn't going to spend the money. But as the day went on, and as I keep seeing Facebook & Pinterest posts on all these cute little ideas for the elves, and how excited all of these little kids are... I caved. Hey, my kids should be this excited too!

So today, Booker and Bodey got a package from Santa. Elf on a Shelf, along with a little storybook that explains who he is and why he's here. The boys really enjoyed the story, taking in every little word about it. But, one of the tasks in the book is to name the elf. So we did. We named our little friend Elvis. Well, 3 out of 4 of us named him Elvis. We had to vote, because there will never be a day that B&B can agree on a name. Sadly, Booker lost, and our elf is not Tim. And he is still not happy about it.

Luckily, tonight on TV was also a cartoon about Elf on a Shelf. The kids got to stay up past their bedtime to watch it, and I'm so glad they did. It kind of helped reinforce Santa's rules about Elvis. He cannot be touched, or he will lose his magic. He can't talk to you, but you can talk to him. And he flies home every night to report to Santa. It was great. So when it was time to go to bed tonight, Bodey was telling Elvis goodnight and waving at him. Then he decided that he should send the Elvis puppet he made tonight with him for Santa. After the boys had been in bed for about 15 minutes, Dusty and I ran in there to tell them that while we were downstairs, Elvis already flew back to the North Pole! They ran out to find him missing. Bodey was so excited he didn't forget to take the Elvis puppet with him!

The Elvis puppet

Another reason I was hesitant to invest in this elf was because I have to be creative. And I'm not. Good thing zillions of people on the internet are, and I can just copy their ideas of how/where Elvis will be when we wake up the next morning. Elvis is a tad of a mischievous elf, and when the boys wake up they have to find him, and see what he's been up to. Tomorrow the boys will find that Elvis made a snow angel on our kitchen table.

And to hopefully help Booker enjoy the name we picked out, Elvis also left the boys this note.

This is only the first night of having our little elf, but it is truly worth the $30. I love to see my kids eyes light up. I love that Bodey will randomly just tell me how much he loves Elvis. And I love that we now have a little Christmas tradition.

Cauliflower Ear- Maybe Not!

2011-11-29T23:09:00.004-06:00

The boys both started wrestling practice last night. All they do at home is wrestle each other, so why not get them where they are trained correctly, and possibly be a little more safe. Wishful thinking, I know. Bodey has always had a natural wrestling build. Pretty stout. He also has a way of nestling someone down on the ground and holding them there, so why not?!? Booker seems to get bored with team sports, so we wanted to try an individual sport this winter. Wrestling won, again.

Now, I do have the fear of my two precious babies running around with cauliflower ear at a very young age... but, alas! The Tonganoxie Club is forcing all kids to wear headgear this year! Dusty couldn't understand it. He said it was optional when he was growing up, and hardly anyone wore it. Uh huh. Just like car seats and bike helmets. Our kids DON'T KNOW HOW STUPID WE WERE! It is what they will always know. And I love it!

We have struggled in the past with the coaches we have gotten stuck with in sports. They seem to lack any fire under their butt, and, sorry, but when you are coaching 4 and 5 year olds, you gotta be in charge. And you have to let them know that right away. Like with a loud whistle. That's what Coach Wrestler (don't know his name) did last night. Forty 4 and 5 year olds - eyes on him. He yelled orders at them loudly so they could all hear. Another A+ in my book. He threatened them with mountain climbers. My boys don't even know what they are, but they know there is a consequence if they talk and don't listen. I was also very pleased with the material he taught them on day 1. No messing around with this guy. You are gonna practice, and you are gonna learn. There wasn't an attitude of, "Well, they might be too young to learn that." Nope... that was my job. The coach taught them, and I doubted their ability to do the hard things he was teaching them. But how could I forget that I live with two little sponges eager to learn new things... especially cool WWE/Power Ranger/Transformer moves!

Bodey really surprised me. He was so focused. The entire 45 minutes. That is rare for this little man of energy. But this was right up his alley and he was totally digging it. Bodey is also the kid that wants to do something, watches someone else do it, and then masters it himself. A monkey see, monkey do dude.

Booker did really well, too. Although, he still has a ho-hum attitude about all sports in general. He wasn't as overly aggressive or as enthused as Bodey, but basically did everything he was asked. I was really proud of him.

My camera flash wouldn't reach Booker way over on the other side of the mat, but here are a few shots of Bodey in action. He looked so big out there. Maybe it's because he didn't have his glasses on? I don't know, but all of a sudden he looked like a teenager. He's the one in the big purple headgear that is going to save those precious little ears!

"Fall"ing Behind

2011-11-10T22:57:00.007-06:00

Wow, this fall has been insanely busy. We just finished Booker's football season. Some days he liked football, others he had absolutely no interest, but it was cute to watch either way. Booker seems to be getting a little more interested in sports. He brought home the below picture from school the other day. He drew all of those sports teams except the Wildcat, which Dusty drew. I thought they were great!

Halloween, once again, proved itself crazy busy, but tons of fun! We began the festivities with Bodey's school Trunk or Treat. I wasn't sure what to expect, but some of those moms (names not to be mentioned for fear of being de-friended on Facebook! :) ) really go all out! They dress up in costume and their trunks look fabulous! Here was mine, just plain jane, but got the job done.

And here comes the little parade of preschoolers! Bodey was a Nascar driver for his school event, but a rodeo clown for trick-or-treating. They must have practiced their wave before coming outside. And at each car they politely asked, "May I have a treat, please?" instead of TRICK-OR-TREAT! It was music to my ears!

We also ventured out to Lee's Summit to Paradise Park for a little fun. Booker drove his own go-cart, and did very well. He never hit a wall. Then Dusty took Bodey for a spin. They hit a few walls.

Then, at the last minute, on Halloween Eve, we carved our pumpkins and roasted our seeds.

On Halloween, Booker's school had a costume parade and their classroom parties. Booker was Optimus Prime, but wouldn't wear his mask.

Booker making marshmallow goblins.

And, finally, candy. Candy. Candy. If you didn't notice, Booker is not Optimus Prime in this picture. That is because 15 minutes before we left the house, he changed his mind and wanted to be the same dinosaur he was last year. Whatever. I have learned to pick my battles. So, here is my little dinosaur and rodeo cowboy, ready to devour Nana & Papa's neighborhood.

And they each came home with two overly stuffed, heavy pillow cases of candy. And we still have way too much of it. And my waistline is expanding. And that's what our fall has been all about!

Oh yeah, and last night we went to see the wolves at the high school. Not sure I bought the whole spiel of the man's speech, but it was really neat to see live wolves. Booker even got to touch one!

Help Wanted

2011-10-24T10:56:00.003-05:00

I'm at my wits end. I don't know what to do with Bodey. We are just now starting a VERY long uphill battle. And I fear we have about 20 more years of it ahead. I can't figure him out, don't know what to do, and need some serious help.

When Bodey was at Tots N Tales, we learned that he was a rule breaker. He pushes all limits. He opposes all authority. But he wasn't like this at home. I know his teachers didn't believe me when I told them, but it was true. But in a school setting, all hell broke loose. He never had good days. Only bad. I prayed about it, read books about it, but nothing helped. So I thought that the change of schools to his new preschool would be a good thing. That it might help.

Bodey was super excited to start his new school. And the first couple of weeks were great. But then I started getting notes from the teachers about his bad behavior. And then talks from the teachers. Bodey throwing fits when he doesn't get what he wants, threatening friends and teachers, talking back, throwing toys. You name it. My heart is broken. I don't know what to tell them, and they don't know what to tell me. He is the strong-willed child. And I feel like a failing mom.

My friends say that he is great for them when they watch him, he is typically good at home, he is great for Nana & Papa when he stays there. I have possibly figured out that 1) he doesn't like authority, 2) he seems to be worse when he is competing for full attention, and 3) no kind of discipline seems to work. We have tried grounding him, taking away all privileges, not letting him do the things he loves. Didn't work. We have switched that all the way around to telling him we are sad he had a bad day at school and we know next time will be better, so let's just have a positive rest of our day. And we have surrounded him with positive energy. Didn't work. We have started a reward system using dimes. Take them away for bad actions, earn them for good actions. Not really working.

Today was my last straw. I left him in child watch at the Y while I worked out. It was only 30 minutes. And the teacher had nothing good to say. Stealing toys from friends, throwing toys when he didn't get his way, telling his teacher to shut her mouth. Yes, that came out of my 4-yr old's mouth. And I was just purely embarrassed. I'm mentally exhausted from this. I went straight to the library to get yet another parenting book that probably won't work. I think I just need Super Nanny to come to the rescue.

Fall Photos

2011-10-23T21:37:00.006-05:00

The boys were out of school on Friday, so I decided that it was time to take advantage of the beautiful weather and do a photo shoot. It was probably one of the most stressful days I've had in a long time. They just weren't cooperating all that well. Very fake, cheesy, forced smiles. Lots of whining. I was going crazy. Then we went and got flu shots. Strangely enough, I decided to chance taking more pictures after shots, and they went extremely well! So, even though you probably don't think I narrowed them down at all, I did. I took 310 pictures, and here are a few of my favorites.

Boy Stories

2011-10-20T10:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Booker came home from school and said, "Joe (not the kids real name) said 'you are fat'". I told Booker that he is clearly not fat, nowhere near being fat, and just to ignore that little mean boy. Then Booker said, "No, mom, he said you are fat. He said my mom is fat." OH NO HE DI-ENT! Are you kidding me? The Your Momma jokes are floating around in Kindergarten? Oh wow.

On to Bodey news, he decided yesterday that he is going to ride his bike with no training wheels. So he did. Once I got him going he was good... even turned around. But once he stopped I had to keep getting him going again. So then I started ignoring him when he would stop. And that little determined guy tried, and tried, and tried until he taught himself to get going my himself. Never once complained, never once got frustrated, never once asked for help. I was very impressed. He even went up and down the curb! He is a crazy little man, but I love his determination.

Last night Booker and Bodey were wrestling each other, like they do every chance they get, when one of them got hurt. Wrestling in our house always ends up in tears, so we tell them not to wrestle, and if they decide not to listen and one of them gets hurt, we don't care because we warned them. They always decide to wrestle anyway, and then come crying to us later. Anyways, last night when Bodey got hurt Dusty got mad and told them that if he catches them wrestling again, they would both be sent to their rooms. Booker said that Bodey always makes him wrestle. Dusty told him next time just to walk away and come stand next to him, that way Bodey will probably stop. And Booker said, "But, Daddy, how will I get away from him? Bodey has super strength!" I love that even the big brother looks up to his little brother every once in a while.

Hot and Cold

2011-10-07T20:26:00.002-05:00

Thursday was picture day at Bodey's school. Whenever the boys wear a button up shirt, they complain, and wonder why they have to wear their "handsome" shirts. Well, Bodey didn't complain. He was quite proud to be in his "handsome" shirt. Booker kept coming up behind him and slapping him on the bottom and yelling, "You're hot!" Bodey was getting more and more upset about this until he finally broke down crying, "No, I'm not. I'm not hot." Don't know what he thought it meant, but he didn't like it! I had to explain that Booker was simply implying that Bodey looked handsome. Then tonight he came up to Dusty asking him if he was hot. Dusty kept feeling his forehead and saying no. Then Bodey finally said, "No, like handsome, daddy."

The other day we were eating ice cream and Bodey said, "Whoa, mom. This is cold. It's even colder than the 'cold'-de-sac!"

Worth the Pain?

2011-10-05T13:56:00.006-05:00

In the middle of July as Jen, Cori and I were running along K32, out of the blue I have sudden, extreme, knee pain. I had no clue why, but this was only on mile 5 of our 14 mile run, and I had been feeling great (for once) and wanted to keep going. So, I did. I ran through to mile 8. Then it became too painful to push it, so I walked 4.5 more miles. And then my knee hurt for 2 weeks. After a sports medicine visit and two physical therapists, I learned, what I expected, that I have IT band problems. So I started the strengthening and stretching that the first PT told me to do. And it didn't really help. I couldn't go further than a mile without pain. So Cori talked me into going to the PT she went to last year - that fixed her! But, deep down inside, I knew how they fixed her, and didn't want to go. It's called Astym people, and it hurts. BAD! But, it also works. Basically, they use these little tools to do a very deep tissue rub (more like scrape) on your leg.

It breaks down scar tissue and then "reheals" any underlying injuries. After just one treatment I saw improvement in my pain level while running. I still had the pain, but I could go further each time without feeling pain. After 4 treatments I was able to run 3 miles, on hills, without pain. Tomorrow will be the true test - a 10-miler. Oye. Anyways, I have not been able to go in public in shorts for the last 3 weeks, because my legs look like this:

No, I don't have a skin disease, those are bruises. And they look worse in person, but I can honestly say, I think they are worth it!

Mischief

2011-10-05T13:48:00.003-05:00

Lately, I've been letting the boys play unattended in our fenced back yard. They can't escape, and I don't have to sit and watch for traffic. Seems like a great plan... except they have been getting into a little mischief lately.

The other day Bodey came running in to tell me Booker is trapped in Avery's dog cage. Sure enough, here's what I found.

Another day, they both came running inside with very scared little voices. I asked them what is wrong and they admitted to breaking Avery's cage by sitting on it. HUH? So I went outside to find that they had climbed the chain link and sat on top of the mesh sunshade on the top of the cage! Really boys? I'm so glad they didn't get hurt.

The next day, Booker came in and asked if I wanted to come look at something. On the way out he happened to mention that that "something" was Avery all tied up. OH MY! I ran outside to find the poor dog bungee corded by her collar in between the swing set and a basketball hoop they had dragged over there. Good thing they didn't hang her! She just sat there, smiling and panting. Poor girl.

Busy With Buddies

2011-10-05T13:34:00.003-05:00

We have been so busy lately, but in a really great way. The boys have been having the time of their lives enjoying this awesome weather and their friends! Every day we have been with friends, whether it's just neighbors hanging out, being at school, going on field trips, watching our friends while their mom is busy, or going to our friends' house when our mom is busy.

One day we watched Cooper for a little while and the boys had a picnic together outside while all the "big" kids were at school.

Then we had a whole crew of kiddos over during parent-teacher conferences. Isn't that the cutest bunch of kids you've ever seen?

Then, last Friday when the kids were out of school, Cori and I took the kids up to Shatto Farms. They sell their milk in glass bottles and have several different flavors, our favorite being Rootbeer milk. They also make cheese curds - that are to die for. We didn't pay for the tour, but took a self-guided tour for free, and had just as much fun.

I love all of their happy, excited faces in this picture!

And this one... :)

On Sunday, we attended our church's Fam Fest. Needless to say, they outdid themselves again this year and the kids had a BLAST!

A Bit of Bodey

2011-09-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Here are two things Bodey has said that I don't want to forget, so I better get them documented.

Tonight, while at the dinner table, Bodey got mad at Dusty and yelled across the table, "Daddy Lee!" Which reminds me, Booker is also Booker Lee to Bodey, not Booker Michael.

The other day I was trying to get the boys rounded up to go outside. Bodey was dilly-dallying around like usual.

Me: "Bodey, quit jackin' around and get your shoes on so we can go outside."

Bodey just keeps wandering aimlessly around the livingroom.

Me: "Bodey, now, or I'm going outside without you."

Still nothing from Bodey. So I went outside and shut the door. He started crying so I opened the door and asked him why he was crying.

Bodey: "You left me inside... and, and, you can't do that to children!"

She Swims, She Bikes, She Runs

2011-09-10T20:49:00.009-05:00

Today I participated in my 3rd triathlon. Even though this is the one I dreaded most, I think I actually enjoyed it the most. I really got bummed and lost all my motivation when Jen crashed her bike while training HARD for this tri. We were really motivated to do this race, especially Jen, because we knew if we trained hard we had a chance of placing pretty decently in our age groups. Not like winning a prize placing, but placing in the top of our age group. We normally just set out to do our races, not really caring where we come in, just that we finish. But we had our eyes on the top 20 in our age groups for this tri. But then, Jen crashes, has surgery on her elbow and wrist, and is out. And I lost my motivation. She is my tri partner. We do them together. That's just how it is. Not so much fun by myself. I have also been nursing a stupid IT band injury for the last 7 weeks, which didn't help my motivation. So, I stopped training. That's how I work when I get overwhelmed. I back out. I really wanted to back out of the whole tri since Jen wouldn't be there with me, but I'm too cheap to do that, and since I had already paid, I had to finish it. So I just pretended that it wasn't getting closer and closer, and continued to do nothing. But then, about 2 weeks before the tri, I started to realize that I'm just hurting myself. No one at that race gives a rip if I trained or not. They just want to beat me - and I get kinda competitive in the moment and knew I needed to get with it. Since I had slacked so much, I didn't have a ton of time, but did get a bike ride and swim in, and ran several times. I felt pretty confident though. Not to be overconfident, but this is a short triathlon, and I knew that even without training as well as I should have, I could push through this one. So that's what I did.

I was in the first heat at 7:30am. Standing there on the beach waiting for the bullhorn is when I get the most nervous. Not to mention while I was standing there psyching myself out, they delayed the race 10 minutes due to fog. But, finally, we were in the water. They warned us to just power through the moss that grew from the bottom of the lake and attacked your stomach and legs. Yuck. My swim was not that great. My goal time was 10 minutes for the 500 meters, but I just never got into a groove. I kept running into people, kicking people, and getting kicked by people. I also got passed, a lot, which isn't usually the case for me during the swim. I knew I was going slow, but just couldn't seem to do anything about it. My swim time ended up being 11:37. Not the best, but time for the 10 mile bike ride.

My transition from swim to bike was HORRIBLE. Running out of the water my legs were jello. I finally got to my bike, didn't dry off as well as I should of, and couldn't get my running clothes, socks or shoes on. I was getting frustrated, but finally got on the road after 3 minutes and 9 sec. The bike is where people make or break their overall time. My first tri I was on a mountain bike and swore I would never do that again. Now I have an old Trek road bike that makes a huge difference. For me anyways. I am still nowhere near some of those bikers on their $10K bikes, but at least I'm not bringing up the tail end anymore. I pushed really hard on the bike. And I was feeling it. The last 1-2 miles of the bike were uphill, setting my thighs on fire. My goal time for the bike was 40 minutes, and I came in at 39:34, which I was extremely proud of.

My transition from bike to run was 36 seconds. Jen was there waiting to jump in and run with me, which ended up being a huge blessing. I didn't want to push that hard on the bike and then throw in the towel on the run, but I just might have if Jen weren't there. I needed her big time. I was beat. I forgot to get a drink at my transition so I started the run extremely thirsty. That was all I could think about until the first water station. I couldn't even out my breathing, so I told Jen she was just going to have to talk to me for a while so I could get my breathing regulated. And she did, thank goodness! I felt like I was running a 15 min mile with a cinder block on each foot. And, I didn't have the fields on my watch set correctly, so I couldn't see my pace. I don't like not knowing where I am pace-wise. I had no clue if I was doing ok, or if I truly was running a 15 minute mile. I wanted to walk, my knee started tightening and pinching, and I was ready to give up. But my personal cheerleader kept me going! Thanks Jen! I had no clue what to expect for my run time. My goal was 30 min for the 3.1 miles, and we came in at 28:33!

My overall time was 1:23:27. I was very pleased. I placed 23rd out of 68 in my age group and 106th out of 316 overall. Next year my main goal is to have Jen by my side for all three events, and to finish at 1:19:00. That is very do-able and I can't wait to do another tri!

Marching down to the start

Awaiting the dreaded bullhorn in the fog

Bike dismount - jello legs!

Bringing it in to the finishline with Jen by my side!

C'est La Vie

2011-09-10T20:30:00.004-05:00

We are so very blessed to happen to live just a hair over a mile from a working vineyard. And, this is not just any winery, folks, it happens to have mighty delicious wine! Every year about the end of August, Holy-Field Winery holds it's "picking Sunday's." This is where they invite anyone out to pick the grapes off the vines. Last year was our first year out, and I hope to make it an annual event. It is just an awesome experience to get to walk through the rows and rows of grapes. It blows my mind how many different kinds of grapes there are, and how many different kinds of wine they can make from these grapes. Both years, I have been on the white grape picking days. Last year was Seyval and this year was Melody. After a lesson on how to cut the grapes off the vines avoid putting MOG in the buckets, we were off! What is MOG? Material Other than Grape. Like finger tips and leaves. I love chit chatting with all the other "pickers". Last year I was a bit more of a Chatty Cathy, but there was a motivation, you see. You are supposed to meet as many people as possible so that hopefully you've made enough of an impact on someone that they will remember you and call your name next for the lunch line. This is serious business. Will meet people for FOOD! So last year I think I handed my name out to almost everyone there. However, there is a shortcut to the front of the lunch line. You must find the Grape Fairy out in the vines somewhere. And... Christel found the Grape Fairy within about 15 minutes of us picking!!! So, not that I was being unsocial or anything, but since my motivation for being Chatty ceased to exist, I focused more on picking grapes. Oh, and figuring out how to get our wine open without being seen. We snuck 2 bottles of wine in. I don't know if we really snuck them in, or if they were allowed, but we were the only ones out there drinking wine. Overall, I just love this event and hope to make it each and every year from here on out!

Here is Christel with the Grape Fairy!!!

Kim, hard at work!

Jen couldn't stop eating the grapes!

Cori with the beautiful purple grapes.

Our group - I don't remember the lady on the far left's name, but we adopted her because she was there all by herself. Then there's Kim, Jen, Cori, myself, Sharon & Christel. We were referred to the prettiest group out there!

Don't Need No School

2011-09-09T13:08:00.002-05:00

I swear this is how Bodey is going to speak, regardless of countless attempts of correction throughout the next 14 years of schooling in his life. He's just a natural redneck and the newest word in his vocabulary is AIN'T. He uses it all the time. That's a word that Dusty and I jokingly throw around every once in a blue moon, and I don't really know anyone who uses that word regularly, so I have NO idea where he has picked this up.

Three-O

2011-09-01T12:40:00.006-05:00

27 was hard. But I'm ok with 30. At the age of 30 I am finally at peace in my life. I have the most supportive husband, 2 handsome and healthy boys, and a group of very special family and friends. I finally have a church that I am comfortable going to and call home, and rarely miss -because I don't want to. God has become the center of my life and I wouldn't have the above-mentioned things if it weren't for Him.

This year for my birthday, Dusty wanted to treat me and my 3 best girlfriends. He sent us to the Kansas City Festival of Wine & Food. It was truly a wonderful evening. We got to get all dressed up and walk around and sip wine and eat food. My kind of night!

And, of course Kim had to get some kind of birthday gag in there somewhere. So, this was in my front yard, and I had a matching one taped to the back of my car!

Overall, I know age is just a number. Some people choose to live their lives according to that number. They choose to feel and act old because of that number. I am choosing to do the opposite. I want to live my life to the fullest and be the most physically active I can be for the shape my body is in at that moment in time. Not because my body is a certain number. We all know my maturity level isn't at 30 - and hopefully the rest of me isn't either!

Tim McGraw says it well:

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years
Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done
Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears
And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years
My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I’m doing here
In my next thirty years
Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years
My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here
In my next thirty years In my next thirty years

Perry Cabin Trip

2011-08-31T22:25:00.005-05:00

This year's Perry trip included cabins. They were the cutest little things, too! Very clean, very cute, and very affordable! And, the best part, our cabin and the Jeffries' cabin were right next to each other. AND, they were the only two buildings within several hundred feet. Private and secluded.

There are our little cabins all nestled back up in the trees. At night, we'd sit outside with a campfire and hear noises. When we'd turn on a flashlight, we'd bust a crew of raccoons raiding our camp! They were pretty cute, but got a little too close for comfort a few times. I guess that could be because we were feeding them cheese puffs.

Going out for a night ride after setting the trot line. We caught 2 catfish, a gar and a soft shelled turtle.

Fly

2011-08-31T22:12:00.001-05:00

My big man now has to have product in his hair. And he came home from kindergarten with cologne on his shirt. And he thought he was pretty darn cool.

A Bug's Life

2011-08-30T15:02:00.001-05:00

Doesn't every family have a dead bug collection on their counter? We do, we do! Booker keeps all dead bugs he finds. We are going to need storage of some type... soon!

Welcome Home Booker!

2011-08-29T20:34:00.002-05:00

Tonight Booker moved out. For the last three nights in a row, he has insisted that he is moving in with the neighbors. He and his neighbor friend, Ava, have gotten very close lately. They have a lot in common. They both have the hugest hearts, and a love for creatures. Lizards, snakes and bugs are they type of things that excite these two. The last two nights I have stood my ground and told him he's not moving in with them. He just grounds his little feet in their carpet and tells me he's not going home with me. It's not that he's mad at me, or doesn't love me, he's just ready to move out. And he's so serious when he informs us of this news.

Fast forward to tonight, when Dusty hears that he wants to move in with the neighbors.

Daddy: Ok, Booker, get your pillow. You can move over there (obviously thinking we would win with reverse psychology).

So Booker grabbed his pillow and headed down the sidewalk to the neighbors house. As we were watching him, he turned back a few times, but just kept on going. Then I saw Cori answer the door and start laughing. Here's what he said upon his arrival at his new home (all in a very serious, all business tone):

Booker (as Cori opened the door): Finally, I get to move in with you.

Cori: Does your mom know you are down here?

Booker: My dad said I could move in with you.

Ava: Booker, are you spending the night!!??

Booker: No, I'm moving in with you guys.

So I get on the phone with him and tell him that he can spend the night sometime, but not tonight, it's a school night.

Booker: They can take me to school, mom.

Me: But your little brother is so sad, and his misses you!

Bodey, in the background: No, mom, I said I wanted to move with him!

Booker: Mom, I heard that.

Finally I convinced him to come home and that sometime on the weekend he can spend the night over at Ava's house. He agreed and started his slow walk back down the sidewalk.

Bodey couldn't wait for his big brother to move back in.

When he got back home he came downstairs and told me, "Mom, I've been thinking. I'll stay here with you guys and just spend the night at their house on the weekends." But we did agree he wasn't going to tell mommy he was moving out any more.

The Big F-O-U-R and Language Lane

2011-08-28T20:53:00.004-05:00

Bodey, you are the biggest 4-year old I know. You really have grown up a lot in the last year. I love that you are a leader. You have such a great personality and don't care what anyone thinks about you. Which can also be a bit challenging, but I still see it as a strength. You are our little redneck. I don't know how someone is born with "redneck" in them, but you were. You love everything boy - dirt, trucks, trailers, bull riding, demolition derby's, race cars, cowboy boots & cowboy hats. You are very excited to be 4 years old and starting your new preschool, but more on that in a second. Here are some shots from your birthday party:

This turning 4 stuff is very serious.

Now on to Language Lane! Bodey started his new preschool on Tuesday and LOVES it! At Language Lane, the parents are not allowed to walk their precious little babies into the school. Instead, you pull up in the carpool lane and a teacher comes to the door, helps them out, and walks them in. I was a little worried that Bodey would get nervous all of a sudden and not want to get out of the car. But quite the opposite! That big ol' preschooler just jumped out of the car and was running inside. When the teacher told him to wave bye to mommy, he could barely do it fast enough. Thank goodness, because I would have really struggled if he would have struggled. When I ask him how school was, he corrects me. It's not school, it's Language Lane!

Booker's a Kindergartener Now!

2011-08-19T09:31:00.003-05:00

Booker is a proud and excited kindergartener! I'm glad he was strong, or I really would have been a mess. Since he was acting all big, no fear in his eyes whatsoever, mom made it with only welled up tears in her eyes. Phew! He marched right in the school, put his backpack and lunch on his hooks, headed to his desk and started coloring. He cheerfully greeted his new friends and was on his way. Didn't even care that we left. I can't wait to grab him at 3:55 this afternoon to hear all about it! Even though he probably won't have much to say... :)

Easy Enough

2011-08-11T22:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight Bodey said, "Mom, you know why I like you?" I thought, this could be good because you never know what is going to come out that boys mouth next. "Because you're the sweetest mommy ever!"

Bodey-ness

2011-08-07T15:07:00.002-05:00

My little Bodey marches to the beat of his own drum, and I love that about him. I know I've mentioned several times that if you say black, he says white, but man oh man is it true. He likes to do things that he knows will push peoples buttons. Over and over again; especially to his brother.

Bodey is the gassiest person I have ever met. And I've been with Dusty for 11 years. He farts, and busts up laughing. He loves to fart on people's laps. Just when you are thinking, oh, how cute, Bodey is actually calm and sitting with me. RRRRRIIIIPPPPP! Bahahahaha!! Funniest thing in his world. Not so funny to me, especially on Thursday when he announced he had a "wet fart." Yuck.

Bodey has been starting most of his sentences with "anyways" or "except". Very randomly too. He uses "except" instead of "since." So it goes something like this, "Well, except you took my toy from me, I'm gonna take your toy from you."

His random statement in the car yesterday when we were driving out to the lake was, "Mom, I know all about God and I know all about bull riding."

Bodey has had his glasses for just over a year now. We go to the eye dr. on Tuesday to have them rechecked. I think he's come a long way. Not as much crossing when he's not wearing them, and seems to track better. However, it would be fun to see how many replacement pairs we have had to order. My guess is right around the 20-25 pairs range. Thank goodness for warranty and a mother-in-law that works at the eye dr.

Which Child of Mine?

2011-07-19T19:24:00.003-05:00

People often ask me if my boys are twins. I am usually the only one who doesn't understand this question. I personally don't think they look alike. But, I guess it's because I know them best. Their personalities are SO night and day. I also see all their differences in appearance. However, this picture threw Dusty off, and I can see why!

Can you guess who this is?

Wyoming Vacation

2011-07-19T19:01:00.004-05:00

This trip to Wyoming was bitter-sweet. It was so nice to get back and to see so much of my family. It has been a while since I have seen my sisters, my nieces & nephews, and my cousins. However, the reason we were all there was to have a memorial for my Grandpa Sherman, who passed away in February. It's sad that's the only time we all get to see each other... we need to make it more of a priority to see each other more often.

My Grandpa Sherman brings back such great memories. Every year on my birthday he would take me to lunch at Antone's for a cheeseburger. He worked out in the oil fields as a government trapper, so he would often bring us back pet horny toads. He always wore jeans, cowboy boots, a western snap shirt and a cowboy hat. I also remember him bringing me clove flavored gum. I thought it was cool, because it was from him. You could always find Grandpa at 11am at the local restaurant, eating half of his sandwich, and taking the other half home for his dogs. He never parked in a parking spot, he parked right up by the front door, and often left his truck running so his dogs could have heat or a/c. He had someone that printed jokes off the internet for him, and he always shared them, no matter who you were, or where you were. Most of them were dirty. He was a man of few words, but he was loved by everyone he came in contact with. We will all miss you dearly, Grandpa. Luckily, we scored you an awesome place to rest, in the outdoors where you can find true peace.

My dad and Uncle Tim.

Me, my oldest sister, Tina, and middle sister, Devon.

Booker and Bodey riding up to Grandpa's resting place in the back of the car with cousins, Audrey & Ethan.

I feel a sense of peace and relaxation when I reach this border.
Wyoming is honestly Heaven on Earth.

Booker flying off the wall in Thermop.

Bodey (who 5 minutes earlier had an extreme fear of the water) taking his turn!

The kids and their cousins at the cabin, aka What-the-hey.

While visiting Rapid City, we went to Reptile Gardens, did the alpine slide, rode go-carts and bumper boats, and spent time at the indoor water park. This was our favorite slide... it's like a toilet bowl!

Camping 101 - The Lot

2011-06-16T22:26:00.005-05:00

There is this boy that lives down the street. He happens to be married to one of my best friends. I need him everywhere I go, because he is the best event photographer EVER! Thank you Johnny for capturing our camping adventure!

For as long as I've known Cori, I've know that the girl doesn't camp. Not only that, but the Ingram family doesn't camp. Jen grew up camping and loves it, and Kim is a fair-weather camper. As long as it's not too hot, not too cold, and not raining, she's game. A few months back I got this hair-brained idea that we should take all the kids camping. But, it would just easily break Cori in, not being too far from all forms of civilization. The Lot. My in-laws bought 10 acres outside Tongie and it was the perfect place for us to try it out.

Step 1: Set up camp. Dusty got off work a little late so he wasn't there when I got there to set up camp. However, the Ingram's were! Cori kept an eye on the kids and while Johnny and I got the tents set up. For never setting up a tent before, he did awesome!
Step 2: Start a fire. Two small problems. It started down pouring on us so our wood was wet. And secondly, my dear husband couldn't wait another second to eat, so he took off to town to get a burger. With the lighter fluid. Luckily he was fast and we didn't have to rely on wet wood, paper and matches.

Step 3: Wine.

Step 4: Good friends. This picture cracks me up because Avery and Bodey are the same person. Stubborn, bossy, wild. This is a bad combination when you get them together. They have a love/hate relationship. Here they were apparently friends. Later that night, enemies. The next morning BFF's again. Love them!

Dusty, Sharon and Morgen hanging out by the campfire. So glad they let us use their land to camp on!

And best for last, the three girls I couldn't live without.

The kids had an absolute blast. They had free reign, and took full advantage of it. They started the evening off with kickball and riding four wheelers, and ended the night catching fire flies and playing flashlight tag.

I think the thing I love most about camping is the memories. When I asked Cori if she would go camping with us, she actually posted on Facebook, "Friends don't let friends sleep in tents." But you know what? She did it... and actually had fun!

All Boy

2011-05-30T19:53:00.001-05:00

Last weekend the boys stayed the night at Nana and Papa's. They were playing outside when Bodey had to use the restroom. Nana went in and helped him pull his pants down and Bodey said, "Nana, you better back on outta here, when poop starts coming out, it's really gonna stink!" What a hoot!

Kansas City Triathlon 2011

2011-05-28T13:41:00.004-05:00

Jen and I participated in the olympic distance KC Tri this year. I loved the triathlon I did 2 years ago and knew I wanted to try another one. The first one I did was a sprint distance, and the swim was a breeze since it was only 200m in a pool. I've always been a swimmer, and never had any anxiety about swimming. Until the tri got closer and closer. Then I started freaking out. The weather here has not been as warm as May usually is, and that means the lakes are still cold. And this swim was 1500m (.93 miles) in the lake! I didn't help matters any by checking the lake temp daily, which dipped down to 59 degrees 3 days before the tri. Let me just put that in perspective a little. A 78 degree pool is cold. A lot of indoor pools are kept around 80 degrees, and that has quite a chill to it at first. They allow wetsuits if the water is below 76 degrees. So 59 freaked me out. I dipped my toes in the outdoor pool at the gym, which was 64 degrees and it took my breath away. And I don't own a wetsuit. I'm going to die. Not to mention the distance was messing with me a little. That last 500m gets tough. So I invested in a 2mm wetsuit, which is not very thick, but it was all I could find on such short notice.

I picked Jen up at 5:45am and headed to Longview Lake. Upon arriving I spotted the Water Rescue Team truck. It looked like an ambulance and made my stomach turn. We got our transition stations all set up and headed to the porta-potty line. And who do we see? Our dear friend Cori's first patient was in Lee's Summit that morning so she stopped by to watch us (make sure we didn't die) start the swim. She knew right where to find her two nervous girls... in line for the bathroom! It was so nice having her there to support us, and also to take some pictures of us while we were still "fresh". I'll have to post those pictures when I get them from Jen, but all I have now are from Dusty's camera, and they are, well, not so fresh.

As we stood on the beach and the mens waves started, my stomach was in knots. I looked out at all the buoys that I had to somehow swim around and make it back. In that cold water. Then it was our turn. Jen and I were in the same heat, and the bull horn went off. Our super competitive heat all ran into the water, dove in, and were on their way. Jen and I ran in, and stopped. We looked at each other and started laughing. How in the world were the rest of our bodies supposed to get in? Once we finally got in the water it was like I had never swam before in my life. I just couldn't go. My body was in shock. I couldn't even take one stroke. We finally got into a rhythm about 100m in. Open water swimming was very different for me. You can't ever just put your head in and go, or you'll end up way off track in the middle of the lake. And there are people just as lost as you, bumping in to you. I finally started doing about 4-5 strokes, poking my head out, getting back on track, and continuing on, with Jen right by my side. We finally made the turn to head back, but the water got really choppy. Every time I went to take a breath, I would open my mouth and a wave would crash into it. Yuck. We were very pleased with our swim time. I was expecting it to take me forever, but we got back to the transition area in 36 minutes.

At the transition area I had to try to remember what all I needed to do before jumping on the bike. First things first, get out of that wetsuit. Fun. Then I put my socks and shoes on, my t-shirt and my bike helmet. And we were off. Almost. I forgot to take my Gu and Jen had a rock in her shoe. So we stopped to get organized, Jen's bike fell over, she yelled, "It's ok, it's just a Schwinn!" and we jumped back on. Expect now her handle bars were crooked from the fall! We were laughing at our great start. The first loop of the bike was intimidating. These people are competitive. And mean. I decided I don't like triathletes. We got yelled at several times for slowly being in peoples way. Sheesh. However, the second loop was better because all the men were off the course. The best part was when I saw Dusty and the boys. I was waving frantically and ran smack into a cone. I don't know how I didn't wreck because that cone barely budged. We were laughing so hard I almost had to get off the bike so I wouldn't pee my pants. Booker was so excited, telling everyone, "My mom ran into a cone!" We finished the 25 mile bike in 1:43. Not bad for us, but pretty much the slowest people on the course. We didn't care one bit though, we had so much fun and that's all that mattered to us.

And then came the run. It was 6.2 miles of torture for me. My mind was completely in the wrong place. I just wanted to quit and walk the entire time. I can usually pull myself out of it, but not this time. The sun was out and it was humid, and the heat and I don't get along when I'm running. Jen was such a good friend, trying to keep me motivated. I felt bad because I know she could have done better, but she stayed with me the entire time. We did our run in 1:02, which isn't horrible, but if I would have been in the game, I know we could have done a lot better than that. But you know what? We finished this bad boy in 3:29 and that is our personal record... for now!

Finishing the bike

Run... I don't even know how I got a smile out.
Finally done, STUDS!

Me and Booker, Bodey didn't want anything to do with me.

"A" Month Update

2011-04-25T19:42:00.005-05:00

April 2010

August 2010

April 2011

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T19:38:00.003-05:00

Monster Eggs

KC Wolf @ the Basehor Easter Egg Hunt

Bodey and his 2026 classmates, Cooper & Avery

And last, but not least, the Easter Bunny!

The True Meaning of Easter

2011-04-21T13:17:00.003-05:00

Last night, Booker was going to bed, but he was scared he was going to have nightmares. I told him, he won't, just think of happy things before falling asleep. Like Easter, and candy, and Easter eggs, and the Easter Bunny. He interrupted me with, "And Jesus dying on the cross!" This kid truly gets it and it makes mommy soooo happy!

Unleashed!

2011-04-14T21:55:00.006-05:00

We are so excited that the weather has started to shape up... so we can ship the kids out! We have been taking full advantage of the sunshine by being outside as much as possible. It's so nice to not be all cooped up indoors. First thing we did was pull out the bikes. This was one of the many things on the "when it gets nicer outside we can do that" list. Turns out, Bodey was way too big for last years bike. So we let him pick out a brand new one. Bodey is one tough cookie. He has wrecked it (yes, it has training wheels) multiple times. Blood, scrapes... but no tears. He calls them his "tool tricks." Translation, cool tricks. Booker will do anything for an adrenaline rush. That includes doing all sorts of tricks on his bike, as well. He gets going mock ten, and then puts his feet on the handlebars. Or takes both feet and one hand off. He's not as tough as #2 though. One wreck, world ends.

Booker started soccer a few weeks ago. Last fall when he played for the Y, he was super aggressive and really good. This year, he is more into trying to make the coolest superhero or transformer moves in the field. Never really knows where the ball is at any given time. However, at his last practice he tried really hard and his coach said if he always played like this, they'd never lose a game. Pending weather, we'll get to put it to the test Saturday & Sunday.

And the most exciting news lately... Booker had Kindergarten Round Up! This kid loves to learn and is pretty independent, so this is right up his alley. He's been asking to go to bed early at night so he can hurry up and go the next morning. I learned from my friend that I should probably put out a "bragging disclaimer", so here it is, I'm gonna brag on my baby boy. Don't like it, don't read it.

Booker's a pretty smart kid. It helps that learning is right up there with playing his DS on his list of favorite things to do. He loves to draw, color, do math, write, and all the other schooly things. At the parent meeting for Kindergarten, I was happy to know that Booker could already do almost all of the things on the recommended list of things to get in K. And, they mentioned that right now, in April, they are working on addition, and will introduce subtraction before the school year is over. Booker can add. His homework at TNT is doing addition to sums up to 20 right now. And they are working on subtraction. They also need to be able to count to 20. Booker counts well beyond 100. I don't really know how high he can go because, sadly, I usually have him stop before he's done. Here's some of his work. He did all the addition by himself, and had some help with the subtraction. There, it's over with, I'm done. :)

Mr. Bodey has been all about daddy lately. He is an outdoors boy. The first words out of his mouth when he wakes up always has something to do with outside. Can we go fishing? Can we play outside? Can I ride my bike? Can I play in the sandbox? I don't have any pictures to post, but Dusty took Bodey fishing out at Clinton in the fishing boat. Dusty said he was grinning ear to ear the entire time. And that's all he's been talking about ever since.

Strangers?

2011-03-27T21:48:00.003-05:00

Hello? Is anyone out there? Several of you tell me you read my blog... but you would never know because I very rarely get comments. Drop a line every once in a while, we love to hear from you!

He's FIVE!!!!

2011-03-24T20:46:00.004-05:00

After 12 full months of excitement and planning, Booker is finally 5! We had the best friends and family over for a party and he was spoiled to death. We decided to get him a DS. He has wanted one ever since June when the school age kids introduced it to him. Needless to say, he loves it. The day following his birthday, he went and got his Kindergarten shots and is all squared away for August. Tear.

Along with the new DS, comes new rules. Booker is the kid that could watch TV for hours. He is also the kid who would play video games all day if you let him. There's gonna be lots of regulating. Poor kid has already been grounded from it for 2 days. Five year olds have to learn the hard way that throwing fits for no reason gets you nowhere. :)

Bodey?

2011-03-24T20:31:00.001-05:00

Looks just like him, but this is my dad when he was little. Cute!

Branson Get-Away

2011-03-13T21:39:00.007-05:00

This family was in desperate need of a family vacation. Granted, it wasn't a week long, we didn't have to fly there, there was no beach or hot weather, but it was just what the doctor ordered. Branson, Missouri - only 4 hours away. We started our trip by stopping at Lambert's Cafe in Springfield. It is the home of the throwed rolls. And family size portions. It sucks to be Dusty, because he was still getting over the flu and had zero appetite, so only the kids and I got to enjoy it!

The first two nights we stayed at Falls Lodge at Big Cedar. We went on this trip because a year ago they sold it to us for dirt cheap so that we would go to their timeshare presentation. It was definitely worth it. The accommodations were fantastic! And, yes, even after us practicing to say NO to the timeshare salesmen, I almost fell for it. Enough on that though!

Here was our lovely room. It had a HUGE jacuzzi tub, a large walk in shower and a balcony. These were very sound proof rooms and had very comfy beds. Both of these very important to me!

Night #1 was a mother's worst nightmare. We put Bodey in his own bed, because he is all over the place when he sleeps. I slept with the never-moving once he falls asleep, Booker, and Dusty slept on the camping pad on the floor. I couldn't sleep. I was just laying there picturing Bodey falling out of that bed onto that HARD floor. Then I was trying to figure out what we would do when he cracked his head open. Could an ambulance find us? Oh nevermind, I remember seeing where the hospital was in town. We'd just drive him. See why a comfy bed and sound proof room are important to me? Because I have so many other issues with sleeping. I worry. Well, about 1am, BAM! And Bodey's on the floor screaming. He was fine though. Then, it hit the fan. About 4am I hear crying. But it was a distant crying. But it sounded like Bodey crying. But it couldn't be, he couldn't be that far away. Unless, he was in the hallway. But how would he be in the hallway? No, surely it's just some kid in another room. But this room is sound proof, remember? I got up and the freaking door was OPEN! Bodey was way down at the other end of the hall, bawling. A man was standing with him by the elevators. I was standing in the hallway, in my underwear, screaming for him. I was so freaked out! He had no idea what was going on! The man directed him towards me and I ran and grabbed him. I have NEVER been that scared in my life. All the what-if flowed through my head. What if that guy was a creep? What if we were on the first floor and instead of elevators were the doors to outside? What if he went out on to our balcony? AHHHHHHHH! Needless to say, I didn't sleep anymore. I knew I deadbolted the doors though, and that puzzled me. How did he even get out? Well, there wasn't the normal chain lock that most hotels have, and, the deadbolt is only effective from the outside. From the inside, all you have to do is open the door, and the deadbolt unlocks. So, night #2, we barricaded the door. And Bodey slept on the camping pad. Sheesh.

Saturday morning we went to the kids fishing tournament. There weren't very many fish biting though.

But Bodey ended up catching one!!!

And it was big enough for this trophy. I have never seen him so excited and so pumped up about something. It was priceless.

We rode go-carts... a lot. The boys loved riding with us on the super fast ones. But that just wasn't enough for Booker. This kid has a need for speed. Anything with an adrenaline rush, and he's game. He raced around the kiddie track and drove like a pro.

Cautious Bodey didn't want to drive by himself, but he liked the ferris wheel.

And then, night #3 we spent at Castle Rock Resort and Indoor Waterpark. Booker went down both of those giant slides by himself. Several times. The tube slide was pitch dark too. It scared me, but not him! We also enjoyed the lazy river and kiddie pool.

Bodey was so nervous and tense swimming the first two days at Big Cedar. But, finally he loosened up at Castle Rock. And then he became pretty fearless!

This slide was more Bodey's style. Short, sweet, and to the point. No adrenaline rushes needed for him.

Finally, off to bed in their own little nook. I think all hotels should have one of these. A separate little room with bunk beds and a flat screen TV. It was heavenly... and the boys thought they were pretty hot stuff! Of course, Bodey DID NOT sleep on the top bunk. :)

Overall, it was a great trip. The boys loved Branson and all the "special" things you get to do and eat on vacation. I would like to make this an annual spring break trip, but we'll see how that goes. Might have been easier if only we had that stupid timeshare...

Playing Catch Up

2011-03-07T20:55:00.003-06:00

Sports registrations are starting, we are leaving for a mini-vacation on Thursday, I was the sickest I've ever been last week, Bodey had it too and now Dusty does, Booker is going to be 5 in two weeks, Kindergarten round up is next month, work is busier than ever, I'm training for a 1/2 marathon and an olympic triathlon, and winter is still kicking on. Does life ever slow down? Traci, the answer is no. :(

On the way home from church yesterday Booker said when he's a dad he wants two boys like I have, and one girl. He would name the girl Jessie and the boys Jay and Trevor. I don't know where he came up with this, but it was pretty cute. Booker is still loving every second of school. He can count to 100 and color like the best of them. He doesn't "scribble-scrabble like Bodey does." I can't believe in two weeks he is going to be FIVE years old. He is so ready and thinks he'll be pretty hot stuff when he's 5. He has big plans of learning how to skateboard and ride a bike with no training wheels this summer.

Bodey is crazy as ever. He doesn't settle down. He has really started to pronounce words very clearly... not starting so many words with "D" and "T". So, as my mom pointed out, she is no longer Damn-a Jenean, she has upgraded to Grandma Jenean. Bodey is a Dusty Jr. You say black, he says white. You say up, he says down. No matter what, Bodey chooses the opposite of everyone and everything else and is SUPER independent. Based on Dusty's childhood, I think we are in for it! :)

I will be sure to post pics of our mini-vacation to Branson. We are staying two nights at Big Cedar Lodge and one night at Castle Rock Resort & Waterpark. I think the boys will have a blast. Now I just have to do some laundry so we have some clean clothes to pack!

To Fear or Not to Fear

2011-02-14T21:15:00.001-06:00

Booker loves dinosaurs. He was obsessed with digging for dinosaurs when he was in Ms. Saundra's class at TNT. He has a Build a Dino he sleeps with almost every night. He begs to go to T-Rex for dinner. He loves to watch Dino Dan and Dinosaur Train. He has dinosaur flash cards and loves learning all their names. But he is deathly afraid of them. Won't step foot in T-Rex Cafe. Trembles, shakes, cries. Scared.To.Death. Be swore he wouldn't be scared anymore and wanted to go to the exhibit at Crown Center. So, we went and... trembled, shook, cried. I didn't know if we were going to make it out or not because he wouldn't move. But he still claims to love them, and still sleeps with one at night. I'm confused.

Booker's Always Thinking

2011-01-28T22:04:00.003-06:00

Dusty was getting ready to feed the boys dinner last night and said he was so hungry so he thought he'd eat Bodey's nose. Bodey said that he'd eat Booker's nose. Booker replied that he would eat Bodey's brain. Dusty said if Booker does that than Bodey would eat both of Booker's ears. And Booker's response? Uh, no he won't, he won't do anything 'cause he won't have a brain, duh. Is that anything like your everyday mealtime conversation?

Good Thing Our Good Influence Was Born First

2011-01-18T21:21:00.003-06:00

Remember when Booker told me he wanted to get baptized because he loves God? Well, this morning Bodey's teacher pulled me aside to tell me what Bodey said. Usually, this isn't good news. But Ms. Saundra told me that he said in the cutest voice, "Ms. Aundra, I wanna get baptized because I love JESUS!!!" She had tears in her eyes when she told me. She loved it so much she immediately called her husband, Papa Jim, to tell him.

Bodey is definitely his own person. He normally does the opposite of what you tell him or want him to do. He is a total redneck who burps and farts all the time, no matter where we are, and dies laughing about it. But he does look up to his big brudder. Thank goodness Booker is in a stage right now where he wants to do right in all aspects of life... and Bodey is slowing following. I wish I could just bottle them up right now, keep their positive, carefree life, and protect them forever.

Fun in the Snow

2011-01-15T19:44:00.003-06:00

We finally got some snow to play in this week! Crazy that it took until January 9th to get any snow. On Monday we got about 6 inches of snow. Only problem? I was at work. So I took off around 3:45 to get the boys so they could enjoy before dark. Booker doesn't care how cold or dark it is, he would stay out there forever if I'd let him.

Bodey, on the other hand, was done.

Then today, we took the boys out to Nana & Papa's land in Tonganoxie to pull them behind the 4-wheeler. Bodey just relaxed in the sled. Then he got cold and wanted to ride on the 4-wheeler with mom and dad. Booker couldn't be happier! He was pumped to ride by himself. He was absolutely CRAZY! He was standing up, turning around, riding with no hands and he performed several other "tricks."

He wiped out 2 times. Booker is normally somewhat of a wimp. But not today. He face-planted right into the snow, got up, and got back on, thinking he was all tough.

The Kid's Got It

2011-01-13T21:32:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I don't give my kids enough credit. Sometimes I think they are still too young to really understand anything. But I think they are the ones who get it, and adults are the ones who are missing it. Here was our conversation on the way home from school today:

Booker: "Mom, I really love you."
Me: "I love you too Booker."
Booker: "Well, I love God more than you though."
Me (kind of glad, kind of sad): "Oh, buddy, that's good."
Booker: "Remember that "B" thing, Mom?"
Me: "Booker, I don't really know what you are talking about."
Booker: "Mom, that "B" thing. You know, where you got in the water?"
Me: "Oh, when I got baptized?"
Booker: "Yeah, I really want to get baptized when I get older."
Me: "Booker, that's great, I'm really proud of you for making that decision."

He knows because he loves God so much, he wants to get baptized. 'Bout made me cry.

***Update*** The next morning Booker reminded me that he wanted to get baptized. I asked him why he wanted to get baptized. "Because I love God, mom."

Crazy Perfect Busy Magical

2011-01-07T22:24:00.006-06:00

All of those words describe our December. As December usually does, it slipped away from us yet again. It's like we don't have any time between Thanksgiving and New Years, yet we cram pack so much into that month of December that falls in between. Here are a few of our highlights:

I went with the boys on their school field trip to Santa's Express. I was so thankful that I got to take this morning off work to go with them. The hat Booker is wearing is the one that each kid in his class made. They wore them to be just like Regan when she came to visit school for her birthday party.

I'm a little disappointed with my "Santa" pictures this year. This was the only time we went to see Santa, and they couldn't even sit on his lap. And I don't have one of them together and the lighting was horrible for pictures, but oh well. Mrs. Claus wasn't in the mood to stand in lines this year!

No, he didn't draw that snowman... but I wouldn't put it past our little artsy-fartsy oldest.

I learned that Bodey has a best friend/girl friend at school. Her name is Jenna and they have been at Tots N Tales together since they started. She's a freaking doll. Anyways, they were inseparable, and of course adorable!

We had some great company right before Christmas. December 21st was my Grandma Mary's 80th birthday. My grandma, grandpa, aunt and uncle all flew in from Wyoming to celebrate. It was so nice to see them. We had a special dinner for her at Sullivan's where we met up with her brother Don, her sister Sis and her other brother Ray. There are seven kids in her family and six are still living. The oldest is 95 and the youngest is 77. It was so amazing to see them together and relive their lives as "Young-sters" (my grandma's maiden name is Young). My Grandma is the 2nd one from the left. Isn't she beautiful? I just adore her.

Lunch on Them

2011-01-03T13:37:00.002-06:00

While cleaning the house, we stumbled upon the boys ziplock baggies of Easter money. Tons of quarters and several dollar bills. So, the boys got all their dollar bills together and bought me lunch! We went to Chick-Fil-A and they spent $11 on our lunch. They were very excited to buy me lunch. And I thought it was a nice turn of tables for once too! Thank you boys, I really love me some Chick-Fil-A! What a treat!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T11:05:00.004-06:00

This year on Christmas Eve I cooked dinner. I've never done this before... I always make sure my dad cooks us up an awesome Christmas Eve dinner. The only problem with that is that Christmas Eve is also his birthday. So this year he got the night off and I made lasagna. Then after dinner we went to church. It was such an awesome night. They started out with a performance just like the Trans Siberian Orchestra. It was amazing. Bodey told me that he was going to go to sleep at church so Santa would come while he was sleeping. This is one reason that I was sure the boys would be up no later than 6am to see if Santa came. So, at 6am, Dusty and I were both awake... but no kids. So we went back to sleep until 7:30am... still no kids! At 7:50am Dusty went and turned their lights on. Bodey didn't budge, and Booker popped right up. He came into our room and asked why we turned his light on. We asked him what day it was. "Christmas." Well, did Santa come? "I don't know. Can I go see?" Of course! So he ran into the livingroom and came back down the hall yelling that Santa came. We told him to go get Bodey. He ran into Bodey's room and started jumping on his bed yelling, "Bodey, come on. Santa came!" Bodey still didn't budge. Then all of a sudden it clicked what Booker was saying and Bodey jumped up and said, "Today?" And they were off!

Overall, the boys got way entirely too spoiled, but it was a blast. Santa and the elves must have used their dictionary to find what Booker asked for, because he got his Colossus Dragonoid and Bodey got his Buzz Wings. I just love the age they are this year. Booker really got into the countdown to Christmas and told me how excited he was every night before he went to bed. Bodey was on the naughty list most of December, but somehow managed to only get one present taken away. And we still haven't caved... he will not be getting one of his gifts. He still keeps asking if he's good, can he have his present back? Can he have it back next Christmas? Nope. And we'll all survive. Until next year that is! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thankful For Mommy

2010-12-24T10:16:00.003-06:00

I could just eat Booker up these days. He loves his mom. How much better can it get? Other than the fact he has been expressing how much he loves me.

Yesterday he picked up his room and then went downstairs while I vacuumed. When he came back up he went to his room and came out and said, "Mom, I just love you so much. The most in the whole world!" I asked him why and he said, "Because you cleaned my room just right."

This morning I made waffles for breakfast. He ate 5 of them and then said, "Mom, I love you, thank you for the best waffles." I said your welcome, and he said, "My pleasure."

I also love the fact that he will hug and kiss me in front of all his friends at school. Some days he even turns around when I'm leaving and yells across the room, "I LOVE YOU MOM." I dread the day when that isn't cool anymore because it just makes my heart sing!

It's Still Christmas

2010-12-09T22:35:00.003-06:00

Tonight was Tots N Tales Christmas Program. It was dedicated to Regan, a little girl in Booker's class that turned 5 yesterday. A little girl that found out she has cancer 2 months ago. A little girl that has to go through 48 weeks of chemo and radiation. A sweet little girl of a mom and a dad. A big sister. A friend and classmate. And while her class sang their songs, she sat on the steps of the stage, and happily watched them. She was so precious, words can't even explain it. She was in her Christmas dress and her Santa hat, just watching. And then, at the end of the program, it was her turn. She got up on stage and asked if she could sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And, with the mic in her hand, she did. And everyone joined her. And I cried. Because to that 5-year old little girl, it is still Christmas, and she is still going to celebrate. God Bless you Regan!

Mrs. Jada Feezell

2010-12-08T14:49:00.002-06:00

I found out yesterday that Booker is going to marry Jada... and the conversation went like this:

Booker - "Mom, I'm going to marry Jada. You know, the girl from my class?"

Me (not having a clue who Jada is) - "Oh yeah, do you like her?"

Booker - "Yeah... I think. I danced with her."

Nuf said.

Tree Is Up!

2010-11-28T20:46:00.005-06:00

Today at church Booker made this Christmas wreath and couldn't wait to get home and hang it on his door. I'm not quite sure why Bodey opted out of making one at church, but he wanted to make one as soon as we got home.

And here is Bodey's!

Then the boys were begging to put up the Christmas tree. I really wanted to also, but I needed Dusty's help getting everything down from the loft. And... he has pneumonia AGAIN so I didn't want to push him. Finally, after the Chiefs game (which they won!) and after dinner, we decorated the tree. Dusty's mom got him a Hallmark Christmas ornament every year while he was growing up and then gave them to us when we got together. We have decorated with them every year since. But, now that we have kids she has been getting the boys one each year, and so have I, so this year we decorated with all their ornaments.

Sleeping Innocence

2010-11-27T09:46:00.004-06:00

Every night before bed, I sneak into each of the boys' rooms to just watch them sleep. It is my favorite part of the day... just staring at their precious little sleepy faces. I always go to bed with a smile on my face. I always wonder how long I'll continue this. I would prefer until the day they leave my house... but I guess it might be a little creepy to be checking on and watching an 18-year old sleep. Only time will tell.

Some nights when I stand there I am just amazed at how fast they are growing up. I can't believe how much of their beds they are taking up. I've glanced at them every night and have seen them go from barely making a dent in the crib to sprawled out in their big boy beds. And the sad thing is by looking at them every day, you don't even notice they've grown.

On Thanksgiving the boys spent the night at my parents' house. My dad checked on the boys while they were sleeping and noticed how differently they sleep. It always cracks me up too. Booker goes to bed and doesn't move one time until he wakes up in the morning. Bodey, on the other hand, touches every square inch of that bed, in every possible position. That would be the reason that Nana has finally put an end to them sleeping in her bed with her. Bodey is a little much to handle. He sleeps just fine, but no one else does.

Kerby's Pumpkin Patch (A Little Late)

2010-11-27T09:34:00.004-06:00

This year Kerby's added a zipline. At first I wasn't sure if the boys were big enough, but they proved me wrong. At first the guy running it held them both all the way down. After a couple tries, they were on their own, even the dismount!

Bodey's classic "cheese" is getting a little old.

Ugh

2010-11-22T22:39:00.001-06:00

I've ruined my blog background and hate Blogger's new (actually not that new but I've tried to avoid it) template thingy. I'm going to bed. Stupid thing.

My Little Basketball Star

2010-11-18T22:47:00.003-06:00

We just finished our 3-week session of Bitty Basketball. Booker didn't really care much for practice. He always asked when we were going home and when basketball was going to be over. However, when it came to the games, it was his time to shine. He was on a mission. Get the ball. And he did, almost so much that I felt like he was a ball hog and the other parents probably hated us. But then I realized that Booker had no clue he was hogging the ball... and neither did any of the other kids. I laughed the entire time watching his games. In case you can't find him in the video, he's the little white kid with the bright orange shorts!

Creating Memories Through Shutterfly

2010-11-17T13:13:00.002-06:00

Christmas is a very exciting time of year for my family. It always brings back memories from when I was little, and I try to carry some of my childhood traditions forward. I do have certain events around the holidays that I remember very vividly, but my other memories stem from the fact that we have pictures that captured those memories. The only thing that can freeze time and keep our children little is a picture.

I love pictures. Well, I love taking pictures, not necessarily being in them. My husband calls me a picture geek because I rarely leave home without my camera. But, there is a reason for my madness. It amazes me how fast my kids grow, right in front of me, but I don’t notice day to day. But I do notice when I look back at my blog and see how much they really have grown.

This year, Shutterfly is offering me 50 free Holiday cards (for promotion click here). In exchange, I am going to share a little about them on my blog. Christmas is pretty much the only time of the year that I pull out my address book and actually send a picture card to nearly every name in it. I love that Shutterfly allows me to do very little work, with very little creativity, and come out with an awesome, personalized Christmas card. On the other end of sending picture cards, I love to receive them from my friends. My refrigerator is covered with picture cards year round. I can’t wait to get my family pictures back so that I can go to Shutterfly’s website and start the process of creating the perfect Christmas 2010 memory.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

This year for Halloween we decided to go to Fam Fest at Westside. It was quite a production. They had a ton of blow up jumpy things, blow up slides, a few small carnival rides, a train ride, and much more. The boys had a blast. I was shocked that they both went down those huge slides by themselves. Even scaredy cat Bodey!

Bodey was a vampire, which he kept getting confused with a pirate. He told everyone he was going to be a pirate for Halloween. It wasn't that he wanted to be a pirate and got stuck with a vampire, he just honestly gets them confused. What do you think of a black-haired Bodey? Many trick-or-treaters asked him if he was Harry Potter... I guess because of the glasses?

I didn't get a picture of just my boys together, which I'm really bummed about, but here was our little group of trick-or-treaters. This year we went to Nana & Papa's neighborhood. It was awesome. So many people, so many houses, and so much candy!

We were well prepared for pokey Bodey to be about a mile behind speedy Booker. This was not the case at all though. Ada, Bodey and Booker all sprinted from door to door, and poor little PeyPey was the pokey one this year. Next year Peyton!

I was kind of embarrassed at the first few houses. I forgot to teach trick-or-treating etiquette, and Bodey just marched right up and would either state the number of pieces of candy he wanted, or just reach in the bowl and get it himself. Aye. As the night went on, he did get better.

Bitty Soccer Comes to an End

2010-10-22T12:13:00.003-05:00

Both boys participated in the Y's bitty soccer. It lasted a whopping 3 weeks. Which is a good thing for Bodey, because he pretty much checked out after the first day. Booker really got in to it. All we had to tell him was get the ball and go that way, and he did! He almost scored about 7 times in three games. He thinks he did score because he took a shot and some of them even touched the net. After he would shoot he would run over to us for high-fives with a huge grin on his face. And the little bugger is quite fast too! Bodey, on the other hand, spent his time on the field running aimlessly around, with no idea where the ball was at any given time. It was pretty cute to watch, and he had fun, so that's all that matters. The last game Bodey bumped heads with another player and his glasses cut him around his eye. So, he sat out the rest of the game. When we were getting ready to leave he said, "Hey, we fordot to play our soccer dame." Nope, Bodey, you just had no clue it was going on! When the coach handed out their medals she had a nickname for all the kids. Booker was "Future Wizards Soccer Player" and Bodey was "Sometimes There, Sometimes Not."

Chicago Marathon 10-10-10

2010-10-14T20:39:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this video

I Now Pronounce Myself A Marathoner!

2010-10-13T21:47:00.013-05:00

I have to be honest when I say that running a marathon was never on my bucket list. I couldn't believe that people could actually run that far. I was a sprinter in middle school and high school and my longest distance I would ever try is 400m and that was a very rare occasion because it was too far. A quarter of a mile. Granted, I have now slowed my pace drastically, but I conquered 26.2 miles. That is over 100 times what I could do when I was younger and in the best shape of my life. But, I was lacking the faith and the heart to run any further. Somewhere, in the last 16 weeks of my life, I dug deep enough to find both of those things.

This journey has never been easy. There are such busy schedules to juggle when still trying to train. There is pain, there are injuries, there are days you just don't feel like running, and many days you feel like giving up. There is no possible way on earth I could have done this without my loving and patient husband, and my running partners, Cori and Jen. Even though I told Jen on the morning of 10-10-10 that I wanted to punch her in the face because I really didn't want to do this, she is my biggest inspiration and I'm so thankful for that.

We started off our trip by leaving the kiddos at home and taking off to Chicago. We arrived at the lovely Howard Johnson Inn Downtown with a stellar view. But the hotel was the least of things on my mind. It had a bed and that's all that mattered.

Now we were of to the Expo to pick up our packets. This place was crazy! There were so many people and so many vendors that we really didn't have a chance to look at everything. But we did have a few photo opportunities.

Saturday night the guys went out on the town and Jen, Cori and I had a pow-wow in Cori's room. We discussed what to pack, the game plan for the next morning, and how nervous we truly were. Then I went back to my room, set all my gear out and hit the sack. I, of course, didn't really sleep, but that's ok.

I woke up at 5:45am on 10-10-10 to run my first marathon. I was sick. I was mad. I didn't want to finish the journey I had set out to finish. That changed when I lined up at the starting line. I was ready, game on.

We all had inspirational shirts made for the race. Our names were on the front of them, which was the best idea ever! No matter where we were we could hear, "Traci, Cori, Jen, you got this! Good job!" In the beginning I was telling them all thank you and high-fiving them. Towards the end, I couldn't even look up to see who was yelling.

The first half of our run was great. We felt awesome, we had high spirits, our pace was right on track, we were in the shade. It was so much fun. We were totally in the moment, taking in all the scenery and spectators. Then came the 2nd half, the 89 degree temperatures (which they said were probably 100 degrees on the pavement), and the direct sunlight sucking the life right out of us. We gradually slowed our pace just to survive. There were several times when we walked because one of the three of us was so nauseous. We each had weak moments, but were able to pick each other up and continue on. That is one of the best things about running with friends. I blocked several parts of the second half out. I couldn't look up, I just had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Our husbands were rockstars. They mapped out everything according to our pace, jumped on buses and subways, and walked a lot of ground to see us. I can't even explain how much I needed to see Dusty's face each of those times. It was a fresh breath of air that was much needed. Dusty was able to see me at mile 2, 8, 16, 22 and at the finish. As you can see by the next picture, our legs were barely leaving the ground anymore by the end. This picture was about mile 25.5 and we were toast.

I always imagined that crossing the finish line would be one of my best memories and I would have immediate satisfaction. This was not the case for me at all. I was in so much pain and giving my all, but it just dragged on. When we finally crossed it was just a blur. I hurt, I couldn't walk, I just wanted to cry, but not out of happiness, out of pain. I was hot, sunburned, my legs and feet didn't work anymore and I just wanted a seat in the shade. Jen and Cori felt the exact same way. We walked a few yards and received our medals. This was an awesome moment. I started crying when it was placed around my neck and looked at Jen and Cori and they were too. We all just hugged and cried. At this point in time we were all delirious. We spotted some wheelchairs at the podiatry med tent and immediately seeked shelter! We were hoping to score a wheelchair, but settled for a cot to sit on instead. We just kept thinking of things for them to "fix" on us, even though all of our symptoms were completely normal after running 26 miles. We left with Jen's blisters doctored up, Cori got some medical advice on her black toenail, and we suckered them out of bags of ice. With steps about an inch apart, and only our socks on our feet, we stumbled on to find our husbands. It took us at least 40 minutes to get from the finish line to where our husbands were. When I saw Dusty I just started crying because I hurt so bad. All I kept repeating was how badly it hurt, I hated it, and I never wanted to do it again. And I wanted him and everyone else that knows me to remind me of that. Shhhhh.... don't tell anyone that within 24 hours, I totally thought I could do it again. It's a sickness. It reminds me of child birth. Somehow, you forget the pain and think you need to do it all over again!

A very vivid memory for me was at mile 2 we saw the Chicago Theater and I was so excited. I have no idea why, but it was my favorite part of the route.

I just have to thank Dusty for making this long journey possible. There were many nights and mornings over the last 16 weeks that he was superdad while I was out training. He didn't complain one time. I also just can't even imagine doing this if I didn't get to share the experience with him. He immediately started putting positive thoughts in my head the morning I woke up to run. I really needed that, and especially from him.

Oh, yeah, and for the record, my Garmin read 27.17 miles from start to finish. We mainly ran on the right side of the road (which was the outside of the loop), and the marathon was measured from the inner most part of the route. Wowzers!

Why Me?

2010-09-23T19:10:00.002-05:00

I've Been Dunked!

2010-09-19T21:53:00.007-05:00

Some of you may know, some of you may not know, that I was baptized on September 5th at Westside's service at Shawnee Mission Park. There are many reasons that there are a list of you in the "some may not know" category. I have never been very forward and open with my faith. I have kept pretty quiet about it because I feel like it is a very personal thing. I also hate being judged because I always think waaaaay too much about what other people think of me. However, I had to put all of that aside and realize that it's not between me and all these other people/excuses in my life. It's between me and God, and together we came up with my next step in my faith of being baptized. Yes, yes, I was baptized as a toddler. But, I have since learned, realized and come to believe that baptism was more of a dedication; my parents' pledge to raise me with God. I thank them very much for that and think they did an amazing job following through with their word. But now it's about me and my decisions. And as an adult I have made the decision to be baptized. I'm now old enough to know and appreciate all that it encompasses. It doesn't trump my earlier baptism, it is just the icing on the cake. That day meant the world to me. There was so much thought, dedication and reflection going on within me. It was a pretty amazing day that will forever mark me.

Pastor Dan Chaverin getting me all pumped up!

I wish this man knew how much he has impacted my life. I was so nervous to go to church - any church. I just felt stupid, like I hadn't been in so long, didn't know anything about the Bible, I wasn't a "good" person, etc. Cori extended an invitation for me to try out Westside, which had been on my radar since it was so young and relaxed. I am forever thankful that I did. And I am forever thankful that this man, Pastor Dan Southerland, was the teaching pastor at my first attendance at Westside. His voice, his character, his "human-ness" all made me want to come back. I felt so welcome and so good. I just wanted to come back and hear more and learn more. So, I have, and I just feel like I owe it to this man.

And I can't leave out the atmosphere of Westside. They flat out get with it and ROCK. I've never felt comfortable singing at a church, but can't help it here. Sorry everyone that sits next to me! :)

I was hoping that during my baptism, the band would play "The Baptism Song." Band members at Westside wrote it and it is such a beautiful and powerful song. I couldn't stop smiling when I saw it on the service program for that day! They played it through the ENTIRE hour and half that they baptized people. Amazing.

Nasty Things

2010-09-16T20:51:00.003-05:00

I hate ticks. Always have, always will. However, I've had to deal with them a bit more lately since they tend to love Booker's blood. In 4 1/2 years, Booker has had roughly 15 ticks. That's a lot... they love him. Last Wednesday night I pulled EIGHT ticks out of the poor kid. I'm still baffled on where he got them and how I hadn't seen them before. They were full of blood. I checked to make sure I got each of their tiny heads out, and did. Then two days ago (about 6 days after I pulled them) he started to get a circular rash around two of the bites. Dr. Google suggested Lyme Disease. Luckily, we have the all wonderful Dr. Yu for a pediatrician, and his wife happens to be one of the directors of Infectious Disease at Children's Mercy. He said it's not Lyme Disease, Kansas ticks don't carry it. I would have called boo-shay on him simply because I just find that really hard to believe, but who would know better? He said there are several Lyme-like diseases in KS and other diseases from ticks, but he really doubted that Booker had any of them because of the fact that he was still "Booker." No fever, no pain, no signs of illness at all, and apparently he would have been noticeably ill if he had something. So, the diagnosis? He believes that Booker had a reaction to the saliva the wonderful ticks leave in our bodies. YUCK! Either way, we left with an antibiotic, which is mommy's piece of mind, so hopefully all is good.

The Big 3!

2010-09-14T20:41:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Bodey and I went to take his 3-year pictures in Parkville. I just love that town. It has so much character. Bodey is rarely without Booker, and quite a different person when they are separate. He acted so old, so mature, so quiet. It was an awesome day. Here are a few of my favorites... out of the 230 I took!

Funny Boys

2010-08-30T20:40:00.003-05:00

Bodey tends to be/act a little redneck-ish. It cracks me up. He loves to wear sleeveless shirts and wear cowboy boots with shorts. The other night he said, "Dad, after we get all jammied up, can we watch some cartoons?" Jammied up. :)

Rachel gave us a good idea to help your children not lie... or know they are caught. Whenever she could tell Reese was lying, she would say that she could see a light on her forehead. Well, we decided to try that too, but got it confused and we use light on the nose. We have told Booker that only mommies and daddies can see the light, and it comes on when he is lying. It works like a charm. Fastforward to tonight while we are doing Booker's homework. One of the questions was What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? I said, "Booker, what do you want to be, what do you want to do when you grow up?" He said, "I want to stay at home all day with mommy and daddy." I said, "Well what do you want to do when you are a daddy?" And his answer? "I want to be able to see the light on Bodey's nose."

Yesterday at dinner Papa Morgen asked Booker to spell Monster. He shouts out, "B-O-O-K-E-R!"

I Didn't Think I Was This Crazy

2010-08-26T14:25:00.001-05:00

I just found this saved on my computer. It must have been for the first time we ever left Booker overnight. I wonder what Dusty thought of this? Or Sharon and Morgen? :)

First off – Rules:
∙ He only eats formula.

∙ He cannot ride the 4-wheeler.

∙ He cannot sleep through the night in your bed.

∙ He can only sleep on his back with no blankets or toys around him.

The Tricks of B-Man:
∙ He eats 5 oz. roughly every 3 hours. He will let you know if he needs to eat sooner than that. To make the bottle mix 5 oz. of room temperature baby water, 2 ½ scoops of formula and a squirt of gas drops.

∙ Let him eat the whole bottle before trying to burp him. Try to get at least one good burp out of him after his bottle. If he takes too many breaks during the bottle, he’ll quit eating and just play with the nipple.

∙ He naps around 10:00 am for 1-3 hours and then again around 2:00 pm for 1-3 hours.

∙ He will take little cat naps as needed, but not after 7:00 pm.

∙ Bedtime starts with a bath around 8:30. After his bath he needs a bottle. After the bottle he will be very tired. If you just put him on your chest to burp him he will fall asleep on your shoulder. This is when I lay him down. Keep your hand on his chest for a few seconds after laying him down so he still thinks you are there.

∙ Sometimes after you lay him down he will fuss a couple of times. Just quietly go hold his pacifier in his mouth until he relaxes, then he will usually give in.

∙ He will usually sleep until between 5-6:30 and he will wake up starving. You won’t be able to make this first bottle fast enough! After this bottle he will go back to sleep for another 3 hours or so. To go to sleep after this first morning bottle, he may need to sleep in his swing.

∙ If you have any left over formula in the bottle, it can be refrigerated until the next feeding.

Happy 3rd Birthday Bodey!

2010-08-25T21:26:00.003-05:00

Oh my little Bodester, how time has flown by. I have a hard time saying that you are three. Three is no doubt, absolutely, positively NOT a baby anymore. I know some day I'll look back and say, yes, he was such a cute little baby at three, but right now you are all about being a big boy. In the last year you have changed classrooms at school, you were potty-trained, you got glasses, you broke your collar bone, you learned to ride a bike, you learned to ride a scooter, you caught several fish, you became cool enough to play trucks and bad guys with your older brother, you have developed quite the personality, you have developed quite the attitude, you have become such a daddy's boy, you are obsessed with hunting and anything that has to do with hunting (like Avery the hunting dog), you have become a sports nut, and the list goes on. But one thing that hasn't changed is the way your smile melts my heart. I just want to squeeze you all the time because I can't get enough of how stinkin' cute you are. Happy Birthday, sweetness, keep bringing smiles to peoples faces. We love you!

Thank You Dave, Dusty & Myself

2010-08-22T14:23:00.004-05:00

August marks 1 year since we did our first budget following Dave Ramsey. At first, a budget was so new to us. We didn't think we would be able to follow one, especially the one we had drawn up. However, it is so much more peaceful using a budget. I no longer have to worry about the timing of our bills. There is always money there. I no longer have to worry about dipping into our overdraft protection or our savings. I actually feel like we have more money. Like we both got a raise. But we didn't. We just spend so much more wisely and our finances are in control. I love that feeling. And the best part? We have paid off quite a bit of debt in a year.

Our HELOC balance of $6400 is paid off.
Our Nebraska Furniture Mart balance of $1600 is paid off.
My car balance has gone from $29K to $13K.
And our house (although nothing extra has been put towards it) has dropped $7K.
Overall, Dusty and I have $31,000 LESS in DEBT than we did one year ago.

All we have left is my car (and the house, but it doesn't count right now in the plan). I cannot tell you how ready I am to have it paid off. The goal payoff date was March 2011, however, our Feezell intense plan was tweeked a wee bit this summer. But, we did enjoy our summer and wanted to make sure the boys enjoyed it too. We also refinanced our house this month down to 15 years. Our payment only went up $140 a month, and we will save around $60K in interest by cutting off 10 years of our loan. The last piece of Dave's plan that we need to master is the giving. It is actually one of the most important things Dave pushes. Now that we have a handle on the budget, I'm ready to see what else comes our way with a little giving.

Teachers Know Best

2010-08-17T21:25:00.002-05:00

Today when I picked Bodey up from school to go to his collar bone follow-up appointment, his teacher, Ms. Saundra, told me that she thought the little sore under his nose looked like impetigo. I told her I'd have the dr. look at it while we were there, but secretly thought, "he must have somehow scratched himself." Dr. says... yep. It's impetigo. Nothing serious though, just a little antibiotic cream two times a day and in a few days it should be gone. I guess in her MANY years of teaching she's been around the block!

And, Bodey's collar bone? Well, we got our follow-up x-rays done. I just had this feeling that it was going to be all back together and in place again because of how crazy active he's been, pain-free. Well, reason #2 I take my kids to the dr. for diagnosis (most of the time)... I thought the x-rays looked worse than the 1st ones! It appeared to me that the bones were even further apart and uneven. However, this time there was a little white blurry ball in the x-ray surrounding the break. It is a hard, boney, callusy substance that helps it heal. Dr. Yu felt it and it felt hard as a rock. Last time he felt it he said he could feel the bones move. YUCK! Anyways, he knew what a hard time we were having keeping Bodey in any type of restraint and figured at this point he was almost safer to not be restrained. So, he told me to turn him loose... with caution of course. He just wants to make sure Bodey won't be doing anything that will re-break it. Right... that's a piece of cake with the little boy who 4 days after the break did a superman flying leap onto the floor on his stomach and popped up and said, "I'm tough!" No problem at all.

Symmetry

2010-08-15T20:51:00.003-05:00

Booker is our artsy-fartsy kid. He could spend all day drawing and coloring. Maybe this means he'll be some type of architect or something? Parents can always dream.

Take a look at his "robot" he built. I was shocked when I noticed how symmetrical it was.

And when he colors, he does the same thing. Orange on this side, orange on that side. Black on this side, black on that side.

And the extent of symmetry for our little man, Bodey, is that if he has his arm wrapped, so does his stuffed Avery dog.

Bodey's Crummy Week

2010-08-01T13:58:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday Bodey fell off the toilet and broke his collar bone.

He has been such a trooper with his sling and wrap. He barely skipped a beat.

Until yesterday, when he got a stomach bug and had a 102 fever along with crazy vomitting. He barely made it until 10am before crashing on the couch. Today, he seems back to normal!

Perry Lake Camping Trip

2010-08-01T13:52:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago my parents let us use their brand new camper to take the kids and the Jeffries' to Perry Lake for the weekend. We all had a great time, despite the high water. The kids enjoyed swimming and riding the wave runner. And best of all, while they were all napping, Dusty stayed behind while Kim and I had a few brewskies and rode the wave runner over to party cove. Then we just relaxed in the water and got fried. But it was an awesome 2 hours.

Living Proof

2010-07-09T22:28:00.005-05:00

No, this is not living proof that at one point in time my house was spotless. This is living proof that I honestly can say I have the best friends ever. I couldn't ask for any better people to be in my life.

Tonight I pulled in my driveway while I was on the phone with Kim. I was like, "Hum, that's weird. I wonder who mowed my lawn. I'm pretty sure Dusty just got home from work." (Thanks Johnny!) Then Dusty was acting all weird like he really needed me to come inside to help him with something, so I hurried inside to see a spit-shined house. I knew my mom had just gotten home from camping but I asked Dusty if my mom did all this. He shook his head no. "JEN AND CORI!" I had gotten a text earlier that day from Jen saying that she and Cori were doing something fun and couldn't wait to show me. And what were they doing? Completely spoiling me to death by slaving away at my house. I kid you not, they organized and cleaned areas of my house that I haven't touched in years. And, why, might you ask? Why would anyone do this for anyone else completely out of the blue? Because they are some pretty damn good friends.

I struggle a lot with keeping up on my house and laundry. I'm gone working (or commuting) 50 hours a week. I feel horrible that my kids are in daycare for those same 50 hours. Dusty and I just don't feel like cleaning in our few hours at home each night. We do cook and sit down for dinner during the week as a family, which I know a lot of working families don't do. I take pride in that, but I don't take pride in my house. I get stressed out at work, wish I were home with my kids, stress about getting Dusty's health all figured out, try to get kids to sports and the bills paid on time. And on top of that... I've decided to train for this marathon, which takes up 3 more of my nights. And, when I'm running, I get it all out. I gripe A LOT. I tell Jen and Cori every stinkin' detail until they are blue in the face and completely bored out of their minds. But you know, they listen to every word. That is worth a million dollars. They don't have to say or do anything... just listen. But they totally took it to another level and helped me out. They know how much my dirty house wears on me. And they made my day, my night, my week. I was all teary-eyed when I realized what had gone into today. Every corner I turned I would find something new they organized or cleaned. Our battery drawer, our medicine cabinet, the top of our fridge. These are just SOME of the things they did. I am so very, very thankful for them and love them to death.

Here's the clean house I came home to:

They even hung up that long picture in the background that has been propped up against my wall for 5 AND A HALF YEARS.

And look at those freaking adorable boxes Jen made for under my coffee table!

Laundry room - complete with a new hat rack they found for me.

And even a fresh bouquet of flowers on my dining room table. Really? Does it get any better than that? SO REFRESHING!

And the best for last, a burlap pin board with running quotes pinned all over it. Made me have perma-smile all night long. Still do, love it. :)

Let the Games Begin

2010-06-18T22:30:00.004-05:00

Booker started t-ball last week for the YMCA. It consists of 3 practices and 3 games... thank goodness that is all! We have learned that Booker isn't the biggest fan of being a t-ball player. Not his favorite thing to do every Tuesday and Thursday night. However, we started it, we will finish it. He may end up wanting to do it next year. He may not. I don't really care. I just want the boys to try out as many things as possible to see what they really show interest in.

Booker isn't doing to bad though. He can hit, he can run bases, and he can throw. He can't catch, but neither can anyone else on the team. But he gets really bored of it and worn out about half way through. Tuesday will be our first game, maybe that will be more riveting for him. Only time will tell!

Our Little "Ray" of Sunshine

2010-06-18T22:03:00.005-05:00

It all started at dinner time. Bodey would go cross-eyed every time his fork came to his mouth. This happened at dinner time for about a week and a half. Every night. We kind of ignored it, thinking it was just something new he had learned. But then the next 3 days he was randomly going cross-eyed, sometimes more often than not. That Monday his teacher noticed and was concerned. So, we took Bodey to Sabates Eye Centers where we learned that he is extremely farsighted. His prescription is +4.5 in the right eye and +6 in the left eye. What does that mean? Well, all that coloring and reading he has absolutely NO interest in could be because he can't see! So, yesterday around 4pm (yes, the exact time matters as you will see later), Bodey got his very own "real" glasses. He refers to them as his sunglasses.

Most people, when I told them Bodey was getting glasses, referred to the movie "Jerry Macquire". I did too. I couldn't help but think of the cute little round-headed boy with glasses. Ray. And that was going to be my cute little boy. Yes, at first I was completely crushed when I learned he was getting glasses. You just want your babies to be perfect, and this wasn't perfect. Then, I smacked myself across the face and came to terms with the fact that so many people are going through so many worse things with their children, and glasses are very common. This was going to be ok.

So, here is our little Ray, from Jerry Macquire, attempting his best at the popular line, "Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?"

So my friend, Cori, had this great idea to throw Bodey a "You are so cool now that you have glasses" party. She bought some little sunglasses picks to put on his cake. Here he his before his "birthday" party, with his cake.

After the two pieces of "glasses" cake and a rootbeer float.

Several of our great friends attended the celebration, including Audrey, Avery, Aidan, Ava, Cooper and Peyton. After cake we decided to let the kids play in the sprinklers. All the kids were so excited they rushed out the door and immediately started playing in the sprinkler. Not 2 minutes later Cori told me to come outside. Bodey biffed it outside - with his brand new glasses on - and broke them. Yep, we lasted 28 hours before breaking his specs. They gave him a nice little cut next to his eye. Daddy got some tools out and bent them somewhat back into shape. Enough to get us until the end of June when he spare pair comes in. P.S. I know that most moms would take the glasses off before playing in the sprinklers, but I truly didn't even have time!

It is kind of hard to see the boo-boo in this picture. Poor little man!

Overall, we had a great party for my all-grown-up little man. Oh yeah, and two hours into school this morning I got a phone call that Bodey had already lost a nose piece. We were joking before his glasses came in how many pairs we would go through. I don't think it's a joke. We are going to go through SEVERAL. It's reality. But we love reality.

A Few Going On's

2010-06-16T21:45:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd update a little bit with some randomness in the Feezell house.

~Booker moved to the Yellow room at school, which is the Kindergarten room. We are very excited that he will be doing all Kindergarten Montessori work, but at the same time have our fears about him being bored when he goes to K in 2011.
~Bodey is now in the Green room, Booker's old classroom. I can't tell you how happy I am that he gets to be in Ms. Saundra's class. She is great and I just know Bodey will come a long way in this class. Probably too far though... as this is the class I felt like Booker really lost all baby-ness.
~Bodey is now 90% potty-trained. He has been wearing underwear except for at nap and bedtime for about 3 weeks now. He still struggles with going poop in the toilet, but I know that will come in its own sweet time.
~We sold Bodey's crib/toddler bed mattress in our garage sale, so now he has officially moved into the bed he will probably take to college... a full size. I'll post pictures once we buy his new bedding.
~Now that Booker is in class with 5 year olds all day (and sometimes school-aged kids) he is picking up on some of their lingo. Like, "What the heck?" and "Oh, dammit!" We have really been trying to remind him that is not an acceptable word and telling him alternative sayings. I hope it stops... SOON!
~AND, the biggest news... Bodey will be getting glasses tomorrow! There will be a dedicated post to follow.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-05-31T22:27:00.005-05:00

We didn't have any really big plans for Memorial Day weekend this year, but it was really nice. We ended up doing quite a bit.

Dusty and I took the boys fishing. Booker caught 3 fish and Bodey caught 2. And Booker will let everyone know that!

We not only caught fish, but also frogs. Look how little this one was! Booker got to hold it for quite a while.

For Bodey's normally VERY short attention span (about 3 minutes at the longest), he did quite well fishing and lasted about half an hour.

Saturday morning we went out to my parents' house and to Morgen and Sharon's land to ride 4-la-whoolers (as Bodey calls them). Kim and Peyton joined us and had a lot of fun.

Bodester and Nana on the 4-wheeler.

Oh, yes he did. He wore his "towboy" boots with shorts to the Tonganoxie Rodeo! What a redneck!

Two hams getting ready for the rodeo.

The Three Amigos at the T-Bones game!

We don't have very many family pictures. Thanks Kim for taking a couple!

Awesome night for some baseball!

We finished off the weekend by going swimming at Kim's house (but I forgot my camera), mowing Grandpa Mike's lawn, and having some awesome ribs and brisket at Nana and Papa's.

Big Man, Big Decision

2010-05-31T22:21:00.002-05:00

Every time Booker sees a school bus he says, "When I get bigger, I'm gonna ride a school bus." And then he found out that when his class took their annual trip to the Topeka Zoo the means of transportation was in fact a school bus. But, I was driving the boys to the zoo since I had taken the day off. Then Dusty got this hair-brained idea that Booker might want to ride the bus to the zoo instead of ride with ME, his mother. So I asked him, "Booker," in a really pumped up voice, "would you rather ride to the zoo with me, and Kim, and Baby Peyton, and Reesie, and Rachel and Bodey? Or," super quiet and fast, "ontheschoolbus." "ON THE SCHOOL BUS!!!!!" And so he did. All by himself.

All Aboard the Potty Train

2010-05-22T12:45:00.002-05:00

About 6 months ago, we bought Bodey "The Potty Train" book in hopes that he might have some interest. He liked the book, but did not put two and two together. For the past month, Bodey has been going potty in the big boy potty at school... wearing pull-ups and underwear and having very few accidents. Really? My Bodey? Because up until yesterday he had NEVER gone for me at home. Not once. Not even a little dribble. June 1st, Bodey will be moving to the Green Room at school. This is the 3-4 1/2 year old classroom. They are all potty trained. I'm freaking out... school is not that worried because "he goes just fine for them." Well, last night Bodey finally went for me. And 3 more times today! Now, now, I'm not that naive to consider him potty trained, we probably still have a long road ahead of us. But at least now I know school and I are talking about the same little Bodey.

The Swingset

2010-05-17T21:33:00.002-05:00

Papa and Nana bought the boys a swingset in March. It sat in our garage just waiting to be put together for 6 weeks... mainly because of the rainy weather. But, last weekend Dusty and Morgen put it up. The boys absolutely love it, although they haven't gotten to play on it all that much... once again due to the rainy weather. Thank you Nana & Papa!

Man of Many Words

2010-05-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday after school, Booker was teaching me what he learned at school. Yes, I said teaching, not telling, because I learn so much from my 4-year old. He kept repeating:

"The people of Israel, they say Shalom. The people of Israel, they say Shalom. Mommy, that means hello."

Then, as he would put his hands together and bow, he would say, "Konnichi wa. That's how you say hello in Japan."

So freakin' cute! And, might I add, so freakin' smart!

However, on a sour note, there have been times lately that I can't stand Booker's voice. I know that sounds horrible, but honestly he's at this stage in his life where EVERY WORD that comes out of his mouth is in a whiny voice. He has no normal voice. He's always complaining, whining or crying. It's really getting annoying. I hope it ends soon. I hope puberty comes soon so he gets a more manly voice instead of the "squeeky little Booker" voice he has now. With that said, I know that all too soon, I will miss it. But for now it can go.

Score!

2010-05-09T22:17:00.003-05:00

JcPenney's was my BFF this weekend. I had a $10 off $10 coupon, my mother-in-law gave me hers, and I found one in the store. So, what did I get? $72 worth of stuff for $10! The socks were $8 each, but BOGO 50% off. So, $12 and after my $10 coupon, only $2!

When I ran in to get the socks Saturday night, I saw some little sandals that I thought would work for Bodey for $28. I was in a hurry so I decided I would go back Sunday and get them for $18, after my $10 coupon. When I went back they were on sale for $13.99. So, after my coupon, only $4! When I was wandering though the store I found another $10 coupon and went back for another pair for Booker. What a great Mother's Day weekend deal!

"A" Month Grow Chart

2010-05-07T23:15:00.005-05:00

Last April I took a picture of our boys on the back deck. Then I did again in August and was surprised to see how much they had grown. So, I took another one this April to compare again. It is CRAZY how much they have changed. Take a look at where their heads are in comparison to the railing. :)

April 2009

August 2009

April 2010

This week was Teacher Appreciation week, so that is why the boys are holding "Thank You." We put these pictures in a flower pot for the boys' teachers this week. They truly do mean the world to us, but when life gets busy, we unfortunately forget to show our appreciation. We are so fortunate to have the wonderful staff at Tots N Tales. Not only do they put up with every mood our children have 5 days a week, but they teach them, grow with them, and most importantly, love them.

Picture Update

2010-05-07T22:37:00.008-05:00

Since it's getting so close to the eagerly anticipated SUMMERTIME, I have not been blogging as much. But here are a few things we've been up to lately.

Riding our scooters. These were the best investment ever, since both boys can ride them (by themselves) without any frustration!

Flying kites at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jenean's. Bodey didn't really love it too much, but Booker would have held that thing for hours if we would have let him. Sorry, the picture of Booker is 1st in line on the blog since for some reason I can't put my pictures where I want them tonight.

Easter. Better late than never.

Neighborhood fun. This night was quite entertaining. 6 kids, all 4 and under, driving battery-powered vehicles that actually go pretty fast. There was only one minor accident, that involved Booker running over a little girl on a bike and tipping the jeep upside down. Thank goodness for seatbelts and a roll cage!

Swimming lessons. This has proven to be a little stressful at times. Booker is "the kid" you don't want in your class. He thinks he can swim and he doesn't listen. Uggg... I'm running out of bribes to make him behave.

Booker's art. The first one, from left to right, is Dusty, Harley, Booker, Avery, Mommy and Bodey.

I found this on the floor one night... melted my heart!

Visit from friends. Peyton, Bodey, Thomas and Booker all got to hang out while the mommies caught up!

Precious Thoughts

2010-05-04T21:33:00.002-05:00

Booker and Bodey have been saying things lately that I need to write down before I forget - just because I think they are cute!

Booker (when I was waking him up for school) - "Mommy, I still tired. Go get Bodey."

Booker (when I tried a shirt on him that was too big) - "Mommy, it's way too big. It goes past my weiner."

Bodey (when he asked for fruit snacks after he had an ice cream sandwich for dessert) - "Well, I'll just take the ice cream sandwich out of my stomach and have fruit snacks then."

Booker (when we went flower shopping for his school teachers) - "Mom, I'm making you a flower pot too." Wonder what I'm getting for Mother's Day. :)

Booker (following Dusty saying April showers bring May...) - "Flowers. I'm not supposed to tell what I'm getting mommy for Mother's Day." Once again, wonder what it could be!

Bodey (at 3am he pranced into the hallway smiling) - "I tough." And right back to bed he went! Why we were up at 3am and in the hallway is another story.

I know there are so many more things that have made me crack up lately, but I just can't think of them. I need to get better about writing them down immediately.

Notes From Dr. Yu

2010-04-13T07:36:00.002-05:00

Here are Booker's 4-year Stats:

Weight ~ 34 pounds, 50th percentile
Height ~ 40.5 inches, 60th percentile

What does that mean? Booker is still a beanpole... tallish and skinny!

Spring 2010 Pictures

2010-04-04T10:11:00.004-05:00

Isn't That Like 26 Miles?

2010-04-01T22:38:00.003-05:00

Don't forget the point two. I don't really know what got into me, but I kind of made a super fast decision to run the Chicago Marathon. This year. Part of it was stupidity, part of it was pure pressure, and a lot of it was striving towards a HUGE goal that will feel GREAT to accomplish. My official training doesn't start until June. What is official training? Well, running 3 days a week with one day a week being our "long" run. That long runs quickly turns itself into 20 miles. We are literally going to run from Shawnee to Olathe. It sounds so far-fetched to me right now, but I know that once I get into the groove some crazy piece of my body will be excited to do that. I think they call it the "runners bug." :) Anyways, back to training. 3 days a week I will run, 2 days a week I will cross train (which is anything BUT running), and I will have 2 days a week of rest. For 16 weeks straight. Like I said, I don't really know what go into me.

However, that leads me to another goal. I want my boys to run with me. Not now, but maybe when they are 8 or so. Booker really admires that I run. He always wants to make sure I win... and then I explain to him that everyone that gets out there and tries, wins. But how cool would it be to cross a finish line of a 5K with one of my boys on each side of me?

Happy 4th Birthday Booker!

2010-03-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

Booker, I have to start off by telling you thank you. Thank you for being you. I love that you are so independent, I love your crazy personality, I love how caring and loving you are, I love that you are such a great big brother, and I love that I get to call you my son... FOREVER.

Here is a picture of you when we first brought you home from the hospital. You were a dream come true. And, you were such a perfect, happy baby. My heart just melts when I look back at pictures of you when you were this little, because sadly, I don't really remember them.

Here is a picture of you at 1 year. Don't you just want to squeeze you? So loveable.

Here you are at 2 years old. This is when your personality started kicking in a little more. Two was the year of Booker being independent. And when I say that, I mean stubborn. :) But, nothing your mommy couldn't handle.

On to 3 years old. I think your fun-loving, happy-go-lucky personality shines in this picture. What a ham!

And now 4? Can you even believe it? I can't, because I'm not old enough to have a 4-year old. You have definitely changed. You are no longer a baby, no longer a toddler, but a handsome little boy. It's really showing how much you've grown, not only physically, but emotionally and academically. Every day you make me smile. Happy birthday, buddy. We love you so much!

Oh The Things 3-year Olds Say

2010-03-02T22:31:00.002-06:00

And I can say that because he is still 3 for 19 more days. :)

1) This morning on our drive to school, Booker had these two little dinosaur rings from the top of a cupcake. Bodey had one in the car yesterday and asked me where his dinosaur ring was. I told him that I don't know, and I can't look for it because I'm driving.

Booker - "Bode, toys don't just get up and walk away."

So there.

2) A little while ago I noticed that Booker's fingernails never needed trimmed anymore and it finally donned (sp?) on me that he had been biting his nails. I asked him to try not to do that anymore, that when they got long I would trim them. Nothing much, just a little lesson. Fastforward two weeks. We were in the car on our ride home from school (I guess that's where all the fun conversations occur) when the following conversation started out of the blue:

Booker - "Mommy, I'm really sorry I bite my fingernails."
Me - "Honey, that's really ok. Just try to work on it and not do it so much."
Booker - "Wewelll... sometimes, at school, I get fwrusterated with the gurwls, and I bite my fingernails. But - that's ok, I can handle them. I can handle the gurwls."

Okie dokie.

Diaper Cake

2010-02-15T21:07:00.002-06:00

My friend, Tara, is due to have her first baby in March. I can't wait to meet the little guy! Here's a picture of the diaper cake I made her... for the shower I missed (another story). I just think they are so cute! It includes about 70 diapers, a big bottle of Johnson's Nighttime lotion, a Dr. Brown's bottle, a thermometer, nail clippers, pacifiers, a toy rattle, onesies, washcloths and sunscreen.

Something Was Missing This Morning

2010-02-14T10:58:00.003-06:00

Every morning, I wake up out of a dead sleep to Booker's face, within inches of mine. Some mornings it scares the living daylights out of me to open my eyes and have someone standing there staring at me. But, most mornings, it's just a given. Since the boys spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa's last night, Grandma had the honor of looking at this cute little face at 6am.

Imaginations

2010-02-13T22:11:00.001-06:00

This is what I woke up to this morning. The boys on the coffee table, in their race cars.