For the love of Mud

I don't know what it is about mud that makes the kids go crazy. They love it. We've had lots of rain this weekend, so there was plenty to pick from.


So, today (on Ken's watch), the boys jumped, stomped, splashed, and just plain dove in head first into several mud puddles down in our valley. Here are some pictures early in the mad making process. They looked so much worse right before Ken hosed them down.

Boys are so much fun.

After a much needed bath, Ken decided to cut Benjamin's hair. For the first time ever, he didn't scream, cry or try to gauge my eyeballs out. This is huge, huge, huge...HUGE for him.

Most kids with sensory issues like his, have aversions to personal grooming activities such having their fingernails trimmed or having their hair cut. For Benj, it was a combination of the noise of the clippers and the hair touching him as it was cut. Our OT, Melissa, said she has clients that actually cut their kids hair while they sleep because their kids freak out beyond control.

So for him to remain as calm as he did was such a step for all of us. I recorded it on my video camera, but it is from 2000 so of course there's no way to actually put it on my computer.

Good job, Mr. Benjamin.

One of my greatest life lessons

Brace yourselves...I'm putting on my serious hat for this blog.

Ken and I both come from large families. I have 3 siblings, and he has 4. We always knew we wanted to have more than one child. When we decided to start our family initially, I was only 24 years old, a mere baby IMHO. My pregnancy with our little Levi went really well, and 2 1/2 years later, we were thinking about having another baby. Little did I know that I was in for one of my greatest life lessons.

Most of you know that it would be a year before we could get pregnant again. During that time, it seemed like everyone I knew was getting pregnant with really no effort at all and almost making jokes about it. "That was easy" or "he just looked at me and I was pregnant." AAAAHHHHHHH! To this day, I can't stand it when I hear those words.

And the advice that people would give me...where do I start with that? My all time favorite has got to be, "If you just relax, I bet you'll get pregnant." SERIOUSLY? Anyone that says that has obviously never struggled with infertility. Relaxing is the last thing you can do. I think people are really trying to help, but come on people. Whoever said "sticks and stones...words will never hurt me" is quite mistaken.

It was quite frankly one of the hardest times of my life. I wanted another baby more than anything, and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't happening to me like it was to everyone else. It just didn't seem right, and I couldn't explain why.

It is so hard for me to watch people that I love go through something similar. And even though I, of course, don't have a cure or an explanation, please know that I am here to listen. That pain is still very real to me, and I will cry along with you every single time.

I believe everything happens for a reason, and even though the reason(s) may not be immediately apparent, I still believe that to be true. I will probably never know completely why we struggled, but I think I am beginning to see a tiny glimpse as to why.

Target, anyone?

I have issues.

I know I have addictions: coffee, the internet, Washington/Madison County Drug Court on channel 16, and the list could go on and on. But by far the greatest addiction in my life is shopping at Target.

I'm sure at some point that each of you has either deliberately been at Target with me, has happened to see me there while you were shopping , or at the very least has talked to me on the phone while I was there (right, Mindy?)

I don't know what the attraction is with the place. Is it the bright lights? The clearance deals? The way the merchandise is displayed? Whatever the draw, I just can't stay away. I know every square inch of that store. I even know their markdown schedule. And I of course have my favorite cashiers.

Case in point, I was checking out the other day when this piece of paper printed out after my receipt. She started explaining to me this promotion they were doing and how I could win a big screen TV, but before she could finish she looked up at me and said, "Wait a second, you know about this already don't you?"

I have to go there at least once a week, sometimes twice. I read online chats from people all over the country about deals they have found in their local Targets. It really is a sickness. I was going to give it up for Lent this year, but I seem to be the only person who totally missed the beginning of Lent. I'd like to say it's because Easter came so early this year, but I never seem to pay attention. I was probably shopping when Lent started, lol.

And poor Ken, God bless him. I think he's secretly praying we don't get a SuperTarget. There's a good possibility he might never see me again :)

Our Easter Sunday

Easter is officially over, and I couldn't be happier.

It truly is one of my favorite holidays, but it totally stresses me out. After coordinating Easter outfits, buying presents from the infamous Easter Bunny, cooking a big meal, and singing until my voice literally hurt, I'm just worn out.

Is it just me or does the idea of the Easter Bunny freak anyone else out but me? I mean, come one, one gigantic white bunny actually hopping to every one's house and leaving presents and hiding eggs? If I ever met that big, bouncing bunny I would run the other way screaming. I don't care if he is wearing a nice, little pastel outfit and holding a basket of freshly dyed Easter eggs. It's just plain creepy.

Funny thing is Levi (and of course Benjamin) totally still think he's real. We even left him carrots and lettuce and, after much discussion as to what the Easter Bunny actually drinks, a tall glass of milk (we were fresh out of carrot juice :)

We had a great day, though. Our best friends, Kirk and Amanda, came to a great worship service with us and stayed for the big Easter Egg hunt in our new fellowship hall. I even cooked a "grown up meal" for us like my MeMaw would have done for lunch: a big 'ole ham, broccoli casserole, mac and cheese and even homemade rolls. OK, maybe MeMaw would have had like 10 more things to eat than that, but it was delicious, if I do say so myself. Ken's mom came up after lunch with treats for the kids, and we had a nice visit with her.

I am a loser, though, because I didn't take one single picture. Oh well, maybe next year.

Great day overall. Ken went back to work this morning after a couple of much needed days off. Levi is out of school again today for teacher in-service, but by tomorrow we should be back on our normal schedule. Good times...good times.

Levi's Big Catch

Brace yourselves...2 posts in one day...I'm making up for lost time.

Levi is absolutely beside himself today. During his fishing trip this morning, he caught a
5+ pound bass. He had some help reeling it in, but he caught it on his pole. Ken is getting it mounted for him tomorrow (a present from his Paw Paw.)

It died a slow, frigid death as the taxidermist told us to freeze it in a wet towel. Yikes. I about cried. I asked Ken if we should say a few words, but for some reason, he just looked at me and laughed.





He's already called anyone he thought would care and is searching his brain for some more people to inform. Ask him about it next time you see him, and he'll talk your ear off (which he of course gets from Ken...lol).

I'm just glad he and his Daddy can spend time together and make such happy memories with something they both enjoy.

Ah, spring break

Okay, so everyone can stop harassing me because I'm a loser blogger. I'm finally updating.

Levi is on Spring Break this week, which apparently poses a bit of challenge for me. He thinks he has to be entertained 24/7. All I hear is "take me to Fun City" or "I wanna have a friend over" or my alltime favorite of "Let's go to Vegas." I mean, seriously? My siblings and I were lucky to get to go to town during the week to go grocery shopping and maybe get an ice cream cone or something afterwards. I guess I'm officially just really old.

Ken did take yesterday and today off work to spend some time with Levi. They went fishing this morning at Lake Elmdale. They had to sneak off this morning and tell Benjamin they were going to work and school. He wanted to go so bad, but I just didn't think Ken could unload the boat, park the truck, keep, put life jackets on, and keep everyone away from child molesters at the same time. I'm the first to say that he's a great dad, but one person can only do so much.

He traveled to Tennessee for work for 3 nights last week, and I thought the kids were going to explode. They miss him so much when he's not around.

Last week was our first worship service in our brand new church building, and we couldn't have been happier to be there. Even Ken got there 30 minutes early. The entire service went really well---quite frankly better than I expected. Great job, Carl.

We are busy this week getting ready for Easter. I invited my mom and dad but they always have an excuse as to why they can't seem to come. I think that they think I live in China or something because 3 1/2 hours (or 5 hours if you drive as slow as my dad and refuse to drive on the interstate) is just too far. Whatever. I'm still a bit bitter.

Instead we are planning on spending Easter day with our friends, Kirk and Amanda, our next door neighbors when we lived in Lowell. We love spending time with them and our kids get along so well. They really have grown up together.

Day 3

It's Day 3 of the flu for Levi. I took him in on Wednesday, and he got the incredibly long nose swab that came back positive.

Is it just me or didn't having the flu used to mean throwing up all over the place? I never really heard of having the flu without throwing up, but apparently that's what's going around. He's just had a fever, so I think we've been lucky.

So, for now we're just hanging tight, praying that the rest of us don't get it. Levi is enjoying his little break from school. I'm keeping him doped up on his Tamiflu and hoping he'll be able to go back on Monday.

It was picture day for Benjamin today which always poses a new set of challenges to our morning. I somehow managed to get his nice pair of jeans on him and a semi-decent shirt. I used to stress out about what he wore, but let's face it. Now I'm older, a bit smarter, and quite a bit more tired. As long as it doesn't smell, it's a viable wardrobe possibility in our house.

Off to Lysol...

We have Snow

It's officially a snow day, or at least it was.

Springdale schools, like all the other schools in the area, were closed today. Levi was estatic. We got all our gear on, but by the time we got outside, all the snow was pretty much gone.

So, we're reduced to sitting inside and looking at each other. They are actually playing together quite well today so I have some time to catch up on my little blog.

Levi got his 2nd stripe on his yellow belt in karate last week and, as always, was absolutely beside himself. We started martial arts last September and just signed up for 6 more months. He has learned so much about balance, coordination, and learning when not to talk (self-control is a BIGGIE in karate). I have been learning the moves and combinations first and then teaching them to him. I am pleased to say that I should be earning my mental orange belt in the next few weeks :) It has been challenging for him, but he should be able to kick each of you in the privates now. You have been forewarned.

Benjamin had some friends over on Monday morning and did really well with each of them. I always get excited to see him acting socially appropriate, so it was a really good day for us. He even hugged everyone before they left, which is a pretty big deal for him (and me as I cried watching him do it.)

No one wants to hear that their child is behind, and I was, to say the least, absolutely devasted when I heard the words "developmental delay." It has been a hard year or so for us, but he really is making some tremendous progress. Thanks to everyone for encouraging us along the way. I have learned and grown so much and couldn't have done it without the constant support of my friends and family...okay, scratch the family part, maybe just my friends.

I have somehow managed to freak out every member of my family to think their kid has some sort of genetic predisposition to a rare mutant gene and is going to need major psychological therapy until they are at least 40.

I think Benjamin sums up my thoughts exactly with his latest new expression "holy crap." We are such a fun group.