My Parental Hypocrisy

My current occupation is SAHM (that's Stay At Home Mom, for those of you not savvy to the lingo). And as the primary caregiver to three young children, I often ponder the various facets of parenting. The discipline. The nutrition. The stimulation of the minds. The toys. The spiritual grooming. The activities. The rest. Or lack of any of the above.

There are days when I feel that the wisdom I've gleaned from various sources has been duly applied and I am a good mommy. There are days when I feel like I couldn't do a worse job as a parent (keep in mind I DO get the basic needs met no matter what - and I'm barring things like abuse and neglect).

And somewhere in between SuperMom and SlackerMom is a side of me that I will refer to as ShiftyMom (for lack of a better term). Sometimes my blatant hypocrisy knows no bounds. For example:

• "If you hit your brother one more time, you'll get a spanking!"
• And then I screamed, "Stop Yelling!!!"
• "You must eat your [insert healthy food] before you can have [insert sweet food]." While I have had days of eating dessert for two meals in a row. Or they will have to eat broccoli while I am sneaking chocolate or something in the other room (I do love broccoli though, to my credit).
• "You must be nice to the dog/cat," as I kick the dog for being underfoot.

I'm sure that is but a short list of my shortcomings in this area. It will only be a matter of (very limited) time before my kids really start calling me out on this sort of behavior. Which is a good thing, as hypocrisy is not usually a welcome trait. One more check-and-balance to keep me in line (the Holy Spirit does a lot of this as well).

Wow, how painfully embarassing to admit. Please feel free to comment and let me know I'm not the only one who imposes double standards on their kids.

First Morning Conversations

Here were the changing-the-diaper conversations we had this morning.

Me: Do you know what today is?
George: It's your birthday!
Me: That's right!
George: Can I eat your birthday cake?
Me: I don't have any birthday cake.
George: You need to make it!
Me: I'm not making my own birthday cake. Mamaw's making me one.
George: Is she here?
Me: No, she's at home. We'll see her tonight when we go over there.
George: Oh, Ok.

Josh: I saw a bee-spider.
Me: A bee-spider? What is a bee-spider?
Josh: Buzz-buzz.
Me: Did you eat it?
Josh: No. It's gucky. It's cute-gucky.
Me: Oh, it's cute-gucky?
Josh: Yeah!

Birthday Wish

If I had one birthday wish, I wouldn't even have to think about what it would be. This particular thing trumps all others, and probably will for a looooong time. This thing is sleep. So it's not really a thing as much as a state of being, I suppose. There are plenty of other things I would like, such as:

• A Day to Myself
• A Massage
• A Pedicure
• A Burst of Energy (followed by a good workout)
• A Clean House
• A Good Attitude

And I can think of many more. Most of them are of the pampering sort. Or the less-work-for-me types of things. And as I don't see any of the above really happening, I will settle for a shared birthday family dinner (we have a LOT of May birthdays - two of my nephews also have today as a birthday). And my mom is making me my own cake (I chose coconut), even though that is one thing I really DON'T need (as my thighs and the scale can attest).

Though I am bleary-eyed, tight-muscled, a bit cranky, and a year older (oh no! I am halfway through my 30's), I am still blessed. I am thankful for what I have.

Now if I could just get a nap...

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

I thought I would participate in this week's recipe swap (hosted by my friend The Natural Mommy), because I do believe I have the best no-bake summer dessert recipe. It is incredibly easy and quick to prepare, and to-die-for delicious. I have been using this recipe for (dare I say?) decades. The worst thing about this recipe is that you have to wait for it to set overnight. It is always a HUGE hit at potlucks, and a family favorite. So without further ado:

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Graham Crackers
• 2 Pkgs French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix (4 serving size)
• 1 12 oz Tub of Cool Whip
• 3 Cups Milk
• 1 Can Milk Chocolate Frosting

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, combine pudding and milk. Beat until well blended. Add Cool Whip and blend well. In a 9x13 pan, layer the following: graham crackers, 1/2 of pudding mixture, graham crackers, the rest of the pudding mixture, graham crackers. Put frosting in the microwave (take off the foil seal first, of course) for 1-2 minutes or until pourable. Pour over the top of the graham crackers and spread evenly. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Divine.

You can make this recipe low-fat by using fat-free, sugar-free pudding, fat-free Cool Whip, and the reduced-fat or reduced-sugar frosting, and the reduced-fat graham crackers.

A Swirling Mess

That is my mind. Cluttered with too many thoughts. Too many mental notes and to-do lists. Unable to focus and prioritize appropriately.

I need order. I need organization. I need time, energy, motivation, and opportunity...uninterrupted. So since that is not a realistic or regular occurance in my life right now, I need to implement the 15 minute plan. I have oh-so-many goals. Like it would be nice to actually get my father-in-law's Christmas present in the mail - before it ends up being a present for next Christmas. Not to mention all of the other belated gifts and cards waiting to be sent.

But back to the plan. The workable (in theory) solution. 15 minute goals. Spending 15 minutes per day doing something I wouldn't normally do. My mom read that this is the way to get things the way you want them. Eventually those 15 minute chunks will add up and then it would turn into a matter of maintenance. Joy! Bliss! Oh, if it could only be. Because the mountains of stuff I am surrounded with seem insurmountable.

So I will try. I will aim for 15 minutes a day of productivity that is beyond the normal (dishes, laundry, and the other upkeep chores). Maybe if I get my home in order, my mind will not be as bad. And I sure could use a good mind.

The First Visit to the E.R.

This happened a while back, but you will notice posts about previous events from time to time. It will most likely take me a while to catch up (if ever!) on all of the things I want to blog about.

About 6 weeks ago or so, we had our first real scare with Joshua. I am kind of amazed that we hadn't had something serious happen before then (and thankful too), as our big guys are reckless, aggressive (with each other), and of course toddlers. And boys.

So I was in the kitchen (as usual), and Chris had just gotten the boys in the shower. I heard a really loud boom, followed by some screaming and crying. I then heard Chris yell to me to come back there NOW. When I opened the bathroom door, I saw Josh standing there crying, with his face covered in blood and it was running all down his body and into the tub. He had slipped and hit his head on the side of the tub, on the forehead right between the eyes. I screamed "Oh my God!" followed by "what do I do? what do I do?" Then something clicked and I sprang into action. I turned of the shower water, grabbed a cold washcloth for Chris to wipe off the blood, and went looking for Band-Aids. I had Chris get Josh dressed so he could take him to the Emergency Room.

I couldn't find the Band-Aids, so I came back up and Chris was getting Josh ready to go (his bleeding had slowed way down). George was sitting in the tub, alone and naked and cold. Chris had told him to stay right there, and I think he was really just petrified from the whole scene and all of the blood and commotion. The baby was crying, and I was running around trying to make sure they had stuff to take with them (frozen peas to hold on the enormous lump, a lollipop, some fruit snacks...stuff like that). Chris had me call my mom to come help me with the baby and George, so she showed up right after they left.

Poor Josh had to leave the house pretty much soaking wet (Chris hadn't even had a chance to wash him yet), and it was pretty cold outside. I went back to the bathroom, and there George was, still sitting in the same spot, just frozen there (bless his little heart). So I told him I'd give him a bubble bath, and he was a little freaked out until I washed all of the blood out of the tub first. After that, he had his first solo tubby since being a baby. We played, and talked about Josh getting hurt and having to go to the hospital. When it was time to put him in bed, he said "but I can't sleep without Joshy." Broke my heart. He did finally go to sleep, but it was well past his bedtime.

Chris and Josh got home around 11:30pm. Chris said that Josh did awesome at the hospital. All of the nurses just thought he was the most adorable thing and he behaved pefectly. He munched on the frozen peas and ate all of the snacks, and thought it was a great fun adventure. It turned out that all Josh really needed was a Band-Aid (ack!). They did do an MRI just to be safe, but it was fine. George woke up when we put Joshua to bed, and he was happy to see him.

Unfortunately we missed the Urgent Care hours just barely (they close at 8pm, and the incident happened right around then), so instead of having to pay a $40 co-pay, we had to pay $115. But it was still worth it. Now 6 weeks later, Josh still has a pretty fresh-looking scar, and a lump underneath. We all still talk about his boo-boo and how he had to go to the hospital with Daddy.

And I'm sure that this was the first of many to come visits to the hospital for the Bergman clan. I hope I'm wrong.

Here's my baby the day after - in good spirits despite the boo-boo!

Club CityFit

So we took the plunge and joined a gym yesterday. I had been thinking about doing something like this for quite some time, but nothing really seemed right. Curves doesn't have childcare. The YMCA's childcare hours ended too early. Most other places are too expensive.

This place is going to cost us $35 per month, for the whole family. This includes unlimited parking garage usage, unlimited tanning (not like we'll use that one much, but still), a personal locker, towel service, and 3 personal training sessions. Plus childcare.

So I was all excited to go today, and just could not make it for the morning childcare hours (9:00am-noon). So I decided to go during second set of childcare hours (4:00-8:00pm). At around 4:30pm I messaged Chris to see if he wanted me to take the kids or just go alone, and he said I could wait for him and go alone. But I had told the boys that we were going to the gym, and I wanted to try it out with them to see how it was going to be. I told them several times that they would have to hold on to the stroller until we got to their room, and then they'd get a lollipop (hey, if it works!). It was a chore getting all 3 ready plus the stuff, but we got it all done. They did SOO good.

And when we got there we found out that the 2 childcare workers on the schedule for today never showed up. There was no one there to watch my kids. And nobody could be spared from the rest of the staff. SO I wanted to cry. I had been looking forward to exercising and showering all day. I called Chris and he said he'd stop by and watch them in the room for a little bit. And the club called one of the other workers to come in as backup. So she got there when I was almost done working out.

The guy working the desk said that was a very rare thing (it better be, seeing as I joined this place specifically for the childcare option!).

So the facility is very nice, but the childcare room is pretty small. And there's really no place for a baby (he was in the car seat attached to the stroller for most of it, then the worker held him for a bit after he woke up). And the person I met tonight seemed extremely disinterested in interacting with my kids. She just stood in the corner and looked bored.

I'm wondering how long it will be before the novelty wears off and the boys don't want to go anymore. But until then, I'm going to try and go a LOT. I have much baby weight to lose and then some more, so I want to take advantage of my membership.

Well, I have to get to bed at a decent time for once.

Mommy Brain

So I spent a fair amount of time and effort to compose what I thought was a nice speech for the MOPPETS appreciation brunch. These are the people who care for our children while we get some time to socialize, learn, eat a lovely breakfast (cooked for us! and cleaned up for us afterwards!), and be creative. I thought they deserved a well thought-out tribute. I edited it one last time last night, and printed it out this morning and put it in my folder of MOPS stuff.

And after breakfast I discovered that I left it on the kitchen counter, safe and secure in the folder. So I had to wing it. Oops.

I truly cannot believe the difference in my mental capacity between pre and post-kids. I used to be the ultimate multi-tasker. I could remember everything: faces, names, what names belonged with what faces...but alas, no more. My dear husband can no longer rely on me to remember the critical details. I have list upon list floating around our home (and I forget where I put them). The above is but one of a thousand examples of how mentally challenged I have become. And that's how it is.

3 Year Stats

So we just got back from the boys' 3-year check-up. Here are the stats:

Joshua - 32.6 pounds, 37 inches tall, 50th percentile for both weight and height
George - 34.4 pounds, 39 inches tall, 75th percentile for weight, 90th percentile for height

Everything else looked great. The doc was very impressed with their development (especially George's verbal abilities). The only thing that was of concern was the shape of George's head. It has always been bigger in the back, and narrows more towards the forehead. She's not really concerned, but ordered an x-ray so we can make sure the sutures in his skull are closing evenly. Just a peace-of-mind kind of thing. So we'll go back later for that, and I'll update then. But they are in excellent health!

UPDATE: The X-ray showed that everything looks perfectly fine. Which is what I thought all along.

3rd Birthday Party

The boys' birthday party was a success. They had a great time playing with Zach & Adam (their cousins), they got great presents, and the cakes were a hit. And now for the photos:

George had to swing with his balloon.

How old are you today, Joshua?Party Guests (Vincent, Adam, and Victoria).
Melanie with Blake.
Tim grilling away.
Josh & Blake having a special moment.
George and Adam saying "I'm a happy sponge!"

The Cakes: Spongebob Squarepants Patrick (George's Cake) Squidward (Joshua's Cake)
Plankton (Daddy's Cake)
Cake Party
The "extra" cake.


Josh REALLY likes his cake.
And so does Adam! Opening the presents:
Look! A Krabby Patty!

We love our jungle hats.
Can't wait to play with this...

So that's it. My babies are three. *sigh*

Birthday Poem

How can it be, that my big boys are three?
Seems like a moment ago they were in me.
And now they assert themselves; sometimes they hit.
And declare independence with a loud "I do it!"
They are definitely all boy; they love the outdoors.
They love dirt, trees, and bugs; they get mud on my floors.
They are silly, and funny, and challenging too.
They know ABC's, colors, and that cows go "moo."
They are getting so big, and unless I'm a fool,
I'll have to accept that they'll soon be in school.
I am trying to enjoy them, trying not to stress,
even though my house is a very large mess.
I will cherish the time that I have with these too,
and make sure that I've said enough "I love you."

Was it Worth it?

So the aftermath of the birthday party was that Chris and I both ended up with migraine headaches. I had a headache yesterday morning when I woke up, but just had to push through to get things done for the party. And despite working doggedly for 2 days straight, I still ended up not doing a lot of things I had originally planned AND we were behind schedule (as usual). And we didn't even have a big party! Lord help us when we start having lots of other kids to invite.

Victoria (my sister-in-law) did all of the decorating, Tim (my brother) grilled all of the food, my parents hosted it at their house, and my mom did the grocery shopping and all of the other food preparation. All I really did was make cakes (and I had help with that too - thanks Melanie!). 5 cakes to be exact. Am I crazy? Yes, probably more than a tad at that. But as I pretty much collapsed into a heap when the party was over, I was talking with my mom about why I went through all of the trouble. And I was asking - was it worth it?

My mom reminded me why I decided to make and decorate cakes in the first place. I have pictures of me as a toddler with homemade decorated birthday cakes, and even though I have no memories of it in my brain, I have looked at those pictures thousands of times and LOVE them. So I do it for the pictures. For posterity. So that my children, when they get older, can say - my mom actually made these cakes. My MOM made them.

Will I continue the trend? I'm not sure. I imagine when they get a bit older I will let them pick the theme and help me decorate the cakes. Or if it all gets to be too much, I'll just order them or something. But for now, I am enjoying the finished product and the looks on the faces of my children (and party guests) when I bring out the cakes. And I would have to say, yes. It was worth it.

Pics to come soon...

Accidental Movie Quoting

My brother Doug and I share a love of quoting silly movies. I don't get to be around him much anymore, and one of the things I miss most is having someone there who always gets my quotes and jokes.

Today after the boys got up from their nap, I gave them some string cheese and a few goldfish crackers. Joshua has a couple of keys on a keyring (not sure where they came from, so we just cleaned them up and gave them to him to play with) that he carries around, and he was sticking one of the keys into his string cheese. I told him "don't stick the key in your cheese, you need to eat it." He proceeded to put the key in his mouth. And then I said, before I even realized how funny it was (to myself and Doug - but maybe not to the rest of my readers) "not the keys...the cheese!" I was so tickled that I actually used one of our favorite quotes in real life (but reversed), and so bummed that he wasn't there to witness it. So I had to blog it.

This one's for you, Doug!

Oh, and if any of you are wondering, that is a quote from the movie "The Mask," starring Jim Carrey.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

And now that song is going to be stuck in my head. Thanks Mary Poppins!

A few weeks ago we had a pretty nice day. My parents and my husband were moving topsoil to the garden, and I took the boys out to fly a kite. They took turns holding the kite all by themselves, and did a great job. They had a blast, and now I think I'll get a few more kites so we can all fly them (though in a big enough space so as not to get all tangled in each other's kite strings - I can just see that one happening). Here they are loving their new-found skill and the independence of "doing it myself":

Mommy Guilt

Part of the difficulty of being a mom (especially in today's culture, I think) is the guilt. I suppose there are mothers out there who don't have guilt. They are probably doing right by their children: feeding them all wholesome foods, keeping their houses clean and toys disinfected, engaging their minds in stimulating learning, involving them in activities and playdates, never watching TV, etc.

I am not one of those mothers. My house is a disaster. I can't remember the last time I disinfected toys (now would be a good time, as the big boys have colds right now). I don't take them outside every day, even though they need it. I don't have play groups or Gymboree or music lessons. They aren't in swimming lessons (yet, I'm hoping to do this one), we haven't been to story time at the library in several months, and they aren't enrolled in pre-school.

I still consider myself to be in a boot camp of sorts, with the new baby (well, he's not THAT new anymore, but it's my excuse anyway) and two very ambitious toddlers. So I don't have a tremendous amount of guilt about all of the above things that I am currently not doing. I do feel that there are things I do well, and right now I have to pick and choose what is most important.

What I do have a LOT of guilt over is TV. My kids watch WAY too much TV. And not only do they watch too much, but some of the stuff they are watching is really not appropriate for their age (and some of it is probably not great for any kid to watch, to be honest).

I was once again convicted just this morning. I was talking with some MOPS moms at my table, and we were discussing the birthday theme for George & Josh's party on Saturday (it's Spongebob Squarepants) and the TV discussion came up. I was reminded why it is so important to really limit what my kids are allowed to view. That they shouldn't be watching something because it is more entertaining for me. And that my kids are fine with the TV off most of the time. It's just easier to have it on, a lot of times. And that is something I want to change. Good parenting requires doing what is right over what is easy (and good citizenship too, come to think of it). I am guilty of taking the easy route more often than I'd like to admit. So I am going to strive for cutting way back on the amount of TV, and I'm going to try and really use discernment for the content.

I'm not just trying to alleviate my guilt (though that doesn't hurt). I do want what's best for my children. And though what I'm not doing doesn't necessarily have a negative impact, watching too much (and inappropriate) television can really do damage to a young mind. So I'm guilty. And even though I hate to face it, I'm glad God is looking out for my children (by convicting me - ouch).

Just Another Day

Today is Mother's Day. And Tim's (my oldest brother) birthday. We had plans. Plans to go to church, plans to have a family cookout...but sometimes plans don't go through as expected.

There was no breakfast in bed for me. No cards. No presents. No flowers. My kids are sick. No homemade crafts, no cake. There was no church (didn't want to expose the other kids in the nursery). It is cold and rainy - no outside activities for us. And the family BBQ? Postponed (my brother thought a different day might be better, plus my parents are coming back from my grandmother's house a little late, plus my kids have colds). So today is just another day.

But you know what? I have 3 beautiful (albeit extremely demanding) children and a very helpful husband. My husband let me sleep. I mean really sleep. I got up to feed Blake and to pump, and then went back to bed for another 4 hours. That was present enough for me. And I got to go to the movies last night with Melanie, which was a present as well. I am blessed. And I realize that I have a husband who is willing to watch the kids most anytime that I want to do something alone (grocery shopping, errands, and even escaping into the nursery to blog or whatever). I don't need a lot of fanfare over Mother's Day right now (that will come later, when the kids can really help - at least it better!), because we are both in the trenches, and he steps up in every way. There is no better present than that.

So I will now go thank my wonderful husband for giving me the gift of rest and help him out in this wonderfully ordinary day.

George the Storyteller

George's first story:

Once upon a time, there was a cow. In my house.

George's second story:

Once upon a time, there was a rabbit.
The End.

My New Favorite Recipe

I'm taking a page from a friend's book (er, blog) and posting a recipe. She is an inspired frugal gourmet and a brilliant blogger. Check her out here.

My new favorite recipe is not only useful but delicious (and healthy - bonus!). So here it is. Oh wait a minute, I need to go fish a hair out of my bra strap (if you didn't get that joke, see here).

****
OK, here you go:

Housepoet's Famous Lactation Boosting Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip & Flaxseed Cookies™
Don't be thrown by the name; this cookie is not just for nursing (or pumping) moms. It is hearty, chewy, and super yummy. Not to mention it has lots of fiber, protein, and whole grains. My whole family loves these cookies!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine - I use butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal - I found this at my local Payless supermarket, but if you can't find it there any health food store will have it
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour - I use 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
1 cup or more chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of brewers yeast (be generous) - The original recipe says no substitutions, but the first time I made this I used Nutritional Yeast that I had on hand, and they were still fabulous

Directions:
1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.
3. Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. I have tried this recipe with full sugar and with half Splenda. Both are good, but next time I'm going to try it with 3/4 of the regular sugars and the rest Splenda. I'm trying to reduce the sugar without compromising the taste too much. With half Splenda, it is slightly noticable, but still totally yummy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mix well.
5. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended.
6. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. I just whisked it all together as I do not have a sifter - and I added it a little at a time.
7. Stir in oats, then chips. The dough will look like this:

8. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop. I recently acquired a cookie dough scoop at a garage sale (which was my mom's, so it was free!), and upon first use I wondered where this little gadget had been all my life. I LOVE it! I did not have it the first time I made these, and the comparison was unbelievable. The scoop made the process lightening fast. I highly recommend it! Here's my new gizmo and my scooped wonders:

9. Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies I didn't really pay attention the first time, but it seemed like it made a lot. The second time I made it the yield was around 4 dozen. It took two bags to store them:

10. Enjoy like so:

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a cookie. Or 6.

Done With Today

I'm so done. Today has been one of "those" days. A mucking around in the deep muddy trenches day. A day when there hasn't been a minute to myself. A day when the big boys have been trying my every nerve and the baby has been miserable with a tummy ache (or something). A day when the word exhaustion doesn't even come close to the level of fatigue I'm feeling. A day when I have disciplined every which way with no real results. Today is still going on, but I am SOOO done. I have pretty much checked out. I am doing some computer therapy while Chris switches between dealing with naughty boys who won't go to sleep (after a day with no nap - overtiredness, yay!) and soothing a baby who won't stop crying. He is soon to be as spent as I.

And we argue on days like this. And I think, how on earth am I to manage? My house is a disaster, I have a million things to do, my kids are driving me nuts, my husband and I are doing useless bickering, and I really just want to sleep for about 3 days straight.

So boo-hoo. Poor me. Now I will go suck it up and move on. I do know that I am blessed, and there are people out there who have much more to deal with. But sometimes I just want to feel sorry for myself. Thanks for listening; have a nice day. Oh, and I'd appreciate any spare prayers.

Movie Buffs

We recently took the big boys to see their very first movie at the theater. It was a free matinee, and we met my friend Melanie and her nieces there (luckily she was there early as we were running late and she saved us seats - it was sold out by the time we got there, oops). We saw the new(ish) Veggie Tales movie "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." The parts of the movie that I did see were good. Very clever and funny, in true VT style.

We had a card for a free combo snack pack that Chris got from a friend, so we had our family-sized bucket of popcorn and lots of other fun snacks, plus the sodas. We figured that would be the ticket to keeping the boys entertained, in case the movie did not. The first half of the movie went very well. There were a few blurt-outs from Joshua as he would hear a baby cry or see something in the movie and feel compelled to point it out (that's a boat!), but it really didn't matter as there were lots of families with little kids there.

Then there was an intermission. I guess they figure that potty-training parents need a break to take the kiddos to the bathroom or something. It seemed like a long wait to me though, and the boys said they wanted to leave. But then the made friends with the little boy in front of us who gave them some animal crackers. And we stayed to watch the rest. And there were previews before the second half. What?! That was just ridiculous. But anyway, the second half was filled with kids running in the aisles, meltdowns, crying, and the like. Our boys did well still, but Josh was having a bit of a tough time sitting still. He really couldn't go anywhere, so I let him get up and down from his seat. We were in the very back, so it wasn't a big deal. And the snacks came in very handy.

Now I know why the theater provides free kids movie matinees. They take pity on the parents who are trying to take little ones to the movies, and they know how things go. It would be cruel to charge them money. But it was still fun and I'm glad we went. We won't be going again any time soon, and when we do it will be a free matinee.

Pocket Obsession

Joshua is currently obsessed with putting things in his pocket. Now, whenever I get him dressed for the day, he asks for pockets. When he doesn't have pockets on, he stuffs things in his socks. When he comes in from outside, I have to check his pockets - they usually have rocks, leaves, trash, and other miscellaneous items (a walnut shell, a piece of burnt wood, etc.). The other day when we were garage-saling, I had given the boys some fruit snacks to eat. When we got Josh out of his car seat, we noticed a big purplish stain on his pants pocket. He had taken his partially chewed fruit snacks and stuffed them in his pocket, producing a big sticky mess. Luckily my mother is the queen of stain removal (thanks Mom!) and she got it all out.

Here is a picture of my pocket-stuffing child:

And you wouldn't know it to look at the picture, but these were the exact contents of his right pocket at the time the above picture was taken:

Pretty impressive, eh? I love my quirky little guy...

Our Little Slaves - I Mean Helpers

One nice thing about having all boys, especially since they have the potential to be very big and strong, is that we will exploit their physical strength (and enhance it!) with manual labor. We have thus started the process of grooming them for such physical chores as shoveling dirt. Observe how quickly they caught on. And this from two-year-olds! Oh, the plans I will make for them to accomplish (insert evil laugh).

Wait a minute - Josh seems to be shirking his duties! Okay, so maybe for now I let them decide when they want to help and when they want to stop. Once they figure out it's not really fun to work with Mommy & Daddy, it will be too late (more evil laughing). But aren't they just so darn cute? My little helpers. Just makes me so proud!