Giving Up a Little Control

The "Lots of Scotts" blog is one that I love to follow (or stalk, really!). Jennifer's post today is about letting go of total control and letting her kids be themselves . . . even if that includes wearing ridiculous outfits out in public.

When I read her entry this morning, I had to smile. Why? Well, you see, I've been learning that same lesson lately, and my teacher has been Holden. Holden is very much "his own man". He is much more opinionated and stubborn than Quinn, often choosing to do his own thing and not worry about what anyone else thinks or says about it.

Lately, this has been evident in his costume choices. Quinn is big into costumes, as well. However, he is fine with taking them off and leaving them at home. Holden . . . not so much! He insists on wearing them out in public.

In fact, Holden wore his "superhero gloves" to Vacation Bible School this week, which instantly became a conversation starter. That is probably because his superhero gloves are just regular socks that he wears on his hands/arms. Everyone wanted to know more about the kid with the socks on his hands! One mom thought that he must be a thumb sucker and that I was making him quit that habit by wearing socks!

Another such case? A couple of weeks ago, Brant took the boys for haircuts at Sport Clips. Here's Quinn getting his new 'do . . .



And, here's construction worker Holden and Daddy . . .




I'm learning to give up a little control, to not sweat the small stuff like clothing, and to let my child be himself . . . a little bit at the time! I think that it helps to have such a super cute teacher! ;-)

Staying Cool and Being Productive

A couple of nights ago, the boys helped Brant wash the cars. They LOVED playing in the water and "helping Daddy". We LOVED the result of 2 clean cars (and an activity that kept everyone occupied, happy, and cool)! It was really a win-win for everyone!

Substitute Teachers and Babysitters

Most of you know that before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I was a high school science teacher. As a teacher, I was BIG into classroom management. I craved order, routine, and discipline. Basically, I expected my "kids" to behave themselves. And, for the most part, they did. I certainly had my challenges, but I was usually able to work through them.

Now, I always dreaded taking a day off from school because that it usually when everything went a little crazy. There is just something about substitute teachers (bless their hearts!) that brings out the nuttiness in even the best kids. There was almost always a note from the sub that would surprise me and make me think: "Really? My 'kid' did that? Not him/her!"

Well, last weekend, I realized that this particular phenomenon might not be relegated just to substitute teachers. I'm thinking that substitute teachers and babysitters might have some things in common.

Last Saturday night, some dear friends gave Brant and I a little baby shower for Fletcher. Up until last weekend, Mama Carol has been our primary babysitter. If she cannot babysit, we simply don't go. She was booked to babysit on Saturday night but had to cancel because my sister-in-law needed to have surgery. Considering that the party was for us, we went on the search for a babysitter. I was able to find a great girl from church. She was gracious enough to take off work and come over to watch the boys. I assured her that there would only be an hour or so of playing/watching a movie, and then they would go to bed. It should be a nice, low-key evening.

Oh, boy . . . not so much! The evening started out wonderfully. The boys were SO excited to see Ms. Sarah (who is a super cute senior in college - the boys were smitten!). They all played and had a great time until BEDTIME. Then, the fiasco began! There was getting out of bed, leaving bedrooms, calling for Ms. Sarah because Quinn had one more thing to tell her, etc. for 2 hours!

After getting home and hearing all of this, I was SHOCKED (and mortified)! Needless to say, there were consequences for their behavior. The primary one? Quinn lost all of his costumes for 2 days, which was completely devastating to him! And, he had to apologize to Ms. Sarah at church the next day "for not listening" and "not behaving himself at bedtime".

After many apologies from me, Sarah assured me that it was really no big deal . . . that they were just too excited to settle in bed . . . and that they are two extremely adorable boys. She even said that she would love to come back and babysit again in the future; the fact that we greatly overpaid her for her time and suffering probably had something to do with that particular statement!

Oh, well! We all survived. Lessons have been learned. And, my personal "mommy guilt/embarassment" is fading just a little bit each day!

Here's a little picture of the morning-after the babysitter fiasco . . .

They may look like little angels . . . . ;-)

Week 32

We've made it to week . . .


As of 9:41 last night, we have made it longer than we did with Holden. It felt really good to reach that little milestone.

Our next goal? Week 34. When I was in the hospital on bedrest with Holden, my doctors planned to induce at week 34 (if I had made it that long). I remember them talking about how 34-weekers do really well and how quite a few go home with no NICU stay. So, we'll shoot for that goal next!

Again, thanks so much for your prayers and support. Brant and I know that we have so many people rooting for us and baby Fletcher. And, it means so very much to us!

Our Saturday Morning in Pictures

The boys started the morning as superheroes . . .






Then, they survived playing 2 hours outside in the extreme heat thanks to popsicles, TONS of ice water, and spray bottle warfare . . .






And, finally, it was time to "get inked" (temporary tattoos, of course!) . . .







And, there you have it. That was our Saturday morning in pictures! ;-)

DU Greenwings Event

Last Saturday, Brant took Quinn to the Ducks Unlimited Greenwings Event. Quinn's favorite parts? Watching the police dog demonstrations and fishing. Although he didn't catch any fish this year (he caught a huge catfish last year), Quinn still had an awesome time hanging out with Daddy in the great outdoors!









Quinn was thrilled to run into lots of his friends there, including Aiden and his daddy (Robin) . . .



The two buddies hard at work . . .

Holden Pics and "Please Knock!"

Holden Pics:
I was downloading some pictures from Brant's phone and came across 2 adorable (I know that I'm a little biased!) pictures of my Holden. Just thought that they were too cute not to share . . .






"Please Knock!":
For 4+ years now, I have posted a sign by our doorbell during naptime. Now, this sign has never been fancy. Just a post-it or a piece of paper with the message "Please knock instead of door bell". As I was "hanging" it the other day, I thought . . . "man, that's ugly!" . . . especially by my front door. See what I mean?



So, I happened to be at Michael's the next day and came across a wooden sign for 99cents. With the help of some spray paint, a paint pen, and some polka dot ribbon, I now have a slightly more fancy sign to display . . .

Looks a little better, right? Only took me 4 years!!! ;-)
*I'm sure that the FedEx man and the neighborhood Boy Scouts selling popcorn are really going to appreciate my craftiness! Ha!

My Little Paleontologist

Quinn is my little science/nature guy. Just the other day, he was bug hunting around the yard and calling himself a "paleontologist". He knows that word from the fabulous PBS Kids show, "Dinosaur Train". The former science teacher in me was thrilled! I decided to turn the experience into a "teachable moment" (any teachers out there know that term?!?) and explain that he could be a specific type of paleontologist . . . an entomologist (a scientist that studies insects). Not sure if he'll remember that term, but I was happy to work a little science lesson into play time!


My Little Entomologist/Paleontologist . . .



He wanted to show me his serious scientist face (he was on his way to the museum!) . . .



During the bug hunt, Holden was busy hauling his wagon around the yard (he's not as interested in bugs!) . . .

We Have A Name!

Well, baby boy #3 FINALLY has a name! :-)

I just received a photo proof of a name banner that I have ordered for his nursery. I thought that it might make a cute way to announce his name, too! So, here it is . . .



We have been asked if it is a family name. No, we just like it (and, it goes along with the whole "last name as a first name" thing!)! ;-)

*To my Meredith girls:
Thanks for all of your suggestions. Yes, I changed the rules of the game. I know that Fletcher doesn't end with an "n". Sorry about that! ;-)

"Let Me Out!"

We've been chatting with Papa Tom (who lives in Michigan) via Windows Live Messenger on the computer. This process has allowed the boys to have slightly longer conversations than they typically have on the telephone (which usually consists of "hi", "i love you", and "bye bye"!). We have started making it a little Saturday morning ritual to call and chat.

They are really fascinated with seeing and being seen by Papa Tom on the computer. It has led to some pretty funny conversations/observations such as:

Q: "Papa Tom, you're stuck in the computer!"
PT: "Let me out!" "Let me out!"
*Much laughter!

*My parents are in the process of getting all set up and joining us in cyberland, too. ;-)






*Well, we have made it to week 31! Now, our next goal is week 32. Holden was born at 31 weeks and 6 days (I went into the hospital for bedrest at 30 weeks and 4 days). I will be one happy, thankful, relieved lady if I am sitting here at home on my couch next Monday morning ringing in week 32! :-)
*Thanks so much for all of the prayers and words of encouragement and support. They are so appreciated!

Have a Happy Weekend!

*Just in case you're wondering, the super cool hats are only $1 each at Target! Who can resist army helmets and new fire hats at that price?
*Black & Decker safety goggles, not included and completely optional! ;-)

Deja Vu

I am pleased to report that the nursery is almost complete! The only things left to do? Wash clothes, organize them in drawers/closet, and get some basic baby supplies (diapers, wipes, gas drops!, etc.). Because baby #3 is another boy, I decided to use the same crib bedding that I used with Q and H (Kimberley Grant's Farm Yard). We have changed the wall color and a few accessories with each baby. And, this time the nursery is set up in a different bedroom. Even with those changes, I sometimes get an eerie sense of deja vu! ;-)

Quinn's crib/nursery bedding (khaki walls) . . .



Holden's crib/nursery bedding (blue walls) . . .



And, baby boy #3's crib/nursery bedding (soft yellow walls - really hard to see the true color in the photos - but it's happy and cheerful!) . . .



Since I didn't purchase new bedding, I decided to splurge on a custom canvas for the nursery. I found the cutest little shop on Etsy (don't you LOVE Etsy?) called "Owen and the Princess". I sent the artist (Elizabeth) a link with my bedding photos and some specific instructions (the top left picture is the back of a baseball jersey with our last name and the number "3" - for baby boy #3). Just yesterday, this canvas arrived on my door step . . .

I LOVE it! I would completely recommend using this artist. She was fantastic to work with . . . and really quick! *I think that this beauty will help me survive 2 more years with the same farm animal bedding! ;-)

To The Rescue

If you've been following this blog for a while now, you know that the boys LOVE costumes! Today's costume choice? Firemen!

Quinn asked me to take pictures of him and his "fireman helper". The photo shoot starting out "all smiles" . . .






And, then it was time to get their "game faces" on . . .

The Wonderful World of Disney

A few weeks ago, Mama Carol gave the boys her entire collection of Disney movies. Because our family may be one of the few (but proud!) owners of a VCR, we have been able to watch these classic movies via videotape. The boys have really enjoyed discovering the timeless tales. And, Brant and I have really enjoyed revisiting our youth by watching with them! So far, the boys' favorites are Lion King, Aladdin, and Little Mermaid. Thanks again Mama Carol!

One of those movie nights . . .

*I just love how Holden lays down to watch a movie. He always props up that one leg! ;-)

Happy Monday!

We have been having a happy stay-at-home Monday full of playing, watching movies, eating popsicles, and rockin' crazy bed head. Just what we all needed today!





*Well, it looks like we've made it to week 30. It feels really good to be out of the 20's! But, week 30 is when all of the drama with Holden began. So, we are praying for a nice, calm, uneventful week 30. Luckily, I have 2 wild boys to help keep me busy, distracted, and happy!

Toy Story 3

Last weekend, Brant and I took the boys to see Toy Story 3. They really LOVE the first two movies, Woody, Buzz, and the gang.

Verdict on TS3? It was good (TS2 is still my favorite). It certainly held their attention, and they liked it. However, I thought that it was by far the darkest of the 3 movies. There were some pretty scary parts that are nothing like the first two movies. Other than that, it was a sweet, sentimental story about the end of childhood. Yes, I cried quite a few times! I'll blame the pregnancy hormones! ;-)

Poor Guy

My Quinn has had a rough couple of days. The poor guy seems to be getting boo-boos after boo-boos, and today was no exception.

Saturday - 3 yellow jacket stings (back and both legs) in our yard,
Sunday - tripped on the playground at church and cut his knee,
Monday - accident free (unless I'm forgetting something!),
Tuesday - fell on the sidewalk at the pool and scraped his knee; tripped over the garden hose at home and scraped his other knee,

and, Today - 1 yellow jacket sting at the pool . . . on his shoulder . . . under his swim shirt!!! I have no idea how that happened! Thankfully, we know that he is not allergic. He sat out, rested for a little bit, and went right back to swimming.

My first born seems to have inherited my lack of grace, which explains the tripping and falling. I don't know how to explain the 2 days of yellow jacket stings. Bad luck? Poor guy!


Changing the subject and ending on a positive note . . .
Aunt Brandi: Quinn LOVES his new hat! :-)

ALOHA

This summer, Quinn is participating in the camp sessions at his preschool. He just completed an "ALOHA" themed session that concluded with a big luau. He was so excited by all of the festivities. He even tried some new tropical foods (which is a major accomplishment!).

Quinn's Hawaiian attire . . .

Fireworks

Our little town puts on a fireworks show each July 3rd at our local park. We are able to watch it from our house. This year our friends, the Fitts and the Laughridges, joined us. We had a couple of hours of playing, eating, and hanging out before watching the big show. The kiddos were real troopers, especially considering the fact that they were all up WAY past bedtime and over half of the kids got stung by yellow jackets*.

*The kids were playing around a tree in our yard. All of a sudden, my 2 boys started screaming, crying, and running away. They had stirred up a nest of angry yellow jackets. After the hysteria (it was terrifying!), I was able to discover that Q had 3 stings, and H had 4. Poor Wesley and Maridith got a sting each, as well. We got everyone examined, full of Benadryl, wiped up and were somehow able to salvage the rest of the evening. The good news? No one is allergic to yellow jacket stings (thank goodness!), and Brant has taken care of the nest. Never a dull moment around here!
**All photos were taken after the yellow jacket incident . . . further proof of everyone's recovery! ;-)

The kiddos (Q, Lawson, H, Wesley and Palmer) . . .



Brant put on a mini-fireworks show in our street to help get everyone in the festive mood . . .












Oh, the joy of glow bracelets . . .



After Brant's mini-fireworks, we gathered up the kiddos and headed down the street to watch the big show . . .



Hope that everyone had a fantastic Fourth of July!