Laugh or Cry?

So after many ups and downs, lots of rain clouds that seemed to take days to lift, and the general struggles that come along with staying at home with a gregarious three-year-old and an attached-at-the-hip one-year-old, I'm finally getting to the point where I can see the sunshine at the end of the tunnel. In fact, some days I even get a full-on blast of sunshiney goodness.

As Levi gets older, he and Jackson are playing together better, and they seem to genuinely like each other! At least until one steals a toy the other wanted... But my point is that after a year and a half of barely coming up for breath before the next wave hits, I finally feel like I'm treading water pretty darn well. I'm adjusting to my stay-at-home life with 2 active boys, and I'm enjoying it more than I'm surviving it. Most days. And those other days that used to threaten to send me under? I'm trying to learn to laugh, shake my head, and not worry about the furniture (or other important things that really aren't that important).

So here's one of those days that previously would have knocked me under, but instead just left me laughing and wishing I could record my boys' silliness.

The morning started with the boys sitting together in Daddy's recliner, watching Mickey Mouse. (The allegiance to the mouse is so intense at our house that "mouse" was one of Levi's 1st words.)

They were behaving so well, I decided to sit down and make a few phone calls in the office. As I was on the phone, I saw Jackson run by with Levi following close behind. Since chase is a common game at our house, I didn't think much about it. A few minutes later the boys ran by again. This time Levi was missing his shirt. A few more words on the phone... another lap made by the boys. Levi's sans pants. I decide this might warrant my intervention when Levi then streaks past the office door completely naked, clutching his private parts and squealing with delight. So much for a quiet phone conversation.

Later in the day, I didn't allow Jackson to have the snack he requested (powdered donuts and sprite - really kid? Do I look that stupid?). His response: "Fine. Then I'll just cut off your head and get another Mommy."  I just smiled at him and told him he'd better find a big sword. He responded: "Yeah, I know! You've got the biggest head I've ever seen!" Well, thank you, son.

That night after dinner, the boys played with legos. Jackson (who had experienced a bit of tummy trouble earlier in the day) decided to hide his legos from Levi by placing the blocks in the back of his underwear. Jacin noticed the bulge in Bird's rear and sternly said, "Jackson, son, get those legos out of your pants! You're gonna leak butt juice on them!" Bird stopped in his tracks, turned to Jacin with clear anxiety on his face, and asked, "What exactly is Laking Gutt Deuce?"  We couldn't help but crack up (no punn intended).

Whoever said first it was right - laughter is the best medicine. Every day I have a choice: laugh or cry? Laughing is much more fun.

The Line Leader

Jackson Bird loves his stuffed animals. He calls them his "friends." He has 15 or so that he plays with - loading them in trucks, pulling them with tractors, and lining them up for concerts or parades. At night, I try to stick to the "only 6 friends in the bed" limit. Otherwise, I worry Jackson would suffocate! (Besides, starting a habit of sleeping with multiple "friends" in the bed could be a bit shady later in life, right?) His favorite friends include Clifford the Big Red Dog, Tigger, Cowboy Mickey, pillow Panda, Cow-Cow, Pickle the Dog, and a few beanie babies passed down from Great Gran & Quincy. There are several other friends, but these favorites seem to receive more snuggle time.

Here's a pic of Bird getting ready for bed, surrounded by his friends. He's kinda hard to pick-out among all the stuffing - Bird's the one with minimal facial fur.

At night, Bird picks one special friend and brings it and his tat-tat to the den. (NOTE: His tat-tat is a special mini-blanket lovey sort of thing that he's slept with since birth. Meme has made 4 different ones so we're never without, even during laundry days.) Every night, Bird, his one selected stuffed friend, and Daddy sit in the recliner, giggle, and watch TV for a few minutes before reading a book in bed and saying prayers. Recently, when it was time to select his one special friend to sit in Daddy's recliner, Bird has said, "Let me pick a line-leader for tonight." The first time I heard him say it, I was a bit confused. A line-leader? But now that it's part of the nightly routine to pick a "line-leader," I just smile while an immense appreciation for preschool swells in my heart. My 3 year old kid is teaching turn-taking skills to his stuffed animals. For real. Oh the wonders of preschool! I will never understand how pre-k teachers teach so much in so little time to such rascally little monsters kids! Thank you, God, for preschool!

Just so you're up to date, last night's line leader was Clifford (which explains why I woke up with a big stuffed red dog in my face this morning). Today's naptime line-leader was Cowboy Mickey. Tonight's line-leader: Snort ,the red beanie baby bull. And, of course, tat-tat. Tat-tat is a permanent line-leader of sorts.

Love this smart, order-loving little Bird!

The Winding Down of Another Year

So it's 11pm on the final night of 2013, and there a few things I need to transfer from brain to paper (or computer screen) so I don't forget.

1. I don't know if it's left-over Christmas magic or what, but over the last few days, the boys have been getting along and playing together marvelously. It's so fun to see them chasing each other, squealing together, and laughing at each other.

2. Getting a free appliance is a pretty sweet deal, but getting to keep the BOX it came in is even sweeter!! Oh, how the boys love a good box. Need a remedy for the rainy day crazies? Try a box. It entertains for hours!

3. It's not even January 1st yet, but I'm already trying to get back to exercising. I took a major vacation from healthy eating (or really healthy everything) during the holidays. So in an effort to get back into the groove, I've tried to do a workout dvd in the afternoons. Yesterday and today, it proved to be pretty difficult. Not just because I'm horribly out of shape, but mainly because my two "helpers" won't leave me alone long enough to complete a jumping jack on my own. And forget any ab exercises. The minute I get on the floor, both boys are on top of me. On to the next exercise strategy...


4. Yesterday, Jackson Bird jumped into my bed at the end of naptime. He snuggled down next to me and said, "Momma, I just love you so much."
I responded, "Oh Buddy, I love you too!! I love you even more than chocolate ice cream!"
He giggled, sat up, looked me in the eyes, and said, "Wow, Momma. That's a serious deal for you!"


I've had the privilege to be a Mom for 4 years now. And at the near-close of the year 2013, I would like to say that being Mom to these crazy-sweet two little boys is the most frustrating, smile-causing, difficult, joy-generating, challenging, special-moment-rendering, exhausting, yet life-giving thing I have ever done. I love them more than words can say, and I can't wait to see what adventures next year holds!

Our Christmas Morning

At about 8:30am Christmas morning, these 2 charming little boys were ready to see what gifts had been left under the tree!

We were all surprised to see that Santa had left stockings filled with a few small treasures, and had left the boys cameras! Jackson got a real VTech camera (with which he now runs his new business - JBP - Jackson Bird Paparazzi) and Levi got a play Mickey Mouse camera (which is clearly not anywhere close to cool as compared to big brother's. What a flop. Way to go, Santa!).

While Jackson couldn't open gifts fast enough, I had trouble getting Levi excited about anything except breakfast. All he wanted to do was drink his milk, eat his cereal, and be left alone.

Jackson opened a Transformer fire station, complete with firemen figurines and transformer action figures, a Mickey Mouse sing-a-long book with microphone, a Bass Pro Shop t-shirt, and a Duck Dynasty marshmallow launching gun. (What was I thinking on the last one, there??)

And still, while we opened gifts, Levi continued eating. I tried to entice him with a gift a time or two, and I was rewarded with a grunt and a swat.

 

 So while little Scrooge ate and Bird played, Jacin and I opened gifts. Jacin got some Gordon Central Warriors pants & sweatshirt, a lunch thermos to take left-over soup on the go, and a new shirt and vest from Bass Pro Shop. I got a new charm for my Mom necklace and a new iPod!

(INSERT HERE pic of Mom & Dad opening gifts... oh wait. It doesn't exist. Mom was behind the camera TAKING all the pictures.)

Finally, Jacin persuaded Levi to employ the "one-handed opening" technique to remove the wrapping paper from his presents. To master this technique, one must always hold tightly to his sippy cup with one hand while utilizing the other hand to carefully remove wrapping paper. At no point should one use both hands. Simultaneously utilizing both hands to open gifts might cause a delay in consuming one's breakfast. 

Levi wasn't especially thrilled with any of his own presents. He was much more interested in his breakfast and in anything that his big brother might be playing with. In retrospect, we should have let Jackson open Levi's gifts. Then maybe Levi might have wanted them.

The final present was a play welding helmet and torch for Jackson from his Daddy. Bird was THRILLED! 

And as soon as Jacin, Jackson, and I finished gifts and sat down to eat breakfast, little brother moved in, stole the welding equipment, and hid behind the houseplant playing. Figures.

All the gifts (and breakfast) aside, we are so blessed in many ways. Happy Birthday, Jesus! And Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Naptime Secrets

Bird's naps are getting shorter and shorter. Earlier this year, he would nap for 2 to 3 hours every day. His sleep time has gradually decreased, until now he usually only sleeps for 30 minutes or so during naptime. Now when he gets up, he comes to find me and we snuggle and watch cartoons for a while.

Today, it was a rainy Sunday afternoon, and I was hoping for a L O N G nap. It didn't happen. About 30 minutes into naptime, Bird came in, crawled into bed with me and stated, "I just can't sleep. I don't like naps." I told him he could cuddle with me for a while.

After a few minutes of dozing (me) and chatting (him), I realized that he had brought his headlamp with him to my bed. He strapped it onto his head, dove under the covers, and started "working" under the sheets.

One time he popped up, grabbed my hand, and with headlamp bouncing as his head bobbed excitedly, Bird told me something that struck me as profound.

"Momma, let me tell you a secret. Do you know what happens to shadows when you shine light on them? They disappear! Them shadows disappear!"

For some reason, shadows bother Bird. Especially at night or in the dark. So he was pretty excited about his shadow-busting discovery. Pretty sure he'll wear his headlamp to bed from now on.

And let me also say that I'm so thankful for a Savior that brings light to a dark world and shines into the shadows of our lives, just like a headlamp under the dark covers.

Words of Wisdom

It's no secret that Jackson Bird is a talker. And lately, his words seem wiser than his 3 years. Here are a few quick examples:

1. Mom, do you know who these guys are? (pointing to a picture of the 3 wise men in a nativity book) And don't say wisemen, either. They're the MAGI!!
I'm not quite sure where he heard and learned this word, but I was a bit stunned.

2. Momma, I'm not eating this ice cream. It's frozen, and I say No! (He then points to the ice cream and sternly speaks to it) And don't talk back to me! I said NO for frozen!
I have no idea why Bird was so emphatically against frozen ice cream, but I was impressed with his strict tone of voice and the brief, no nonsense chat he held with the ice cream. Wow. Where did he pick that up? Must have had a run in  (or 2) with a strong disciplinarian! 

3. Momma, do you know what this duck is for here? (pointing to a stuffed toy duck he's put in the middle of the kitchen floor) It's a decoy, and it's here to attract the real ducks. So be quiet please, unless of course you need to quack.
Aside from noticing that Bird loves giving directions, likes to "hunt" in the house, and chooses to use phrases like "of course" in his regular, day-to-day chatter, let's focus on the fact that my 3 year old just explained the word DECOY to me. Really? REALLY?

4. (The pest control man came today to spray for ants. Bird followed him around "spraying" with the spray gun he had built earlier out of legos and talking to him) Sir, you don't have to spray in that back bedroom. I sprayed for ants earlier, and me 'n Wevi checked it. It's all clear.
Not sure which reassured the Pest Man more - Bird's DIY lego spray gun, or the head's up that Big Brother and "Wevi" had already taken care of things. Either way, why pay the Pest Guy when I have such good help at home? :)

The Thankful Thingy

Last year, Jacin and I made a Thankful Tree with Jackson (Levi was there, but still a baby-baby). We collected twigs from the yard, cut out leaves from construction paper, and wrote down things we were thankful for. Here's a pic from last November:

This year, I was ready to do the same thing, thus making it a tradition. (Right? I mean if you do it for more than 1 year in a row, it qualifies as a tradition?) I got out the mason jar, filled it with acorns, and was intending to find some twigs later in the day. It never happened. The jar only sat on the buffet table for a grand total of 3 hours because Levi pulled it down about every 20 minutes. I quickly decided that we would have to make an alteration to the Thankful Tree tradition. So... this year we did a Thankful Garland. Over the past few days, Jacin has had trouble remembering the word garland, so he calls it our "Thankful Thingy."

I hot-glued a line of twine across our mantle, then printed leaf outlines on various patterned scrapbook paper. I had the leaf papers laminated before cutting them out (that way we'll be able to write on them with dry erase marker and use them again and again for years to come! TRADITION, remember?). Then we gathered together as a family, brainstormed things we were thankful for, wrote the ideas on leaves, and pinned them on the twine with tiny clothespins.

Admittedly, I was hoping this experience would be a type of kumbaya moment where we bonded as a family and really spent time digging deep and expressing heartfelt thanks to God. It didn't happen. Here's what DID happen:  Jackson scrambled around the den hauling chairs and blankets in, trying to build a fort while shouting out random things he was thankful.  Meanwhile, Levi toddled in circles swinging rubber caterpillars around like nunchucks.

Caterpillar Nunchucks

Nunchucks stolen and fort building in progress

Not really a kumbaya moment. But I was impressed that the 1st thing Bird gave thanks for was "God because He made us and died on that cross for us." (I'm a proud Momma!!)

Other things on Jackson's "thankful list":
hot dogs and waffles (cause that's basically all he eats)
jeans and boots (cause that's really all he wears)
legs for running and tools for building (cause that's all he does)
Wevi (AKA his brother Levi)
cocounts and leaves (he calls acorns coconuts - not sure why)
helicopters and planes (?? not sure where that one came from)

Jackson was also in charge of helping us think what Levi might be thankful for. Bird suggested:
Mickey Mouse (Levi LOVES to watch Mickey Mouse)
His paci (seemingly a permanent fixture in the kid's mouth)
Snoopy (his stuffed animal sleep snuggly friend)
Food - all types (cause, unlike his brother, Levi eats ANYTHING & EVERYTHING)
Me! (of course Levi would be thankful for his older brother, despite the MANY things suffered at his hands)

Among many other things, Jacin and I added leaves to our Thankful Thingy representing our thankfulness for our busy little boys, coffee, naptime, and Jesus.