What's in a nose?

Let me set the stage. We were sitting in church. My mother-in-law's new church to watch the Christmas program.

Jesse was sitting beside me and I saw him pick his nose-I hate that, but I chose to ignore it. A little bit later I see him pick his nose again so I leaned over and say to him quietly, "Do you need a tissue? I'd rather not see you pick your nose."

He looks up at me and as he pulls his finger out of his mouth he says, "Well, it's just that I didn't have much breakfast!" as his voice was quickly turning into a whine.

I frowned at him and whispered, "What does breakfast have to do with picking your nose?"

He frowns back at me and whispers back, "It's just that I'm hungry and there's nothing else to eat."

I just looked at him, puzzled. Then my eyes flew open in surprise and disgust as I realize what he's talking about. He's talking about eating his boogers.

As soon as my eyes go wide Jesse realized what he has really said and he opens his mouth tall in an effort to not smile as he waits to see what I'm going to do. Then since he can't hold back his snicker he starts to cover his face with his hands, all the while watching me to see what my reaction will be.

I can't hold it in, I turn away from him as I start to shake with laughter and the harder I try to hold it in the harder I laugh. You know how that is, the more you try to stop the more funny it becomes until you just can't control it. Pretty soon I was wiping tears from my eyes. Jesse was laughing just as hard beside me. Then all the other boys (and husband) were wanting in on the joke, but I couldn't even talk.

That Jesse.

And note to self: feed the boys more breakfast.

On Getting Married

I have not been good about blogging this year in 2014 as my life has been crazy busy, even by my standards. But that season is almost over and while we have chosen to be involved in a lot of activities and business ventures, we are working to find a new "normal" once again and I shall be back to blogging with some regularity. I think. I hope.

Some stories must be shared so I don't forget them though. This is one. Jesse, my Jesse. That kid is a piece of work.

A conversation between Jesse and me:

Jesse: Yuck-you and dad doing the smoochy-smooch.
Me: Oh someday you'll get married and do the "smoochy-smooch" with your wife too!
Jesse: No I won't. I'm not going to get married.
Me: Well, maybe someday, but not anytime soon. You need to be a grown up and find the right girl.

A pause in the conversation and I think it is over.

Jesse: No, I changed my mind. I am going to get married.
Me: Oh, okay.
Jesse: Can she work?
Me: You mean your wife?
Jesse: Yeah, can she work? Will she get money?
Me: She can work if you both decide that's what you want. And yes, if she works she'll get paid.
Jesse: Oh good, 'cause I will get money faster.


Oh mercy.
Can you tell we have been working on finances and learning how to save for a long-term goal? Eli & Noah both just saved enough to buy themselves ipods. The younger two do not have that much saved up. Thus they are stuck with merely playing with their DSs and my old tablet.

Mother's Day

I love to take pictures of me and each of the boys on Mother's Day. For much of the year and the pictures we have, I am behind the camera so we end up with not a lot of just me and a boy. Eli was my photographer for the three little boys; Noah took the one of Eli and I but he is just starting to learn how to work the camera so Eli and I had quite a session since I insisted my head needed to be in the picture, ha!

Then we recruited Tim to take one of all of us-we had to hunt him down since he's always working on my mom's apartment. So that picture is in the storage room of the apartment.

Believe

Christmas is such a special and fleeting time in a child's life and we try to make it wonderful, if not a little magical. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes not as much. I'm chalking this up to success.

Jesse was loving some Christmas festivities and looked at me and said, so only I could hear, "When I get bigger, I'm not going to believe in Santa. But I'm not big yet, so I still believe."

I said, "Good!" and hugged him tight.

Childhood is so fleeting!

Soccer Boys

My soccer boys, 2013.

They are all playing this year. Eli & Noah are traveling teams, and Eli also plays on a select team.

To date, Simon's team is undefeated.
To date, Jesse is undefeated.
To date, Eli's team is 6-1.
To date, Noah's team is defeated.

Car discussions

Long time no blog, I know. I'm getting back on the blogging train. I miss it, but being a first year teacher was hectic and something had to give. It was blogging. I think I'll be able to keep up with it now that I seem to have a handle on the teaching thing. Maybe. ;) I may go back and write some posts in the times that I've skipped, just for my record keeping of our lives.

A little snippit from our ride home from church on Sunday:

Jesse had a small piece of paper or sticker or something of the like. He it rolled up and stuck it in his mouth. Then he asked me if I would put his window up. He was "cigaretting" and didn't want it to blow out the window.

Tim and I looked at each other and smiled.

Cigaretting indeed.

Shower

It was Saturday morning and I hadn't picked out Jesse's clothes the night before so when he got up he came into our room.

"Mom, you didn't pick out my clothes."

"I know buddy!"

He crawled up onto the bed with me, grinning all the while. We are a real "kids sleep in their own beds" kind of family. He flopped down next to me and said, "Why do you smell like a shower?"

I laughed and said, "Cuz I took a shower last night. I like to be clean."

"Oh, it smells good."

Happy Birthday Jesse!

Jesse is 5 today! What is there to say? That the time has gone fast? It has, but no, I've been cherishing each day so 5 feels right. He's getting that look of a school age kid. That part is a little bitter sweet. But he's ready for some higher learning, I think. He has his own opinions these days, but then, he always seems to have. Case in point, he wanted rice crispy treats for his birthday cake instead of cake on his actual birthday.

For his party there of course were cupcakes and cake. At our house you get a friend party when you turn five. We had an angry birds party, it was a hoot.

We set up boxes that the party goers then had to throw balls at to knock down. We even had some volunteers of people wanting to be the bad piggies.

 The crazy picture of the party goers. It was a success! The last 5 year old birthday party I get to plan!

Mask

Because I think his blue eyes are just so beautiful, and because my Grandma made him the mask.

Jesse getting ready to go outside to play!

Threats

Jesse has a temper on him. Don't know where he gets that!

We were talking about being an astronaut one day and he asked if anyone could be an astronaut. I told him that you have to go to a special school to get the training on how to work in outer space and you have to be smart and in shape. I further told him it wasn't anything I was interested in. He said he'd go to astronaut school and take me to outer space. So sweet, even though I wouldn't go.

One evening I had already tucked him in bed and was fixing the covers on Simon's bed when Jesse came over to Simon's bed. I took Jesse by the shoulders and spun him to face his bed and propelled him that way and told him to get back in bed. I wasn't even being mean, I promise! He went, but got all teary eyed.

I asked him what was wrong. He said he was mad at me for making him go to bed. I tucked him in again and I'm laughing. I laugh at the kids when they are being ridiculous. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but it's what happens. He got more mad because I was laughing and then he got all indignant and he said, "Well I'm not going to take you to outer space!"

Well indeed, my heart is broken. I just smiled and said, "Well I guess that is your choice since I'm not an astronaut."

He was apparently not satisfied with my response, as I was not fully remorseful for making him go to bed AND miss my trip to outer space. He upped the ante. "I'm not going to kiss you anymore!"

I just looked at him with my eyebrows raised, because at our house if you make a ridiculous statement like that I will hold you to it so that you are a man of your word, and the boys have learned it's best to not make those overreaching blanket statements in the heat of the moment. He quickly amended, "...for a week."

I again looked at him and said, "Well, that's too bad, I sure will miss those kisses, but that is your decision." And then I smothered him with kisses. Which he laughed, but did not reciprocate.

The next day I was telling Tim about it with Jesse standing by me and then I kissed him, and he kissed me right back. I laughed and said, "I didn't think you could go a whole week without kissing your Mama!" Tim chimed in, "I know I couldn't!"

A week or so later I was cutting chicken for chicken salad and Jesse was stirring the chicken salad. Jesse asked if he could cut the chicken. I told him no, that it was a pretty sharp knife. He said, "But I'm a good cutter! I can cut good!"

"I know you can Jesse, but I'm not comfortable with you using this sharp of a knife. You are only four."

"But I'm a good cutter!"

"I know."

"Fine. Then I'm not taking you to outer space!"

Indeed. We are back to that.

Just like Mommy

Eli had his follow-up appointment for getting his tonsils out. Everything looked wonderful, as we expected. On our way out of the office the Receptionist offered Eli a Beanie Baby and he chose one. Jesse asked for one too, but I reminded him of his worm that he picked out after he had his tonsils out. I think he understood, but he slowly and quietly started crying as we walked to the car. Big enough to understand it wasn't his turn, but little enough to still want it.

But that's just how it was going to be. He kept crying, but softly so I didn't think too much about it. I stopped for gas on our way home and when I got back in, he was no longer crying, so I thought we were OK. After a minute he says to me, "Well, fine. Since you won't let me have a Beanie Baby I'm not going to Florida."

I was completely bewildered. What? I ask. [He's going to spend a week at Disney World with my aunt and uncle in the spring.]

"I'm not going to Florida."

I can play this game. "Oh, well that's too bad. Uncle Carl already bought the ticket, so I guess someone else will have to go. I think Eli would like to go and we can't waste the ticket." Eli jumps right on board with this, in the off chance that he will actually get to go.

Then Jesse begins to see the error of his rash decision, but isn't sure what to do, so he thinks on it for a minute. Then, frowning he says,"Well, I meant I'm not going to go to Florida until next year." Then he waits to see.

I smile and say, "Well good! The ticket is for next year, so that works out fine."

Then, a few days later, on a completely unrelated note, Tim and I were getting ready for a date, we don't get many of those so I was super excited. I had gotten a new skirt that I was excited to wear, and to go with it I had gotten leggings to keep me warm and a sweater. The sweater was too big so I had already exchanged it for a small, but hadn't tried it on, I mean, I am small so I was good to go. I thought.

The sweater was too big. A small was too big? Really? Crud!

The leggings were too big. They came from a pack so I hadn't tried them on in the store, but really, I have to exchange them for an extra-small? Who does these sizings? I am not extra-small!

I was MAD! I was so excited to go on our date and then nothing fit. I stormed out of the bathroom and said, "Forget it! I don't even want to go!"

Tim laughed and said, "Okay Jesse, let's just not go on our date then."

I gave him the evil eye and put on my capri leggings with my tall boots and a long sleeve t-shirt that would work. We had a wonderful time.

Feeling sheepish, I said to Tim, "Uh, Jesse gets it honest?"

Vote!

So today is the day to vote! I hope you have.

We talk a lot about politics at our house, and I would say our boys know more about the candidates than some of the people actually voting today.

When we talk I'll say "Romney" and Jesse will say, "Do you mean Mitt Romney?"  Yes Jesse, I do mean Mitt Romney. Then he'll go on to say, "Barack Obama makes bad choices so that's why we're voting for Mitt Romney. He doesn't always make good choices, but they are better than Barack Obama." That's a boy after my own heart!

I really am trying to get the boys to understand that even though the person we vote for may not win, we still respect the office of president and whomever is in that office. Which is hard if you're guy doesn't win. Which my guy won't-I never said who my guy was ;)

Dinner Discussions, Breakfast Edition

Tim was fixing the boys breakfast over the weekend and as I came downstairs it sounded like they were having entirely too much fun.

I rounded the corner into the dining room and almost bumped into Tim. He's trying to stifle a laugh and said, "Did you hear any of that?"

"No, why?"

Tim relayed this exchange to me:
Simon said, "What do cows do on a date?"
I replied, "Go to a mooovie."
He smiled and said, "Almost. Dinner and a moooovie."
So then I said, "What do cows like to listen to?"
All the big boys were laughing and said, "Muuusic."
Jesse was laughing right along with them and said, "What do cows eat?"
We all looked at each other and no one could think of it. So we said, "No what?"
Jesse laughed and said, "Grass! Didn't you know that cows eat grass?"
We all just shook our heads and laughed.

New Jersey

So we went to the Jersey Shore on vacation. Maybe I could post about that sometime? No promises. I am in the busiest month of the year (for me personally). However, I have a darling story that I must tell.

We imposed upon the hospitality of my aunt and uncle for accommodations at the "shore", and by the way, why is it a shore and not a beach? Every other time I've been to the ocean it's been a beach. Who can know? But I digress.

My aunt took the boys into the ocean for a while and Tim and I just lounged. When they came back my Aunt Melissa was laughing. She said Jesse was doing the "Look what I can do!" routine for her and came up with a new one. He said to her, "Watch me! I call this the 'New Jersey'!" Then he would proceed to wind up his legs and arms like a cartoon character, run into the ocean, spin around, and plop down in the water facing the beach (shore?).

That move will henceforth be known as the "New Jersey" in our house. I think maybe it got a name because we just watched the Olympics? Dives are named, gymnastic moves are named, that kind of thing?

So fast forward to the week after vacation and we are back at soccer practice. We get the uniforms and are at home heading inside. Jesse pipes up and says, "Here's my New Jersey!" I wait for him to do the "New Jersey" in the yard or driveway or something, but instead he's literally looking at his new jersey. You know, the jersey he plays soccer in?

Apparently my mind is still at the "shore"!

In the car

On the way to daycare it was chilly and Jesse said, "I'm a little bit cold. It's 'cause I didn't get my shirt sleeves today."

Indeed, your shirt sleeves!

Where's Matt?

We were driving through town the other day, Eli looking out the window, Simon playing with a small toy, Noah reading, Jesse looking out the window, and Tim and I talking quietly in the front seat.

Jesse interrupts us and said, "Where is Matt?"

I turned to him when I said, "He's at work."

He looked at me and said, "Well I didn't see his car at Papa John's."

Tim and I looked at each other. We are constantly amazed with this child. We weren't talking about Matt or discussing where we were in town or anything remotely related to what Jesse said. However, he knows town well enough to know where Papa's is, and where Matt parks when he works, and knows Matt's car and that it wasn't there and it should have been. We are excited to know what God will have this child do in the years to come.

I smiled at Jesse and said, "Well, he probably had to leave to deliver a pizza to someone. Don't you think?"

He smiled back, "Yeah, probably."

Hot Summer Nights

Eli was gone with his grandparents for a couple of nights and I don't think Noah wanted to sleep in his room alone, so the first night he slept with Simon in "the little boys room". With Tim being home the boys don't have to get up early and go to daycare like they have in summers past, so there has been a lot of staying up late and sleeping with a brother and what not. As it should be.

Sometime in the night Noah and Jesse came walking in our room, hand in hand, and Noah spoke for them both, "Jesse had a bad dream, can he sleep with you?"

Even though I hadn't heard Jesse cry or wake up or anything and it was hot and sticky, Jesse crawled up in bed with me. After an hour or so of that I carried him back to his own bed, there's only so much of a sweaty four year old body next to you a person can take.

The next night Noah slept with Jesse in his bed. Sometime in the night I heard the distinct knock on the bedroom door that is Jesse. I got up and opened the door, fearing if I called for him to come in he'd crawl into bed with me again and it was even hotter than the last night. I couldn't deal with that.

I opened the door and grabbed his sweaty little hand and as we were walking back to his room he said, "Mom I had a bad dream." I didn't really think he did and was not interested in giving in to that kind of deal where he has "bad dreams" and then comes to sleep with me. I'm a parent of the "kids sleep in their own beds, always" camp. So as we were heading back to his bed I said, "I don't think you did have a bad dream, you don't really have those. Let's just get you back in bed so you can get some good sleep."

He seemed not very happy about that and said, "Well, at least can we move my bed somewhere cooler?"

Poor kid was just too hot. I decided the next night they could all sleep in the playroom-we just got a window AC unit for that room, and for the sake of not having to get up in the night again with him it was worth it to let them all have a slumber party in there.

Night three, Eli was back and they all drug their pillows into the playroom for sleeping in the AC. Personally, I'm thinking about putting the air mattress in there for Tim and I, so we can get a good nights sleep a couple of times a week. But back to the boys. I told them they had to go to sleep right away, not stay up and mess around. If I had to go up and tell them to get quiet they would all go back to their hot bedrooms.

Sure as shoot, later as I was doing paperwork downstairs they were yelling, jumping, fighting and who knows what else. I sent Tim up, he spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed. It was the right decision, but I did feel bad they were all in their hot bedrooms. But what can you do?

Maybe an hour or so later I heard Jesse cry. Not unusual in the least, he's had night terrors for about the past year, usually three times a night before 1:00. I always just wait to make sure it doesn't last more than a minute, which it didn't, so I didn't go upstairs.

When I did go upstairs for bed I checked each of the boys rooms to make sure they opened their windows to get as much relief as the night air could offer us, and that their fans were on. Big boys-check. Little boys-windows still shut and fan off-it was hot in there! I punched on the light so I could see to open the windows and turn the fan on. Simon in his bed-check. Jesse-no where to be found.

I looked in the playroom. There is was, laying on the floor, his head on the hardwood floor beside his pillow and his sheet on the top half of his body, but he was sound asleep. I like a kid who can solve a problem on his own in the middle of the night.

The rest of the story is at four in the morning I woke up covered in sweat. I followed Jesse's lead and took my pillow in the playroom and slept the rest of the night with my feet hanging off the end of the love seat. Apparently Jesse is just like his mama and can't tolerate extreme temperatures very well.

To be like you

I was in the mood for iced tea so I put the tea pot on the stove to boil, got out the tea, my glass, and a pyrex batter bowl. When the water was ready I put the tea to steep in my pyrex bowl. A few minutes later I added some honey and they got my cup full of ice. About that time Jesse came in from outside and wanted a drink too. He got his cup and filled it with ice and water while I poured my tea over the ice in my glass. Then I set my glass down on the stove while I threw the tea bags away. When I turned back to the stove Jesse was setting his cup right next to mine.

He looked up at me with those georgous blue eyes and said a little shyly, "I just want to be like you." Then he flashed me a smile.

I smiled right back and scooped him up in a big hug. "I know you do, and that makes me want to be a really good person, so you are too. I love you Jesse!"

"I love you too!"

And isn't that the crux of parenthood? Striving to be a better person so the example your children have is good? My boys make me a better person.

Mother's Day

I picked Jesse up from preschool and he had a plastic cup with a flower in it. It had tissue paper around it and a ribbon tieing it on. Since it was Mother's Day weekend, I knew it was for me. We got in the car and I said to Jesse, "Did you get that flower from Preschool?"

"Yes!"

"Is it for Mother's Day?"

He looked at me a little strange and said, "No, it's mine. It's not for Mother's Day."

I figure they told them to keep it a surprise until Sunday. Which is sweet, but he's four; I'm not convinced that's going to work out very well. I continued on, "Oh, I thought maybe it was for Mother's Day."

"No, it's not for Mother's Day. It's my little plant and I'm going to put it in my room so everyone can see it."

"Oh, okay." I can see this is going nowhere so I drop it. And sometimes he just likes to mess with me to get under my skin. He's just starting that so I'm not sure what's going on.

I told Tim our conversation and he thought it was kind of funny. Of course.

Later Jesse decided he was going to give the flower away. I get ready to be excited when he gives it to me except he says, "I'm going to give this flower to Dad for his birthday!"

Oh, right. Tim's birthday. In January. That he doesn't care about. Right, give it to Tim on Mother's Day. Real nice.

Tim got a real kick out of that. Me, not so much.

All weekend long he insists it's Tim's flower for his birthday. On Mother's Day Tim convinced Jesse to plant the flower outside of the kitchen window so I could see it since it was for me. I could tell Jesse wasn't throughly convinced, but was accepting it.

Then on Monday Tim bought a new hose for the spicket that's over by the flower bed where the flowers are. Jesse saw the hose and asked what it was. I explained where we would use it and how nice it would be for watering the flower he gave me for Mother's Day.

He got angry and said, "It's not yours, it's mine and I don't want to water it! I want it to die!"

I just looked at him and said, "Well, you gave it to me, and since it's mine I get to decide what happens to it. I think it's beautiful. It needs water to stay alive and beautiful so I'll water it."

He was none too pleased. What does he have against Mother's Day?

It's still beautiful! Next to it are the flowers Noah and Simon gave me for Mother's Day. I enjoy looking at them every day. Eli drew a picture and wrote a note, which is just as beautiful as the flowers. (And now Jesse talks about how pretty the flower is he gave me for Mother's Day. That child!)

Happy Mother's Day!

Belt Loops

Jesse came riding up to me on his bike and for some reason looked at my jeans funny. He reached out and touched a belt loop and said, "Why do you have those?"

I looked down and said, "It's a belt loop. For when I wear a belt, to keep my pants up? You have them too, see?" I tug his belt loop so he looks down at his own pants.

He said, "Nuh-uh. They are for weapons! See?" He grabbed a "sword" and shoved it through two of his belt loops so he wouldn't have to hold it while he was riding his bike. "You don't have a weapon so you don't need them on your pants."

I guess I just didn't know. I'm glad he enlighted me on the make-shift sheath that are commonly known as belt loops. It's Jesse's first PSA I guess!