My Wild Man

This is my baby who is no longer a baby.  Will.  Doing one of his favorite things: playing cars. 

"Oh, there's a camera pointed at me?  Better be extra cute."

He'll be 3 in April.  I've always said that I love the "two's" when it comes to toddler development.  I also love, LOVE babies- but the 2's bring more personality, humor, spunk, and activity that surpasses chasing a crawling baby or toddling toddler.  Two-year olds DO things and their play encompasses more than drooling over a plastic block (don't get me wrong, though- I love watching babies drool over their toys).  And all of these things have rung true during Will's time as a two-year old. 

He is full of personality, humor, spunk, and activity and does a marvelous job of keeping his mom on her toes.  When he stops moving & playing, it's to eat, sleep (although while he is a fabulous sleeper, he is quite the wiggleworm even as he snoozes), or pause while he considers what his next activity should be.  And sometimes, "activity" equals mischief. 

Sitting in Time Out.  So boring.

This is the kid who has, to date (and just to name a few):

- written on the nice couch (i.e., the one without holes & tears that we aren't embarrassed for company to see) with pencil.  Did you know the eraser doesn't work very well on fabric?

- drew on the walls with a black, dry erase marker (that was today).

- snuck into the laundry room, then used one of his chairs to climb upon and reach the Shout stain spray, then proceeded to spray my CLEAN, dry sheets in the dryer.  And then for good measure, sprayed the doorknob, so that when I entered the laundry room, my hand was soaked.  It was like I'd been booby-trapped.

- dumped Tide detergent from an economy sized box all over the laundry room floor.  That was a fun one.  The mess left me speechless and motionless.  Completely overwhelmed, I said to Jeff, "I just don't even know how to begin."  And because he's a good husband, he made the mess disappear.  

- created a makeshift "bowl" of cereal on his table by transferring the dry cereal he was snacking on in a Ziploc bag to the table's surface, and mixing it in with the milk from his cup.  

- pulled 90% of the bath towels from the linen closet and lined our upstairs hallway with them.

- bathed himself with something not at all soapy.  Picture a runner at the end of a marathon on a hot day who douses his hair, face, and body with a bottle of water.  Now picture a 2-year old (who's not at all hot or sweaty) doing the same, but indoors on carpet with a cup full of sticky orange juice.  This also happened 5 minutes before it was time to leave, so he got to experience his first shower as I scrubbed juice out of his hair.

- rubbed Vaseline in his hair.  He looked like a greaser whose negligent mother hadn't bathed him in a month.

- lathered Jeff's gel in his hair.  Who cares that you're only supposed to use a dime sized amount?  Directions are merely suggestions.

- and one of my personal favorites, acquired a straw that he then used to slurp Skye's water out of her bowl.  I suppose he was too dignified to lap up the water with his tongue- hence, the straw.

A lot of this happened before Jeff & I went door to door and put a doorknob protector on every knob. Before, we only had the protectors on bathroom doors and the doors leading outside.  But clearly, linen closets and laundry rooms, and hey- while we're at it, bedrooms (except for Will's), can also have a protector.  Better to be safe than sorry- or sticky or messy.

I'm typing with one hand and knocking frantically on wood with the other so as not to jinx myself, but as of late, it seems we've toned down on the mischief a notch.  Maybe the doorknob protectors played a role, but I think it's also because Will is maturing just a smidge.  He is still a handful and challenges me regularly.  These days, as we near the 3's, it's not always mischievous actions that I'm dealing with.  It's backtalk.  
Like,
"Will, if you're done, please clean up the toys over there that you dumped out."
"No, YOU clean up the toys, Mama!!"

Or,
"Mama!  Come here and help me right NOW!!"

It's a work in progress.  And frequent reminders to stop yelling and use good manners.  And daily lessons for me to remember PATIENCE.  (To be fair and give credit where credit is due, his older brothers also play a significant part in giving me lessons on patience too.)

My little redheaded spitfire is wilder than his big brothers ever were.  Spunkier too.  You'd think a mom would find parenting her 3rd child a piece of cake since it's kind of old hat, but nope- every kid is different.  He's loud, messy, rough, and occasionally, a disrespectful troublemaker.  

BUT.

He's full of life and zest.  And he invests the same amount of energy into his laughs, playfulness, silliness, and enthusiastic hugs and kisses as he does his troublesome moments.  He has one of the best smiles I've ever seen that goes straight to his beautiful eyes and makes it obvious that he's a happy kid.
He calls me "Mama", which I love to hear him say.   And he usually punctuates every sentence with it.
"Hold my hand, Mama."
"Wait for me, Mama."
"Come here and sit with me, Mama."

He has started saying, "I love you too."  And even more recently, he initiates it, coming over and squeezing me with his tight hug, and saying, "Looove you!"

When he hears me say, "Ouch!", he always asks, "You otay, Mama?"

And the other day, when he asked for a peppermint patty, I handed it to him and said, "This is the last one.  We don't have any more left."  Without hesitation, he broke it into two halves, handed one to me and said, "Here you go, Mama."

Any kid who shares chocolate without being asked obviously has a big heart.

He's wild & crazy, and he'll probably turn my hair prematurely gray and make me worry about him as a teenager (and adult), but he's mine.  And I truly can't imagine my life without him.

These kids make me laugh

I don't think I'm biased when I say this.  I really think I'm just stating a fact.  My boys are funny.  They all have a great sense of humor.  And clearly they've learned this character trait from me and Jeff because we are hilarious.

The other night after dinner, we stayed at the table playing an impromptu "Would You Rather" session.  I believe this is an actual game that basically gives you 2 really difficult things to choose between...like, "Would you rather eat a tarantula or have 50 tarantulas crawling all over your body?"  I've never played, but I believe that's the gist of it.  We were playing our own version, though, sans game board or cards, and I loved some of the choices Alex and Jacob came up with.

Would you rather...

...have no socks so your feet are cold OR get eaten by a snake?

Wow...it's like Sophie's choice with this one.  I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm going to go with no socks on my feet.

...go to the doctor OR have to hide in a hole with a bunny?

I hate going to the Dr.  So, unless the bunny looks like this

I choose hanging out with the bunny in a hole.

...(this one was directed at me personally)  look like a boy OR get banged on the head in the street and have to go to the hospital?

After a Hillary Clinton-esque haircut back in college, I've done the whole "look like a boy" thing.  So, assuming the head injury isn't life threatening or brain damaging, I choose that.

...lay in your bed OR get eaten by a lion?

Tricky one.  Good thing my motto is to always choose lie in my bed.  Unless the other option is have a lifetime supply of peppermint patties.

...have no Doritos OR have no peppermint patties?

Crap.  As much as it pains me, I have to go with no Doritos.  

...not have a dog OR not have privates?

I love dogs.  But I also like having privates. Pass.

...get run over OR have to walk and carry cardboard to Virginia?

Gosh, I've already got a head injury from my choice up above.  I'm not sure I could survive getting run over as well.  I guess I'll carry cardboard.

From Jeff to the boys:  Would you rather have no eyebrows OR have no hair?

Jacob:  (without hesitation)  Definitely no hair.  I don't care about being bald...I care about my eyebrows. 


Then the game evolved into impossible to answer jokes.  We're pretty smart, but there was just no figuring out the answers to Alex's sophisticated, highly complex jokes.

Q:  Why did the cow cross the road?
A:  So he could laugh at the clown wearing the big, red nose.

Q:  Why did the boy run around the table?
A:  Because a tiger was chasing him.


And because this also made me laugh, I have to share a conversation Jacob and I had after school the other day.

Jacob:  "Know what movie is coming out?  "The Original Butter."
Me:  "Who on earth is Butter?"
J:  "You know...butter."
Me:  "I've never heard of him.  Is he a cartoon character?"
J:  "No.  You know, like butter that you put on bread."
Me:  "'The Original Butter'??  Really?  What is it about?"
J:  "It's just all about butter, I guess.  When it was first made, how they make it...you know."
Me:  "Did you see a preview for it or something?"
J:  "No.  Jimmy brought a bag of popcorn to school that he got at the movies.  And on the bag it said Original Butter."

His smile and laugh after I explained the misunderstanding was adorable.  But just in case he's right and I'm wrong, keep an eye out for this future blockbuster at a movie theater near you.

A Soon to be Preschooler

It's not quite time for Will to begin preschool...but it will be soon.  As in, 8 months soon (and the older I get, the quicker 8 months flies by).  Then, before I know it, I'll have a preschooler!  (And a 1st & 3rd grader!)

Because he will attend the 3-year old class in September a few months after turning three, and because registration is beginning now, we decided to tour the preschool.  It's the same preschool both Jacob and Alex attended for 2 years each, so I can find my way around with my eyes closed.  Will was with me every time I dropped Alex off in his classroom, but he was so young.  I was excited for him to see the classrooms and know that it would soon be HIS school.  To add even more excitement to the trip, we were tagging along on an official tour that Kerri & Camden signed up for.  She is also registering Camden for preschool and the BFF's will be in the same 3-year old class.  It will be awesome for them to be classmates.

Double Trouble.  And Camden.

We walked around with the Preschool Director, who is so comforting and kind.  We saw the playground (where the boys spent the entire time trying to figure out how they could break through the fence and get in), the lunchroom, the Discovery Room (think a 1 room museum devoted to a certain theme each month), and of course, the two 3-year old classrooms.  The classrooms were empty during our visit because the students were either at lunch or recess, so Will and Camden had the place to themselves.  And they took full advantage.

Ignore the serious expressions.  They were having fun, but sometimes play requires intense concentration faces.

Nostalgia struck hard as I entered Jacob's 3-year old classroom.  I could remember clearly the spot where we hugged goodbye, and the corner he ran over to to begin playing.  I  had the same wave of memories in Alex's 3-year old class.  I could vividly picture the spot where he gave me a sweet 3-year old smile before I left, and the little kitchen along the wall where he began to play as I stepped out.

I was grateful that this tour was just a practice run, because I also vividly remember crying after dropping the big boys off for their first days of preschool.  I want Will to be excited about school (and he is), but that doesn't mean I want it to get here quickly.  At least I know that first day is always harder for the parent than the preschooler.  And I know he'll have his best friend/cousin to experience it with.

2012 in Pictures

Happy New Year!

Since I slacked on my blog for the vast majority of 2012, I decided to post a quick Year in Review to catch up.  Obviously, I'm not going to have a picture for every event in our lives that happened in 2012, but I'm trying to touch on the big stuff.  Here we go!

Not much happened in January, so let's start with February.

I turned 35.  Ugh.  My mom made me my very own "birthay" cake.  (Sorry, Mom.  It's just so cute that I had to post it.  I kept my promise that I wouldn't post it on Facebook!)  In spite of the icing typos, it was absolutely delicious.

 

As a first grader, Jacob attended his first school dance.  He never passes up an opportunity to wear "handsome clothes".

 

In March, the big boys began their first season of baseball.  They even got to be on the same team (along with their cousin, Daniel), which was convenient for us, and fun & comforting for them. 

 

 

Jeff & I were very impressed with how well they played, particularly since it was their first time playing on a team!

 

Also in March, I got 6 inches chopped off my hair.  And since then, it's even gotten a little bit shorter.  As someone who has always felt more comfortable with a lot of hair, this was a pretty big event for me.  Hence, I feel it's worthy of the Year in Review.

 

 

Nan turned 60 in March!  My sister, dad, Aunt JoAnn and I worked together to throw a surprise party for her, and she was completely clueless.  About the party- not clueless in general.

 

In April, both of the big boys won the Game Ball.  Alex won for being the Offensive Player of the Game, and Jacob for Defensive Star. 

 

 

Just for kicks in April, I tied balloons around Will's wrist to make him scream.

 

 

Actually, it was my first attempt at a 2-year portrait of him. My baby turned TWO on the 23rd. Luckily, I figured out that the wagon would be more cooperative than Will about holding the balloons in place.

 

Will was going through a big Elmo (or, "Momo") phase, so that was the theme of his party.  He loved the cake I made for him, and did a fantastic job of blowing out the candles all by himself.  And not surprisingly at all, he loved being the center of attention as everyone he loves sang Happy Birthday to him.  Two years old!

 

 

In May, Jeff turned 35.  I love his birthday, because that puts a temporary hold on the jokes about being younger than me.  The joke resumes again on my next birthday.

 

 

Pop also has a birthday in May, and just like Nan did in March, he turned 60!  We had a fun celebration, that included billiards & ice cream cake.

 

 

Also in May, Alex stood on a hilltop waiting for rain.

 

 

Not really...really, he was a good sport and posed for his Mom while she practiced silhouettes in photography.

 

Speaking of photography, I had an idea in May to do a Michael Jackson themed photoshoot.  Following in his mother's footsteps, Jacob has become hooked on MJ music and dancing.  Funny how I was the same age when I was obsessed with MJ.  He loved the idea of the photoshoot, and did an awesome job.

 

Also in May, Alex graduated from preschool.  I cried during the ceremony, in part because Aunt Tricia made a photo slideshow complete with sappy songs about enjoying the time with your kids while they're young, but mostly because I knew Kindergarten was next.  Just as I did with Jacob, I knew I would struggle sending Alex to school all day 5 days/week.

 

 

You can feel both sad and proud simultaneously.  Such a bittersweet milestone, and I know I'll also be a wreck when Will graduates in a couple of years.  No, he hasn't even started yet, but I'm allowed to dread his graduation.  Actually, let's just not think that far ahead.

 

 

The following month, Jacob "graduated" from the 1st grade!  He won several awards in the 4th quarter (First Grade Superstar, Creative Writing Award, and Perfect Attendance.  And actually, he won awards every quarter), and had a fantastic year.  He even won his class spelling bee (he won again in his class this year, and was runner-up in the 2nd grade bee!).

 

 

The very next day after Jacob's last day of school in June, we headed to Kure Beach with Nan, Pop, Chris, Kerri, Matt, and Camden!  It was a blast.  We made the most of our time there, visiting the U.S.S. North Carolina, the aquarium, the playground, the Krispy Kreme restaurant, and of course, frequented the beach daily.  I took hundreds of photos, but somehow I have managed to only post a few.

 

On our first evening there, Jeff got a call on his cell from my sister-in-law, Tricia.  About 6 weeks earlier, I had lost my engagement ring.  Long story short, my hand was slammed in the driver's door of my van, and the diamond popped out and landed somewhere in Tricia's yard.  Or driveway.  Or rolled into the road.  I had no idea, but after hours of searching, we couldn't find it.  Due to much dedication and persistence, and in spite of 2 massive thunderstorms and a grass mowing, Tricia managed to find it in her yard!  This was my reaction to her phone call sharing the news. 

 

 

Fun on the beach!

 

 

Our family portrait.  It's rare to have all 5 of us in the same shot!

 

Even rarer to have our entire family in the shot!

 

Right after our beach trip came to an end, it was time to celebrate Jacob's 7th birthday on the 22nd! 

The cake:  (Michael Jackson and his impersonator)

 

 

Me & my sweet 7-year old (well, almost 7 when this was taken a few days before his birthday).

 

 

July was filled with countless trips to the pool, ice cream & popsicles, daily outdoor play, and gallons of sunblock.

 

Alex had swimming lessons in July, and went from being terrified to put his face in the water to this:

 



 

On August 24th, Alex turned five years old!

The cake: (Legos, of course)

 

 

On his actual birthday, Tricia and I took the 4 big kids to the beach.  Since Will hates long car trips and during our family vacation in June, only tolerated the beach for hour long increments, I decided to leave him with Nan & Pop.  This way, we could let the big kids enjoy hours on the beach, plus Will got special 1 on 1 time with his grandparents, and when you're 1 of 3 kids, this is something that does not happen often!

 

Our family trip to the beach in June was very close to Jacob's birthday, and was almost a part of his celebration.  This way, Alex got to enjoy the same kind of celebration.  In spite of the off & on rain, we had a blast and made the most of our time there.

 

 

 

 

Soon after turning 5 and making the age cutoff for Kindergarten by exactly 7 days, it was time for the 1st day of school!  Jacob entered the 2nd grade, and Alex was starting Kindergarten. 

 

Jacob was excited on his 1st day, and has done wonderfully academically, socially, and behaviorally in school.

 

 

 

Alex was a little nervous, which was difficult for me because I was fighting my own emotions about yet another bittersweet milestone.  As I dropped him off in his classroom, he raced out moments later, clung to me, and while fighting tears, he said, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."  Luckily, he has one of the sweetest teachers ever, so she helped escort him in the class with her arm around his shoulder, and gave him a worksheet to color and write on.  Then she gave me her personal cell phone number so I could call her later and check on him.  I was so appreciative.  And when I greeted him after school that day, he had the biggest smile, and told me he loved Kindergarten!  And ever since then, he has thrived and excelled in the classroom. 

 

At the very end of August, conditioning for tackle football began.  Jacob enjoyed flag football last fall, and eagerly awaited the start of football season.   

 

 

It was intense. Practices were held 3 nights/week for 2 hours and games were every Saturday. Jacob was awesome, and impressed me & Jeff so much with his blocking.  Having said that, after seeing 7- and 8-year olds play, I'll be really nervous if Jacob still likes tackle football in junior high and high school.  (That's Jacob on the right, blocking a kid bigger than he is.)

 

Also in August, Alex finally conquered his fear of the slides at the pool!  And right after he did it, he said, "I wanna do that again!"  Finally, he would be able to join in this activity with his big brother and cousins.

 

 

On August 30th, I got a new niece!  Kerri gave birth to Macey Jean, and she is a beauty!  (And a sweetheart.)

 

 

Macey's cousins are crazy about her.

 

Just a few days into the month of September, Alex learned how to ride his bike with no training wheels!  It was a big week for him, since he had also just turned 5 and just started Kindergarten!

 

 

Also in September, I did a lot of keeping Will busy outside so he wouldn't miss his big brothers too much during the day.  That meant a lot of parks and playgrounds, and time with his best friend/cousin, Camden.

 

 



In October, we took the big boys to their very first football game.  Virginia Tech Hokies, of course.  Nevermind the fact that it was 90 degrees, full sun, and the Hokies lost miserably to Carolina (ugh)...it was still a fun experience!  Except the losing part.

 

 

Also in October, Jacob started losing a whole bunch of teeth!  He currently resembles a jack-o-lantern with his top & bottom rows of missing teeth.

 

 

On the 26th of October, Jeff and I celebrated 10 years of marriage.  Ten years of marriage, but 18 years as a couple. 

 

On Halloween, I went trick-or-treating with Super Mario, a stealthy ninja (who was actually very difficult to see that night as he wore all of that black), and a dog.  Yes, he's Scooby-Doo, but since he doesn't know who Scooby is, he's just a dog.

 

 

In November, I decided I wanted to attempt to recreate a painting by one of my very favorite artists: Norman Rockwell.  Instead of painting, I did my own version with a photograph.  Jeff was a great assistant, and the boys were super about cooperating.  Here's Norman's:

 

And here's mine.  Clearly, Will takes the place of Mr. Rockwell's dog.  Fitting, since he always acts like a dog.

 

 

 

And I think that brings us up to speed since I'm caught up in December.  Add in lots of fun with family and friends, field trips, weekly volunteering in Jacob's classroom, and tons of playing outside, and that about sums up our 2012.

 

In addition to my other resolutions for 2013 (to better myself physically, mentally, and spiritually through exercise and more regular church attendance, as well as to continue taking pictures), I want to keep this blog up to date.  And I want this to be a very happy and healthy New Year for me and my family!