For This Season

{melt}

swoon, hand-over-the world.....

"tank you, my pincess"

"you're welcome, my pincess"

"I love you, my pincess"

"hold me, my pincess"

This is what I've been hearing lately from Evan.   He can get just about anything with those words and those sparkly little eyes.  Watch-out girls!   

{interview II)

I did this last year at this time and I have not gone back to see those categories - but, very impromtu tonight - here is what I got from Evan.  I can't wait to compare to last year's responses.

What do you want to be when you grow up:  a bug tiller (killer)

Who is your hero:  Noah (ahhhhhh)

Who is your favorite person:  he pointed to me and later added:   daddy too.

Favorite toy:  a spiderman gun that throws webs (interesting as he doesn't have one)

Favorite color:  red paint

Age:  four (said with a smile as he knows he's only 3.  So much from the no-lying-no-more change)

Favorite food:  mashed potatoes, green beans, cucumbers and torn tob (corn on the cob)

Favorite animal:  "I would say a titty-tat"  he went on......do you remember that titty tat that climbed dat tree and didn't come down - that was ours.

Best Friend:  Noah (ahhhhhhhh)

Girlfriend:  he pointed at me and added "don't tell Daddy!"

Favorite Music:  Jesus music

{explosion}

Today is void of any cute things from Noah - poor child is up to his eyeballs in homework.  First grade is truly a killer!  The only things out of his mouth tonight have been about science and his new chapter book!  Whew!   

But, Evan, my healthy, healthy eater just asked for cucumbers for a late night snack.  I thought we were out.  Between his cucumbers, watermelon and milk - our grocery bill is terrible!  As I told him I thought he had already depleted his supply, he crumbled into tears in a heap on the floor.  A tad dramatic, I would say.  Now, if we had been out of chocolate, it would have totally been appropriate. However, I saved the day as I remembered I had actually restocked.  So, Daddy assisted him while I continued to quiz Noah on his book. 

Along with this fairly healthy taste palate comes a crazy-craving for salt.  A "lotta" salt in Evan's words.  We have to closely monitor because it is out of control.  So, I overheard the following between the sound bites of our latest book...."Daddy, did you put alotta salt on 'em?"  Response:  "no, just a little Evan."  Evan: "are you ture that you didn't put alotta salt on 'em?"  Response:  "I'm sure, Evan."   He quickly licked a few to check them out and was on his way out the kitchen door to resume his movie, then I heard "dat's a good ting Daddy, betause, I relly, relly don't want my heart to explode."

Okay, so I use scare tactics.  I confess.  A mom's got to do, what a mom's got to do!  You can never start to early.  Now, pass me that chocolate.       

{it's in the past}

Evan informed my mom today that he no longer lies.  "I used to tell lies when I was two.  I told alotta lies then.  But, I don't anymore betause I'm three."

Hmm.......not quite so certain that statement is totally truthful?

{tipping the scales}

For me the holidays can present quite the challenge in placing the importance on the important.  The Easter bunny is fun and I love that the kids love that.  And, I have just as much fun putting together their baskets, picking out their clothes, hiding the eggs, baking our traditional cake, etc.  And, of course, so many others strive the make certain the real meaning of this awesome day is not lost in the shuffle(s).  So, today I have taken careful thought to attempting to make a constant rotation of both.  We started off our morning with the doorbell ringing and can you believe, a huge Easter basket filled with goodies on our front step.  Evan was quite convinced that maybe that fake Easter bunny wasn't quite so fake afterall!  Due to my poor planning and heavy lids - we raced to get ready and out the door.  Late again.  That is a lovely reality to get this mommy in the best mood ever.  Not.  I really had to refocus and not blow the entire morning by the frantic grumpies.  Thankfully, I got over it.   The church service was beautiful.  We took Evan this year instead of leaving him in nursery and he soaked so much of it in.  Back home for our quiet Easter dinner with great, focused conversation around the table.  More Easter goodies, the never-ending egg hunts over the course of the afternoon and then, I ran across this.  It is a mixture of scenes from The Passion of the Christ and the song He's Alive.  Very moving, so I pulled the boys (all three) in my office to watch with me.  We were all mesmerized.  Pull your family in and take a peek.....   He's Alive.

Happy Easter!

{happy Easter}

After a great church service, way too much Easter dinner and about 37 egg hunts for the boys and I (but, who's counting?) we had a very simple, laid-back day.  We opted to stay home this year instead of the typical splitting-up-Easter between the two families.  And as much as we hated missing out on all of that fun - it turned out to be quite nice.  A few pics from today and let me preface them with this statement: I do not intentionally leave my eldest child out of the pictures.  Today, as he was zipping around the entire yard like a crazy man, frantically throwing every egg, rock and twig into his basket - Evan was quite close to me because.......well, we cheated.  Yes, we admit that we cheated on Easter of all days.  That poor child needed my help.  Desperately.  So, I would point, pick up, lead and shove him to the eggs - therefore, he was much closer to the lens than that little flash speeding from one end of the yard to the other.  I will declare that not once did I pick up an egg and toss in his basket.  Not once.  Unfortunately, with my help and with the knowledge of where the eggs were placed (as I placed them) - out of those 37+ hunts,  Evan and I only won once.  Once. So, call it mercy-cheating.  (gone bad)

Can we say "sore-loser"?

Looks like I wasn't the only one helping out the cause

Noah counting

and, counting

then, there's our loot.  We just start out counting with the number 10 and it isn't quite so hard to get to 14 or 15.  No matter how many times we count.

Our win.  Our single, solitary win.  No steriods involved.

We were still hunting.  Look who took a break.  22 hunts (at that point) will make you a tad winded.

Just walking.  We were running.

Great day!  Happy Easter boys, I had a wonderful day with you.  I think I may even hide the eggs a few more times over the next week. That was too much fun!  And, a happy Easter to my family in Ok City as well as my friends here at home!!  Love you!

{noted}

I saw it today, my boys are truly becoming best friends.  It took my breath away.

{accusing the Easter Bunny of}

being a.......fake?  Surely, not my sweet little Evan.   During our last trip to Wally World as I picked up speed to fly by the DVDs with hopes that he would not beg and plead, he got distracted, but not by our racing cart that had sparks flying.  No, it was that white furry creature that visits this weekend.  The line was long, but, not too long, but, I needed to get home.  So, I told him that if we came back by, we would stop, maybe the line would be shorter.  We went on to the toy section (yes, I am nuts) and picked up what we needed to as I zipped to the cash registers.  "But, Mommy, you said......."  It was that mommy moment - I could continue to sprint with some lame explaination as to why we couldn't visit with the Easter bunny - or I could slow down long enough - line or no line - to let this little guy enjoy this overgrown bunny.  I opted for the later.  So to the back of the store we go again.   It was definitely meant to be - no line.   So, I picked him up and sat him down for his little walk to the bunny.  He would not move.  He was very, very grounded.   I encouraged and shoved and he finally made his way up to the bunny.  He was frozen.  The bunny heaved him up because as much fur as there was - this was actually a pretty skinny bunny - I would estimate around the age of 16.  That's quite the advanced age for a rabbit.  Evan smiled at the camera, the cheeiest smile you have ever seen in your life. Part smile, part fright plastered on his little face.  We tried to loosen him up, nothing - that awful smile.  She snapped, we tried, nothing could be done.  Not a word.  He would not even look at the bunny.  I thanked the bunny for stopping by during his busy season, lifted Evan back into the cart, that's when he became brave.  And, very loud.

"You are not de real Easter Bunny, you a fake!  You not real!  He's not real mommy."   I explained that no, he doesn't look like our "real bunnies' but, that he is the real Easter Bunny and just stopped by on his way to get everything ready for Easter.  "I know he not real.  He doesn't look real.  He doesn't act real.  He's a fake. He's a fake bunny".  I cupped my hand over his mouth and proceeded to tell him this was the real bunny and all of the kids waiting in line really did not want to hear this nonsense.   Do you think he stopped?  Oh, no.  Just about every day since, at least once, he asks me why did I take him to a fake bunny, now that real bunny is "donna be mad".    You would think he would believe anything after our dark-complected burglur Santa. 

Maybe he's the one who tripped the tooth Fairy.  Maybe she isn't so clumsy afterall. 

{follow-up}

A bruise is present.  Just call me Grace.

{the tooth fairy stumped her toe and had a near-fatal crash landing}

Noah is minus another baby tooth.  This loss lead to total, chaos and a very absent minded tooth fairy.  The first night, we forgot to put it under the pillow. Noah realized, devastation hit rather quickly.  I explained the well-known 24-hour grace period.  No sweat, no worries.  THEN, can you believe that pesky little tooth fairy FORGOT.AGAIN?!  Oh, yeah and this morning when he came carrying the tooth to me in tears, I nearly went down.  But, quick thinking kicked in and the very important aid of my friend, Christy who had spent the night with her kiddos.  I raced him to her room with a panicked look I am certain all over my face informed her as I was fleeing explaining on the way out the door that she needed to explain to him why the tooth fairy sometimes left teeth.  I RAAANNNNN to the garage and went through every nook and cranny of my purse.  No bills.  I RAAAANNNNN back through the house, locked my bedroom door, screamed at Scott to help me find some money in the "piggy bank" he grabbed a $20, I pleaded - that was a no-go.  He did not think this tooth was worth $20 - to me it was worth more because of the failure of a mother I had become.  He pulled out a stash of ones, I raced back not knowing quite what to do with it - then as I reached for the door knob to race back to the living room to put it under Austin's pillow and explain there had just been a mix up - the knock.  The request.  "Mom, let me in"  I raced back to the bed, tripped on my toe (completely jamming it) my toe somehow hit my thigh (do NOT ask, I'm not even sure myself - but, I do think I'm bruised)  flew across the bed, pushed the money under my pillow, hobbled back to the door, opened it with a "oh, hi, Noah, what do you need?"  He raced to the bed, flew (quite gracefully, I might add) reached under my pillow - ALL smiles.   The pure and utter relief was being overtaken by my toe at this point.  I hobbled into Christy's room, got a little chastisement for taking so long as Noah is not real gullible.  Or, so we thought.  I petted my poor toe.  My thigh was throbbing, but with a very dear friends help and an explaination that the tooth fairy will often leave money under the mommy's pillow and the tooth for the mommy to keep as a sweet reminder.  And, just HOW did I know to put the money under my pillow matching her story.  Because, we had sat up the night before as she told me things she had done when the tooth fairy was a no-show or had not cash on her at her house.  She had ALOT of stories (hehe) and thankfully, she pulled the right one out of the hat.  Thanks Christy!! 

I think I am going to exterminate that tooth fairy.  She has wrecked havoc in this household.  Until the next tooth!  And, by the way, this was the tooth that had the near extraction from the sucker a few months back. It fell out.

Also, for the record, I know the above contains many errors in typing as well as grammar - will proof later because, I have to get back to work now. ;( 

Addendum:  should we just exterminate the tooth fairy?  To be published - Evan's encounter with the Easter Bunny in Wal-Mart.  Not a pretty sight.