Big Thanks To My Peeps!

Hi there!

It's me, Jack Jack.

I want to tell all of you how much I appreciated the cards, balloons and gifts you sent me for my tonsillectomy. It sure did help make my recovery a lot more fun!

It's been two weeks since my surgery and Mommy isn't spoiling me anymore. I'm still trying to milk it as best I can, but she's catching on. It was fun while it lasted.

Love to all,

Jack Jack

PS-My friends, Erin & Riley, made me a gazillion homemade cards. Aside from the ones you see hung on our wall, there were 17 more that Mommy couldn't fit!

First Communion!

Evan made his First Communion on Saturday.

We are SO proud of him!

Here are some pictures of his special day~

Balloon Wishes & An Athletic Dream Come True

Yesterday the boys and I spent a greater portion of the day soaking up the warm rays of the Colorado sun. Yes, I said SUN. It's finally here!

Evan, Luke and Jack love to release balloons into the air and make wishes as they float to the sky. (If you saw the pictures of Jack's balloon bouquet he received for his surgery, you know we haven't a shortage.) Evan and Luke approached Jack as nonchalantly as possible and were able to convince him to donate some of his balloons for wishing purposes. Jack gave each boy 2 balloons and outside we went.

Here's a picture of the boys releasing their balloons.

And here's a picture of Logan making a break for the house once he figured out the logistics of a balloon release.

Later that afternoon, while in the backyard, I made my rounds with each boy, playing their sport of choice.

And it hit me. (No, it wasn't a ball in the face, but just as profound.)

To my boys, I am an athlete. I can throw a frisbee with great accuracy and precision. Each football that leaves my hands spirals through the air (almost every time). I know the rules of 'pig' and I frequently win.

If you know me well, you know I don't have an athletic bone in my body.

Not one.

I wince at anything that flies towards my face, and I lack coordination......big time.

But as I played with my boys, I realized that at this particular time in their lives, they think I've got skill. Do you know how many times I heard "Mom, you're really good at that!" over the past few days? It feels good. So good.

All my life I've dreamed of being more of an athlete. I have a few talents that I'm very grateful for, but a little athleticism sprinkled on top would be a great tool as I raise 5 boys. As they grow older, they're bound to discover that this 'all pro' mom is a phony. That terrifies me. What else have I to impress them?

Today I plan on asking Jack to loan me one of his remaining 37 balloons. I have a wish to make. I want to remain 'a star' in the eyes of my boys for as long as possible.

Call my current rise to fame luck. Call it whatever you like.

I call it my balloon wish come true.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

God took the strength of a mountain

The majesty of a tree

The warmth of a summer sun

The calm of a quiet sea

The generous soul of nature

comforting arm of night

The wisdom of the ages

The power of the eagle's flight

The joy of a morning in spring

The faith of a mustard seed

The patience of eternity

The depth of a family need

Then God combined these qualities

With nothing more to add

He knew His masterpiece was complete

And so,
He called it ... Dad
- Author Unknown

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH.

LOVE,

EVAN, LUKE, JACK, LOGAN & BABY WES

(and mommy too)

My Surgical Journey...

Leaving the house at 7:00 AM

Getting prepped and looking cool!

Cozy in Mommy's lap with my new hospital bear!

Ummmmm.....VALIUM!

My cute room!

Post-op!

Mom & Dad were ready to leave, but I didn't intend to leave any jello behind!

Heading home!

The biggest balloon bouquet you've ever seen!

Thank you Pocky, Dee, Papa, Uncle Mark, Aunt Sheila, Austin, OB, Zach, Gabe, Uncle Al, Uncle Peter, Lolly, JP & Uncle Big Dan!

Safe and warm in Mommy's bed...just like she promised.

THE END

Can I save them, mom?

Hi there. It's me, Jack.

Tomorrow is my big day. The Dr. is going to take this big 'fwoat' out of my mouth.

People keep promising me jello, pudding, ice cream and popsicles. I'll believe it when I see it. Mommy says I can sleep in her bed as many nights as I want. I want that in writing.

Dr. Walker told me no climbing, running, wrestling or jumping for two weeks. (I don't think Dr. Walker remembers what it's like to be a boy) I've been busy getting it out of my system all day.

Gotta go. I found a better chair to jump from.

Love,

Jack Jack

Am I The Only Mom This Happens To?

You know it's a Monday when your son's teacher sends you an email saying he's been singing 'Rock Me Amadeus' in class all day.

We try so hard, pretending to be as normal of a family as possible.

(You know.....like the Walton's or the Cleaver's.)

Way to blow our cover, Ev.

Unruly Diners...

My boys are supposed to be eating.

"Sit down!" I keep repeating.

They're driving me nuts-
Man, they've got guts.
My boys who are supposed to be eating.

Jiminy Cricket-

We're busy hunting for bugs......

what are you up to?

Time To Catch Up...

I've been lagging behind my peers in the blogging world lately. Although I'm never short on topics to write about, I am short on the time it takes to do so. Here's the lowdown on our busy family.

Grab a cup of coffee and get comfy. (I decided I'd shake things up a bit and go youngest to oldest this time. I like to live on the edge.) Here we go...

Wes-Little Wes is changing so quickly. He is trying desperately to crawl, but his little arms can't hold the weight of his heavy upper body and big head. He gets on all fours and within seconds his arms begin to shake and he falls flat on his face. It's a very frustrating time in his life.

To top things off, he's getting his two bottom teeth. He's Fuss McGuss and isn't sleeping well. As a mom, I'm mourning the loss of his toothless grin greeting me every morning and smelling sweet baby breath when I kiss him. (Every parent knows that once teeth come in, you can kiss baby breath goodbye. Lorie loves baby breath just as much as I.) I know I'm in for a bumpy road with many 'lasts' ahead of me. It's sad to see your youngest grow up.

Logan-Logan will turn 2 in June, and for the life of me, I can't figure out where the time went. It seems like yesterday when he was the one learning to crawl. He is a typical toddler...with a twist. I would stand to challenge any mom who has a 22 month old that thinks he/she is more active than mine. My favorite thing about Logey right now is his speech. He is saying three words together and I have to turn around to see which child is speaking to me. It throws me off my game.

Like his big brother, Luke, Logan's discovered bugs and isn't afraid to handle and examine whatever he can catch. It's really quite disturbing. He's sweet, energetic and 100% boy. I wouldn't trade him for the world. (But I may rent him out for a day or two. Let me know if you're interested.)

Jack Jack-Jack is 3 going on 30. I know I'm biased, but the kid is bright! He asked me how to spell Mom the other day and I yelled from the other room, "M - O - M." He pranced into the kitchen 2 minutes later with a large yellow sheet of paper with the word MOM scrawled in the center. It brought me to tears. Might I add....his penmanship is far better than Declan's.

Jack is having his tonsils and adenoids out on April 16. His tonsils are the size of golf balls (a slight exaggeration, but they are huge!) and it's interfering with his sleeping and eating. I'm a nervous wreck. Dec and I had ours out on the same day, but we were in 2nd and 5th grade. How can I possibly prepare Jack for the pain he will encounter? I know the end result will be amazing, but I wish we could zap ourselves there.

Duke-Luke will be starting kindergarten in less than 3 months. I'm really having a hard time with this. It's so weird to think of him as being 5 now! I think he is most excited to ride the bus home with Evan. Evan has vowed to show him the seats "kindergartners are allowed to sit in" (whatever that means) and to make sure he doesn't get off at the wrong stop. My heart is pacing already.

Luke looks at the mountains every morning for signs of spring. Little by little, the small amount of snow visible only on the highest peaks is beginning to fade away. A definite sign of spring. More importantly, it's a sign that we will soon venture for our first tip this year to Pa John's house in Westcliffe. Luke's favorite destination.

Revvin' Evan-Evan is doing great in school and absolutely loves it! His favorite subjects are reading/writing and math. He has authored several books that I continue to find in various places throughout the house. He has come a long way since his first book (written last year) that depicted me as a nice mom who spends her day sleeping.

Evan is busy working hard and studying to make his First Communion on April 25. He couldn't be happier, and neither could we! We went shopping last week and bought him a new suit and tie for the occasion. Evan LOVES dressing up and is looking forward to this special day.

There's more to write, but that's enough for now. I promised the boys I'd take them on a field trip today to Pet's Mart. We walk around looking at the animals for over an hour. It's free, and highly entertaining. You should meet us sometime!

Ciao!

Amy

An Unwelcome Visitor...

Everyone knows how the story goes...

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.

When you give him a glass of milk, he'll probably ask for a straw.

When he's finished, he'll ask for a napkin.

Then he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk moustache.

And so on and so forth.

In these tough economic times, we have no extra cookies and we can't afford to dish out another glass of milk.

Which is why we had no choice, but to trap our little visitor. Success was ours at 11:00 last night. You understand, right?

R.I.P. little mousy. Let this be a warning to your friends.

*All credit goes to my wonderful hubby who not only set the trap, but cleaned up the carcass as well. (I prepared the peanut butter and cheese.) You're the bomb, hon!