Globetrotters

Tonight, we had the treat of taking the kids to see the Harlem Globetrotters. Both the boys are really in to basketball right now and they were in awe of these incredible players! It was a fun time had by all.


One of my favorite moments tonight was an indication of the new pecking order in our family. Bryon took ME to get popcorn, and when he returned, ME held the bag of popcorn and took turns shoving fistfuls of popcorn into the boys' mouths! Queen Bee, ME!

Oddly, the program was touted as family entertainment although it was still going strong at 9 o'clock on a school night when we left. A little late for my kindergartener!

Of course, Matthew is firmly convinced now that he will be a Globetrotter one day and he was happy to show off all his new "moves" when we got home. Dream big, little guy!

Why did I do it?

It is now close to midnight. I am usually in LaLa Land at 10:30 so it is really late for me! I started reading Marley and Me yesterday and couldn't put it down.

I knew what was coming. I knew it.

No best selling, self-respecting, book about a dog ends before the dog's life does. Still, I continued. Not to spoil the ending, but Marley dies. Don't worry, he was 13 and it was his time, but nothing chokes me up more than animal stories. Now I can't sleep because I have been crying. Why couldn't I have waited to finish it until tomorrow?

Book news and dogs

I started and finished Friendship Cake on Saturday. It was a cross between Mitford series, Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Steel Magnolias. Of course, since it is a modern book, it also has a token homosexual. It isn't shoved in the readers face like it is in almost all movies and TV shows these days, but still, it is really necessary?Overall a sweet book. I would recommend it.









I am now reading Marley and Me. It is about the adventures of a dog owner and his hyperactive lab. Much of the book reminds me of the first years with our black lab, Angus. Bryon and I got him when we had been married 4 months. He was the center of our universe. He was also huge and very energetic. We figured he needed a companion, so we got him a girlfriend. Maggie was a beautiful blonde who looked like she had eye liner on. We loved both of them, but they quickly destroyed our yard.


Two months after we moved to our current house, (and seven years ago tomorrow) Bryon and I attended a wedding. When we returned home, we had a message from a man who had our dog, Maggie. We were very confused until we called this man. Apparently, Maggie and Angus had escaped our house and were returning to our old house. They made it quite a ways up a very busy street, but then tragedy struck. Maggie darted out into traffic and Angus ran after her. Angus was hit and died instantly. Maggie was shaken up but was rescued by this nice man. He cried when he told us the story.

Losing Angus was extremely hard on me. He was my "first baby" and my heart sank every time I thought of how he died. Maggie became everything to me. I even took her picture with me when I went on vacation. The day we brought Matthew home from the hospital, I looked at Maggie and realized that she wasn't a baby. She really was a dog! It got harder and harder to take care of Maggie. She was horribly frightened of ambulance sirens and when a fire house was built near our house, she howled all night long. It was hard enough getting up a lot with Matthew, but Maggie as well? I was also completely engrossed in Matthew and didn't spend near enough time with her. I know that sounds awful, but we decided it was time to find a new home for her.

We eventually gave her to a man who owned a florist in town. He had tons of acres and Maggie fit right in. It was a relief knowing that she was happy and had lots of new playmates.

I don't know when we will ever own a dog again. I know the kids will want one, and I don't want to deprive them of the experience of owning a dog, but I am not pushing it! Who needs another body to clean up after and feed and climb all over me?

Saturday mornings

Yes, Saturday mornings are sacred family time in the Barnhill house as well as most homes in the country. While I can't imagine a bad one, this morning was particularly great. A thunderstorm rolled through this morning bringing much needed rain. We haven't had this much since August! Nothing like waking up to a thunderstorm. As Beth Moore would say, "Can I get an Amen?"

As I was waking up, I smelled the wonderful combination of coffee brewing and cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. Bryon went out with the guys last night and I think he was making it up to me!

Yes, Saturday morning. There are few other two word combinations that can bring a huge smile to my face. Here are a few others:

God's grace
hot coffee
fresh cookies
filet mignon
girlfriend lunches
romantic dates
back massages
baby breath
funny movies
engrossing books
Cape Cod
snow days
norther fronts
Christmas Eve
turkey dinner
pecan pie
comfortable jeans
clean house
roaring fires
uncontrollable laughter
Alabama football
sister talks
mom talks
sleeping in
manicure/pedicure
hot baths
Children's Place
kids sports
footy pajamas
Matthew dates
Thomas dates
Mary Beth
fancy restaurants
The Office
Grey's Anatomy
new clothes
Food Network
quiet time
long drives

Nothing beats them!

Snip it salad

I am a food kick kind of gal. If something tastes good to me, I eat it over and over again. My sophomore year in college, I ate Cream of Wheat every day! Lately, I have been eating snip it salad once, if not twice, a day. My girlfriends and I made it for a friend's small, sit down dinner, baby shower last year, and I didn't make it much until December. Now, I can't wait to eat it every day!

Snip it salad
(Named this because all you have to do is snip open packages to make it)

1 bag spring mix salad greens
craisens
glazed walnuts
feta cheese (of course, I omit this one!)
raspberry viniagrette

Such a beautiful and delicious salad. I think I need another bowl!

Is this week over yet?

Ohhhh, its only Wednesday. When will the weekend get here?

Everyone is over the throw up thing. It was fast and furious. Today Matthew went back to school, Bryon went back to work, and Thomas resumed his usual routine. Mary Beth still isn't quite herself.

Being still fairly new to the whole mothering a girl thing, I am constantly amazed at the differences in boys and girls.

Case in point:

The threshold before crying for:
Matthew-Some sort of injury involving blood.
Thomas- Getting sent to his room.
ME- Because it's Wednesday. Why not cry?

Poor little thing cried all day. Don't get me wrong, she normally has a very sunny, happy disposition. Not today. I pretty much held her all day. I don't know if she still feels yuck although I doubt it. Everyone got over it really fast. Maybe its her four teeth coming in. Maybe it's just Wednesday.

Hell hath no fury like....

A stomach virus running rampant through our entire family!

In the past 36 hours I have:

*Received a call at Matthew's school that his tummy hurt.

*Woken my sleeping baby up to pick Matthew up from school.

*Held Thomas's head while he threw up after I put said baby in car.

*Picked up Matthew who played and was happy all afternoon.

*Took Matthew to piano lessons because he was feeling much better.

*Gotten a call that Matthew threw up at lessons all over the piano at Baylor and the new clothes that I had just cut the tags on.

*Woken up at 3:30 in the morning to a screaming Thomas. Run in to their room in a panic that he had thrown up again. Turns out he can't find "Footby" his Seattle Seahawk football!

*Gotten the kids up to take them to MDO this morning as well as get ready for my doctor's appointment.

*Held ME while she threw up all over the kitchen.

*Put the kids in the car to take healthy and well Matthew and Thomas to school. School nurse said to wait one more day before bringing him to school as a stomach virus has been going around. On the way to drop off Thomas, ME throws up all over her outfit and carseat.

*Race home to change ME and get the final things ready for my trip to the doctor. Baby has really, really bad diaper (need I elaborate?) and change her again.

*Call Bryon in route to the doctor to please meet me there so he can watch the two kids I have. At doctor, ME has another explosion and leaks all over her third outfit and on my sweater.

*Endure a trip to the eye doctor smelling a tad like diahrrea!

*Said good bye and good luck to Bryon as he leaves with the two kids and heads to WalMart to buy new pants for ME and take the kids to work with him. God bless him!

*Went to appointment. Come home to find Bryon incapacitated with same stomach virus. Take care of Bryon and ME, the newest victims of virus.

*Prayed very hard that I don't get it!

My first blogiversary!

One year ago today I started blogging. I remember talking to SG right before ME was born and she was describing what it was. At the time, I couldn't imagine enjoying something like that. Over the next few months, I started reading several blogs and got sucked in!

My primary purpose for blogging was (and continues to be) to document the day to day life of my kids. I was forgetting funny stories about the kids and needed a way to be held accountable to write them down! Last month, I started looking over old entries and read things the kids said and did that I had forgotten. Oh, how I wished I had started sooner!

Another benefit has been getting to know many people in the blog community. I enjoy reading about your lives and children. I also enjoy keeping up with a few friends that way, although most of my friends hardly know how to operate a computer!

I never would have dreamed that I would still be here one year later. Thanks for reading and thanks for the hours of enjoyment I have received reading your blogs as well!

A showerful weekend

Well, we finally are settling down after a busy weekend with two wedding showers. Michael and Jilinda came home yesterday morning. There was a couple's shower last night hosted by my dad's colleagues at Baylor and a church shower today. I can't believe that my brother is getting married in 6 weeks! The showers this weekend have helped to make it real.

We enjoyed getting to meet Jilinda's parents and seeing old friends. I was so glad that Kristen and Kevin got to come. Seeing their kids grow up through her blog and pictures is fun, but I enjoy seeing them in real life!

I can't believe how tired I am after having a few social events this weekend. I guess I am just used to staying home all the time.

Here is their engagement announcement. Scroll down to Robinson-Sowers on the left hand side.

The first half of Friday

Well, Mary Beth hasn't had any fever since 3:00 this morning, She woke up crying and wouldn't settle down until I put her in bed with us after about 4:00.

I will admit, that it was sweet hearing her say, "Mama! Mama!" in her crib. A consolation for a night of interrupted sleep is knowing that I am the one that can make ME's world better.

Something I hate about myself is that generally, when I am woken up in the middle of the night, I can't go back to sleep. I have been up since 3:00!

Fortunately, I was able to catch up on my TiVo'd shows at 4 in the morning. Unfortunately, I am exhausted at 9:40 a.m! This will be a no make up, warm up wearing, pot of coffee drinking, low key day!

I am grateful that the fever seems to be over. Maybe the dreaded "VIRUS" only wanted a quick visit.

The last half of Thursday

I took ME to the doctor. She couldn't find anything bacterial so she thinks that she just has a virus. It sounds strange, but I would rather her have strep throat and have an antibiotic instead of "wait and see--she might feel better tomorrow or she might feel sick for 10 days." Yuck!

Well, the Black Ninjas continue their winning streak. They are 2-0 and the boys are on top of the world. Matthew asked me tonight if they qualified for the national championship yet! (This after watching Glory Road this weekend.)

Here is hoping that little ME isn't up all night!

Mother's Day In

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I drop the younger two off at church for Mother's Day Out. Many of my friends use this time to run errands. I like to run my errands on the weekends and a few during the week when I have the kids home with me so I can enjoy the time at home by myself. I also try at least one of the days to eat with friends-either coffee, breakfast, or lunch.

I usually clean the house, cook for the night, read, catch up on tivo'd shows. Spending the time in a quiet/clean house fills my Mommy bank up so I am ready for the withdrawls during the rest of the week! I have always been someone who needed alone time, and I think the lack of that is the hardest thing about having children at home.

After I dropped the kids off, I went to grab a coffee with a friend. While I was there, MDO called me to let me know ME had a fever! She was perfectly happy this morning and they said that she acted fine until about a 1/2 hour into it. She became lethargic and was running 101 degree fever. This is only her second fever of her life and she looked so pitiful when I went to pick her up.

We are having company come this weekend as my brother and his fiance are having two wedding showers this weekend. To err on the side of caution, I am taking Baby Girl to the doctor to make sure it is nothing serious. Actually, I just looked at the clock and I have got to go! Wish us luck!

Little ME Lou Who

Looking back on recent posts, I realized that I have written a great deal about the boys but not as much about ME. This might not be interesting to anyone but me, but I feel the need to write this down. Here is what my 17 month old is doing now:



*She talks constantly. Of course, most of it we don't understand but she seems to love the sound of her own voice! Almost every morning, she wakes up around 8 but I don't get her out of bed until she begins to cry almost 2 hours later because she is entertaining herself. Yes, I know how blessed I am!

*She mimics everything we say to her. Same prosody and length of utterance in baby talk. Some of the things she is saying: no, mama, dada, baba, mama, nana, deedah, yaya, josh, mamo (michael), ball, football, zoo, turtle, lion, otter, bow, shoes, nose, ear, elmo, juice, please ("eeeeeee!"), hello, bye bye, food, down.

At the moment, her favorite of these is "No". She will strut around with her lips puckered saying, "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

*Her MDO teachers call her "Little Miss Thang". She already has a bit of Scarlett O'Hara in her. VERY DRAMATIC! When she doesn't get what she wants, she melts to the floor. We have actually had to start spanking for that this week. If someone she loves hurts her feelings, she holds a grudge for up to 15 minutes. She will see the "offender" after she has stopped crying and start again.

*She is very outgoing. She is happy going to strangers and has never cried going to church or class.

*She sticks to Bryon like glue when hwe is home for fear that he will leave her and go to work. When he says, "I gotta go!" she starts crying and I have to pry her off of him much to his heart ache.

*One of the biggest delights in her life is her brothers. They baby and pamper her so I don't blame her! When I pick her up out of her crib, she starts leaning around the corner with her lips puckered waiting to see "Baba".

*She loves football and cars and she loves dolls. Classic ME the other day: walking around with ballet slippers on her feet and a football helmet on her head!

*She loves to eat. If she sees me going into the kitchen, she cries because she wants food or drink. She eats about as much as the boys do. A wonder that she is only in the 25% for weight!

*This girl can dance! I play lots of music around the house just to watch her in action. Even when I sing to her, she starts waving her hands in the air.

*This girl can climb! If there is any elevation in the room, she will find a way to climb it. I have found her standing on our table (at 10 months of age), climbing into the bathtub, chairs, fireplaces, stools at the drinking fountain. I can't keep my eyes off of her.

I can't believe 17 months have already gone by. It is so much fun seeing her get a kick out of life. What a blessing she is to our entire family.

This weekend

Friday night, Bryon and I took the boys to see Glory Road while my parents watched ME. I would highly recommend the movie especially if you liked Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Friday Night Lights, etc.

The movie was about the 1966 NCAA championship game. Texas Western University defied all odds to win the game against basketball giant Kentucky. Texas Western played an all black starting line up for the first time in history. The movie portrayed what all the black players had to go through. From physical and verbal abuse to threats and propery damage.

When we left the theatre, Matthew was asking a lot of questions about why everyone was so mean to the basketball players. It shocked him to hear that they were hurt because of the color of their skin. This is a great testament to the innocence of children and how the world has changed in 40 years. Jerry Bruckheimer, the director of the movie, said that most of the reaction from children watching the movie has been the same as Matthew's.

Saturday was spent helping Lauren spruce up her house getting ready for Baby James. She is in major nesting mode and I had a blast helping her with the little touches to make her house more homey. I love doing stuff like that!

Yesterday was spent cooking and freezing meals. My weeks seem to go so much smoother when a lot of the meal preparation is done ahead of time. It is a pain to do it all at once, but I am always happy I did during the week!

Last night after the kids fell asleep, Bryon and I watched Grey's Anatomy. This is my favorite hour of television each week. I am so addicted to this show although most of the plot lines are ridiculous. The patients at the hospital suffer from things like finding out they are hermaphrodites, men finding out they are pregnant, and two patients getting impaled by a single pole following a train wreck. Apparently the residents of Seattle don't drink Starbucks coffee and eat wile Alaskan salmon either. They would rather eat the entire contents of a novel, doll heads, and shards of glass.

I guess the real reason I watch it is I have a celebrity crush on Dr. McDreamy. Bryon thinks this is hilarious and enjoys watching me enjoy watching the nerd from Can't Buy Me Love.

Matthew has the day off from school and Bryon is coming home early because the courts are closed. When I was younger, the "lesser holidays" always annoyed me. The banks are closed! The mail doesn't come! Now I enjoy having a little respite from life without having to buy a present for someone and organize a class party!

A fun evening and a huge relief!

Tonight was Matthew and Thomas's first basketball game.



Bryon signed up to be Matthew's coach in November on one condition...that Thomas could also play. I had strong objections to Thomas playing with kids who were 2 years older than him, but Bryon said he was tired of Thomas always being on the sidelines while Buddy got to play. He is as tall as some of the kids on the team and judging the athletic ability of many of the kids in the league, Bryon thought it would be fine.

My objection was that I never want Thomas to feel inferior to Matthew. Of course Matthew is more coordinated than Thomas right now--he has a two year head start! I just thought it would be better for Thomas to wait and play with kids his own age. Bryon persisted and won the battle. When I saw how passionately he felt about it, how could I say no?

Over the past few weeks, the Black Ninjas have been practicing. The first practice, Thomas could barely dribble the ball. Bryon had to help him score. You know what? He was so proud of himself!

"I am Thomanator the Dominator!", he would shout.

He loves to scream, "Daddy helped me score two times!"

It never occurs to him that he is any less of an athlete than anyone on the team. All the boys on the team love him and Matthew protects him. When Thomas talks about what a good job he is doing, Matthew rolls his eyes and quietly whispers to me, "You know he is the worstest player on the team, don't you?"

My fears subsided a bit, but I was concerned today. Both boys eagerly anticipated the game. My parents came as well as Matthew's teacher and her husband. If you ever want a little comic relief, try and find a basketball game played by 5 and 6 year olds. What a treat! So hilarious.

Matthew started the game and did great. He ended up scoring twice and had several assists. He looked so handsome to me running around with his hair messed up and playing so well. I can't believe how big he is getting!


During the second quarter, Thomas came in. He knew what to do and ran to the boy he was supposed to cover. He kept his arms up and stuck by him like glue! He did a wonderful job at defense and I was so proud of him! All my fears were relieved when I saw how much fun he was having and knowing that he was also proud of himself.

In the end, the Black Ninjas won 28-14. We celebrated at our local favorite hamburger place. It should be a fun season!

Today

Well, just dropped the younger two off at church and I am home stalling before I begin to clean!

Real life is back in full swing. Matthew was really teary eyed going back to school on Tuesday. It is funny, but I remember feeling the same way going back after a break. It is a little bit scary. Everything is fine again, and he is loving being in school again.

As I was driving the kids to MDO this morning, Thomas asked me to put a cd in. He found a cd in my cd holder that was red (yes, he is still obsessed with red) and he wanted to hear it. It was Chicago's greatest hits. I hadn't heard it in a while and so I happily put it in. First track-Your'e the Inspiration. I hadn't heard this song in years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I cranked it up and sang at the top of my lungs. I am sure the people around me thought I was crazy and would have laughed out loud if they knew how cheezy the song was that I was jamming to!


Now it is time to do laundry. ME has two blankets that she is attached to. They both are backed by minke (sp?), the soft, bumpy material that has become popular in baby bedding. One of them was really dirty and I had to put it in the dirty clothes yesterday. The other one disappeared yesterday. We looked all over the house last night and couldn't find it. Poor baby cried until 10:00 last night b/c she didn't have her "bibi". Having a baby who is so attached to an object is a new thing for me. ME has a hard time settling down without her bibi. She puts it in her mouth with her thumb and makes sort of a munching sound. So cute except when we can't find it!

Marcus Vick could learn a lot from a kindergartener!

Bryon and Matthew were on their way to Matthew's school this morning listening to Sports Talk Radio. The announcer was discussing Marcus Vick, the ex-Virginia Tech quarterback's, demise. A once bright and shining future for the brother of Michael Vick, a recent past of bad behavior has potentially ruined his career.

The radio host said, "You know, when you put your job first, your family suffers. When you put your family first, your job suffers." Matthew looked at Bryon and said, "If he had put God first, everything would have been much better!"

I'm back!

Well, I believe this is the longest I have gone without blogging! Life has been quite busy the last few days. Matthew is still not 100% but has made dramatic improvements since last I blogged. He is off pain medicine and sleeping through the night again. Yippee! He lost between 5-10 pounds during the ordeal which is a lot considering he started at only 55 lbs! This weekend, he got his appetite back and is eating around the clock.

This weekend, I saw Memoirs of a Geisha. A beautiful movie but the book was so much better. Entire story lines were omitted from the movie.

This morning I went with one of my best friends to the zoo for a last fun outing before school starts. My friend has the same family as me-same birth order and spacing just one year ahead of me. The only difference is that she got two for the price of one with her last one! Our boys have a lot of fun together and the girls are just now getting interested in each other. After the zoo, we went out to eat. I love the stares we get when we walk in with 7 kids under 7! It is a look of pity and "Don't these girls know about birth control?"!

Well, the holidays are officially over tomorrow. Normally, I am so ready for school and life to return to normal, but I am dreading it this time. I have loved having Matthew home and having no obligations during the week. With school starting, Mother's Day Out, sports, piano, and church get into full swing again. The kids are ready, I just need to get my tennis shoes on to get ready for the rat race to begin again!

My boys

I have gotten to spend a lot of time with the boys together these past few weeks. It is so amazing to me that two boys who share the same parents and who resided in my womb only 25 months apart could be so different.



Matthew: Age 6. Brown hair. 50% for height.
Thomas: Age 4. Blonde hair. 95% for height.

Matthew: Talking in sentences at 18 months. Presence in a room is definitely noticed! Loud carrying voice.
Thomas: Started talking a lot a 2. Quiet presence. Quieter voice.

Matthew: Never had the patience to play with toys. Would much rather be running around.
Thomas: Has great concentration for games/puzzles/blocks, etc. Will play for hours. He is a whiz at memory and beats me legitimately most of the time!

Matthew: Not inclined to be very physically affectionate.
Thomas: Very physically affectionate. Loves hugs and kisses!

Matthew: Strong willed, but takes criticism and discipline well. To my knowlege has never said the phrase, ".....hurt my feelings."
Thomas: A bit of a stubborn streak. Criticism and discipline crush him. Very sensitive.

Matthew: A homebody. Loves to stay home with me if Bryon goes out.
Thomas: Loves to go out. Going out with Bryon is one of his greatest joys. Is crushed if Matthew leaves without him (other than school).

Matthew: Great offensive player in football, soccer, and basketball.
Thomas: Great defensive player. Loves to tackle or defend the goal!

Matthew: Extremely competitive in sports and in life.
Thomas: I have watched him let his brother and/or sister "win" to make them happy. He has said recently, "You go ahead. I want you to win today."

Matthew: Believes there are 3 adults and 2 children living in our house. People are constantly commenting on how old he acts.
Thomas: Loves to be babied.

Matthew: Very coordinated. Good at sports. Always lands on his feet.
Thomas: More clumsy. You can bet that if he is holding a drink, there is a good chance it will be spilled!

Matthew: Very intense personality.
Thomas: Happy-go-lucky.


Regardless of these differences, the boys really enjoy being together. Of course, they do have their moments of deriving great pleasure from annoying one another, but it doesn't usually last long! I think they enjoy the differences in each other because they fill the other's need. Thomas loves to be babied and Matthew is only to happy to "parent" him! I enjoy both of their personalities so much and feel blessed to be their mother.

Beautiful day for an outing

Today, I decided to take the kids to the zoo. Since it is 84 degrees (not a typo) and sunny, why not head outdoors?

We went with a good friend of mine whose daughters are best friends with my sons. It was good for all the kids to be around kids other than their siblings and Matthew really hasn't left the house since his surgery. We had a great time, but Matthew was definitely worn out by the end of lunch.


Things are very, very slowly getting better. Nights are always hardest. I think he still is mouth breathing so the sores get really dried out at night and he cries everytime he wakes up. "When is this ever going to stop hurting?", he asked me last night at 3 in the morning. I hate seeing him in such misery and hope that he feels like himself soon.

I am loving having nothing to do this week. I am such a homebody and would be thrilled if I didn't have to leave my house most of the time! Yesterday, we never even got out of our pj's! It will be nice to get back on a schedule next week, but until then, I am savoring every nonscheduled minute!