Christmas Fun w/Linky Wordless Wednesday #WW

We had a great Christmas with lots of gifts and time with family!

The boys got COAL (technically it was chocolate) and that's really what they deserved after their behavior the last week.

But they still got all this too...

Timmy is IN LOVE with his Kindle Fire!!

Everyone (young and not so young) loved the Perplexus(es) the boys got!  

(I didn't even know there are three different ones now)

And they each got a super soft and squishy stuffed animal.  Bryan's is almost as big as he is.

Bryan and I piled the stuffed animals together and snuggled. Until I brought out the phone for some photos...then it got all goofy....

 Hope you had a great Christmas too!!!

Link up below so I can stop by and visit!

Can You Feel The Love Tonight? Wordless Wednesday 12-19-12 #WW

Is it wrong that I simply appreciated the honesty in this card from my 9 year old to my 4 year old?  He ended up crying cuz he got in trouble with Dad and he was just going for the humorous card approach.

Link up your Wordless (ish) Wednesday post so I can stop by!

First Day of School 2012

It's that time once again...

Ohhhhhhh
Back To School
Back To School
To Prove To Dad That I'm Not A Fool
I've Got My, Luch Packed Up
My Boots Tied Tight
I Hope I Don't Get In A Fight
Ohhhh
Back To School
Back To School
Back To School

 

Bonus Points for knowing who sang that song!

I'm feeling old this year as I now have a THIRD and FOURTH grader!!

Too cool for school...

Nah, not really, they were ready to go back

But each a little hesitant about finding where they needed to be, so Bryan and I happily walked them to their respective lines.

 And Bryan and ran some errands while the boys had a short day. And we got some first day of school treats!

And before we knew it, it was time to pick them up...Happy Dance!

SOMEONE loves his big brother!!

First day...done!

YUM!

 Here's to another great year!

When It All Comes Crashing Down

OK, technically nothing came crashing down...but crashing WAS involved.  I don't think I have mentioned it directly here but just over two weeks ago my husband moved out. We'd had the talk a while and he made the decision weeks ago but it all came to a head one night and he left abruptly. 
He had talked to the boys previously to let them know he planned to leave but we fought and he left after they were asleep one night.  Johnny was actually away at camp when it happened and the other boys told him in the car before I had the chance to properly sit him down and talk.  He is my super emotional one and while he has yet to talk about it at all...he is lashing out. A LOT!

Last night was no exception.  When I went to pick them up after work he told me that he hadn't had lunch.  He'd refused lunch saying he wasn't hungry. But in the car on the way to T-Ball he repeatedly whined that he was....STARVING.  So I took out a few dollars so he could run in to the rec center and get a snack but as he got out of the car something happened and he punched Bryan, 4...HARD.  So I took back the money and told him he wouldn't die in the 45 minutes it would take for the game.  He went ballistic.  He tried punching me. Then took of his shoes and chucked them at my car.  Picked one up and beat on the hood of my car with it.  He yelled, screamed and beat on the bleachers with a stick.  He made the rounds back to try to hit and kick me again.  All the while I'm trying to keep the other boys (and others as they arrived) out of harms way AND get the team ready for the game since I'm the assistant coach and the other coach was stuck at a meeting for work.  As the game started, he collected rocks and threw them at me whenever I was within reach.

As the game wrapped up, Timmy had planned to go to his friends house for a bit and they invited all the boys over. When I told them Johnny could NOT go because of his behavior he flipped out again.  I was able to get him into the car, though not without some resistance.  But he continued screaming, telling me he hated me and that I was 'the worst.'  As I made my way down the road he began screaming at and punching his brother.

The stress of the last hour or so overwhelmed me and for just a brief moment I was not able to think clearly enough to safely drive...that's all it took.  One quick loss of clarity and I crashed my car directly into the side of an SUV.  Thankfully, no one was hurt. Though my car is badly damaged and the SUV will need some work. 

Our friends were not far behind us and pulled over to check on us.  I lost it there on the side of the street. Every bit of the stress of the last two weeks poured down my cheeks.  I LOVE my kids. I will do ANYTHING for them and I know they are going through a horrible change in their lives but I was not at all prepared for the amount of anger that would be hurled at me, the one left to handle them alone.  I have been proud of how we've managed up to this point.  The fighting between the boys has increased and their defiance with me has as well, but for the most part I FELT like I was holding it together. Getting up everyone morning and being more productive than I have in a long time.  But standing there looking at my broken car, I realized how completely broken I really feel.

In the hours following the accident I was flooded with love from my friends.  The one who was with us, took the boys to her house for several hours so I could deal with the police, then the insurance then just unwind for a bit and take a shower as the soreness set in.  Another friend brought over Ibuprofen as there was none in our house and my car was undrivable.  Another stopped by to talk to me and make sure I was OK after hearing how I'd broken down on the side of the road and assured me that I NEEDED to let them help me more.  She told me that she'd seen some positive changes in the boys in just the last couple weeks and that this accident was just a small hiccup.Another friend called and suggested that maybe this was God's not so subtle way of bringing me to the point that I could no longer refuse to admit that I need help.   To humble me and allow me to let in those who love and care about the boys and I.   And many many more texted and left comments on my facebook page.  This morning after the tow truck took my banged up car away, the boys and I were picked up and taken to pick up a rental car.

Today I feel battered and bruised, more emotionally than physically.  But I am overwhelmed by the amount of love that has been shown to me in the last 24 hours.  This really was the last thing I needed but I am so grateful for all the support I have!!  I know that it is because of the people in our lives that I will be able to pick up, move on and continue to make a better life for the boys and I.

Cubmobile

We are currently wrapping up our third year with Cub Scouts and for the second year in a row we packed up on a cloudy, wet Saturday morning to let the boys race down a hill.What? You don't think this sounds like the perfect way to spend a Saturday in May? 

Thankfully, it was also the second year in a row that the rain stopped for at least the hour that our boys Pack was assigned to race at this rain or shine event.  So that two boys at a time could be loaded on the 'starting block' and dropped into action on a hay lined hill at a local(ish) park.  Last year both boys finished second in their official race but this year Timmy won his and got a pretty blue 1st place ribbon.

Click to see a larger image of Timmy, tongue hangin out 

Although only promised one run for each boy, this year they each got three runs.  Johnny crashed into the hay on every run.  And there MAY have been some tears.  And some claims of cheating and unfairness.  But it was simply all in the luck of the draw, the quality and alignment of the car they were sat in and the way you started off down the hill. Some cars had some decent steering, some didn't.  Some flew down the hill while others had a breaking mechanism that whenever the boys attempted to hold it, to be prepared from the stop at the end, they were dragging the brake and slowing themselves the whole way.  But all in all I think they had a good time.

Out of the two hundred photos I took (not just of our boys but of other friends from the pack) THIS one makes my giggle!  Just the look on his face!

Reading, Wordless Wednesday 4-25-12 LINKY

My boys love reading...they also LOVE the library. 

Timmy reading to Bryan THROUGH the Foozie puppet.  My heart melts!

Johnny reading Horrible Harry, which he finished before we made it back home with the book.

Haircuts

The boys have been politely declining hair cuts for a couple weeks. But since the younger two aren't too into keeping clean and combed and the oldest one...well he just simply doesn't have hair that works in a long 'do, it was TIME. But as things often go, a whole family of haircuts wasn't in the budget this week. So a homegrown buzz cut for every one it was. Some tears were shed, some bribes were made, but in the end everyone looked oh so much cuter. Don't ya think?

Before:

After:

Bryan, 4                                                 Johnny, 8                                           Timmy, 9

Happy 8th Birthday, John John

Eight years ago today I cried as we dropped your big brother off with a sitter to go to the hosptial to meet you for the first time. I felt like I was betraying him by having another baby. I didn't know how I could love another person as much as I love him.  And I know some days you swear I don't.  But the moment I met you I fell in love with you.  From the first day you proved to be different from your big brother.  He was a chubby thing and you were long and lean.  And you have continued to prove that brothers can be as different as can be.  As the picture to the left really shows well, you are quiet and humble.  You have a sweet sweet heart and a deep love for all people and animals. 

You are such a smart guy and it makes me so proud to be your mom when we regularly get compliments from your teachers about what a pleasure you are in school.

I love that you will bust out the moves and sing and dance with me and just have fun!  I love being silly with you!!

But I also love to watch you doing something you really love right now, building with LEGOS.  It awesome to watch your concentration as you work on your latest project.  And I don't think I'll ever forget how quickly you built the Harry Potter Hogwarts building.  And the best part is seeing how proud you are of yourself when you are done.

I love you so much buddy!!  You are so special to me and I hope that you really know that!!

~Mom

PS Since I left a song for Timmy this year I figured I'd leave you one too. And I leave you a song I love watching you sing on the Wii

I get an A

That's right, I'm giving myself an A.  And while I'm at it, through a nice shiny gold star on it too because I feel like I MIGHT just be doing something right with my kids.

Today was Parent Teacher conferences at the boys school (and based on facebook and twitter a lot of other schools across the country) and I am literally beaming with pride!  My third grader made the Superior Honor Roll with 3 100% and 3 99% grades.  That is seriously mind blowing to me. We won't discuss the kind of grades I was getting in third grade when I attended the same school!  I am thrilled as can be with his teacher who is allowing him to do advanced work on a consistent basis as soon as he masters their current work.  His test scores (NWEA) are off the chart for math and ONE point from being off the chart for his grade in reading.  His teacher allowed him to set his own goals for what he will be working on to continue to improve his scores and some of those things include alliteration, similes, metaphors and inference (which the teacher had to explain to ME) for reading and fractions, area, perimeter etc in math.  He will continue with his novel work for reading and will be starting on a 5-6th grade piece in the next week or two.  He will continue working on his space research project and has been doing some work with atoms and the periodic table for science (all independent work).  And starting this coming week he will be allowed to work independently in the 4th grade math text whenever they are reviewing current topics in class.  I'm really not sure who I am more impressed with at this point, HIM or his teacher!!  So so nice to feel like he is really getting what he needs this year.

And Johnny, my quiet content little thing.  He is doing just as well. He is off the chart on his test scores (NWEA) as well.  He is participating more in class and making himself heard (volume wise) which has been a big issue for him.  His teacher is thrilled with his behavior as well as his work.  She says he always stays busy if he finishes something early (which he almost always does) he simply gets out a book to read or works on their math games.  He also set some goals, though a little more general to help him keep his already crazy high scores on the rise.

I am over the moon happy with the work my boys are doing this year!! And despite my desire to take all the credit for this I simply can't.  While I do hope that the things that my husband have been doing for years has really nurtured their abilities, most of what they are is simply God given.  You see my kids (and yours) are truly the most amazing miracles ever.  I have my share of hair pulling moments, don't get me wrong but when I'm not searching for their mute buttons, because they CAN be crazy loud Xs three, I am seriously in awe of who they are becoming.  I can only pray that I have MANY MANY more years of being able to watch them grow into the amazing men I know they have been blessed with the talent and hearts to be!

Today I am truly thankful for the gift of my children!  And as much as I want to, I can't really take that shiny gold star, but the one who deserves it already holds a whole galaxy of them so maybe he'll let me hang on to this one!

Wordless Wednesday, 10/12/11 My Beautiful Family {linky}

 Sorry for being so photo heavy this week but I wanted to share ALL of my favorite photos from our recently family shoot with www.photosbyaimee.com.  I am so in love with them, it's too hard to chose just one or two.  If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments!