Oh Boys

I never envisioned myself as a mother with sons. Even in high school when we did the project where you pretend a bag of flour is a baby, I was excited when I drew the slip saying that my bag of flour was a girl. I didn't even want boy flour.




But now? The only girl I've birthed weighed five pounds and was later made into cookies. And the boys I've birthed have caused me to say things I've never imagined. Like, "Stop hitting your brother with that rolled up yoga mat. No, I don't care if he's laughing, that doesn't mean you keep hitting him." or "Keep your hands on your own parts. I SAID ON YOUR OWN PARTS." or "Yes, burping is funny, but if you keep trying to do it, you're going to injure yourself." or my personal favorite, "If you want to talk about things that happen in the bathroom, you may go sit in the bathroom and talk to the mirror."
What I really never imagined, though, was how much I'd love this, how much they'd complete me. How could I have ever thought that I didn't want them?

Put Your Smile On

Luke was super excited to go to church with Shane yesterday morning. We asked him if he remembered what to do when it was time to pray and he demonstrated. I asked him if he had been praying in school, he said no. I asked if they say grace or a blessing before they eat and he said, "Yes, we say, thank you Grace for our food and then we thank our teachers, too!" I'm not sure who he thinks Grace is, but that's a pretty awesome answer.

Making the Grade

In my seven years as a teacher, I've graded a million papers. Made smiley faces. Check marks. Plusses, minuses, and all the letters from A to F (minus E, of course). At this point, it's all so routine that I could probably grade papers in my sleep.

Still, nothing prepared me for the way my heart would swoop when I pulled my big boy's first ever graded paper out of his backpack.



I think I'll hang onto this, to soothe my soul ten years from now when he brings home an F on an English exam.

Small Style

Shane color coordinated Tommy's shoes and socks to his outfit the other day. The cute was overwhelming.


MLB Cubs gear
Stride Rite shoes
Old Navy socks
linking with Mama loves Papa small style

School's In

Luke's first day of preschool.

Tommy attacked the door with sidewalk chalk because he thinks it goes on everything but the sidewalk.

Sad that I couldn't be there to see him off, but blessed that my parents could.

Happy Birthday, Sharky

Early this summer, Luke won a stuffed whale at a fun fair in our town. He named it Sharky and has loved it ever since. When I left for work Tuesday morning, he announced that it was Sharky's birthday and we needed to have a party that afternoon.






As far as stuffed animal birthday parties go, it was pretty awesome.

Pudding Pop

July 2010:

August 2011:

Go Fish

Bunked

Until we are brave/stupid enough to put Tommy in here, the stuffed animals sleep on the bottom.

True Love

Taken by Crooked Eyebrow after her Eden planted a big kiss right on Luke's lips. I showed these to Luke and he smiled and said, "I guess she's my new girlfriend and I'm her new boyfriend."

Take A Hike

Taltree Arboretum

Choo Choo

Made with love by Tommy's Papa.

Goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

(picture heavy, I know, but we had such a fun day.)