My Kind of Reality

So, I am addicted to The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I know they're silly for the most part.  I know half the people who go on the shows are just looking for attention and some TV time in hopes of becoming famous.  But I can't help it. I am so addicted.

At the end of each season, when it ends badly and the guy/girl picks the one that the faithful watchers are no doubt sitting behind their screens yelling for them "Get a clue and see them for who they are!" and "OMGosh, how can you pick THAT one??"...I vow to never watch it again.  Then a few months later, I get reality TV amnesia and the roller coaster ride begins again.

I often wonder if I would watch it so faithfully if I weren't happily married.  But then again, I could very well be even more obsessed with it if I were single and looking.  But either way, I get sucked back into it when the first commercials begin and then find myself magically entranced as I make sure the DVR is set to record the train wreck. 

The other morning, we were at Chick-fil-A to eat breakfast.  We go to sit in a booth and I sit across from Jackson.  He looks around and he's kind of quiet....then moves his hand towards the ever present vase of fresh carnations.  I'm about to tell him to put it down and I notice his sweet yet mischievous smile so I automatically wonder what's up.  He takes the vase and looks down at it for a minute, then looks at me and says oh-so-seriously...."Mommy....will you accept this rose?"  He tells me how much he loves me and that I will always be his love. Between trying to keep a serious face and tell him that of course I accept it, and laughing to myself in between sighs, I realize.....this is the best reality of all....TV or no TV.

Have a great week!

Lazy Blogger

Apparently, life keeps happening faster than anticipated and you go almost a year to the day before you blog again. Not sure why it happens like this when it's something I know I love doing.

Recently, a friend on Facebook started her own blog and I've been reading her posts the last few days. They are hilarious and insightful and truly reminded me how much I love to blog when I actually remember to do it...so here goes...yet again.

To play catch up, Gracie is now 11 and going into the 6th grade (yikes). Jackson is now 5 and will be going into Kindergarten this coming August (double yikes). Not sure which breaks my heart more...seeing how grown up she is or the thought of him walking out the door daily and someone else being in charge of him. I may or may not need a prescription to deal with this.

And to top all this off, we are halfway to seeing our third little blessing!  We found out last month that we are expecting a baby girl.  It's been a pretty easy pregnancy minus the surprise of having gestational diabetes this time around.  I'm guessing it has a lot to do with my body being all upside down and first time being pregnant after having gastric bypass two years ago.  But...it's not too terribly bad.  I have to poke myself three times a day to check my blood sugar and give myself insulin once a day right before bed. And my levels are good, weight gain is decent....all in all, not bad.

The weird thing this time around is being told by the doctor that I'm not eating enough. Compare that to the first two pregnancies where I ate anything that wasn't tied down (and probably a few things that were), and it's a very very different perspective.  Hopefully that just means that the baby weight won't take *ahem* five years or more to disappear this time!

So, we're getting into baby mode slowly by buying little things here and there and preparing the house room by room.  Little updating here, fresh coat of paint there, and some rearranging all over.  I'm glad we still have four months to go so we can get it all done!

We had a baby cake reveal last month at church. That was exciting! We had gone to the doctor on that Monday and had the ultrasound but we didn't want to be told what we were having.  So I had our sweet technician step out of the room and she called my cake lady (Cakes by AmyBeth!) and told her.  I did everything I could for the next two days to keep myself busy until dinner at church Wednesday night!  Finally, when it was time, Lawrence set up a live camera feed, and our family in Texas was able to share our moment with us when we cut the cake.  I would have been absolutely blessed and happy, boy or girl....but to see the inside of that PINK cake just put me over the moon!  So...we should be saying hello to our sweet Sarah Kate @ October 10 or so!

Lawrence still works hard.  Gracie is still my brainiac. And Jackson is still obsessed with super heroes and super villians. Some things never change and I'm glad for that.  I'll deal with enough changes in four more months!

I'll end this blog with some recent Jacksonisms to maybe cause a smile or two.

God bless!

Jackson crawls up in my lap and starts hugging on me and says...."Mommy, I love you with all my heart....because you take care of me, you protect me, you do such nice things for me, and you don't hit me and you never try to kill me." Gotta love that complete honesty and appreciation, huh?

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When Jackson is home and Gracie is at school, the superheroes are tough. They fight. They push around the bad guys. They save the day.

When Gracie is home and Jackson has talked her into playing, suddenly Thor takes lunch breaks, Wolverine is a dad, and Hulk and Abomination go out to eat at Chili's after work.

Oh the changes a woman can bring!

********** 

Random out of nowhere Friday thoughts and questions from a four year old.... "Do kangaroos get pregnant? We should feed sushi to eagles because it's fancy and they would like it. You know they call them dolphins because they have fins but I'm not sure what a dolph is. I know all this because I'm already a marine biologist."

**********

After asking Lawrence to do something for me, he replies, "That's going to require more kisses." Jackson's reply was, "That's going to require more throwing up." Ah, romance as a Mom and Dad!  

*Knock* *Knock*

So, it's been....um, well over a year since I've written. Nothing like completely dropping the ball, eh? But, it's been an eventful year if that counts for anything!

I haven't written since last March so let's see what's gone on. Since then, Gracie is now 10. She finished third grade, started fourth grade, flew through and now is ready for fifth grade this coming August! She had a great school year with Mrs. Frankl. She competed and won her classroom spelling bee, her school spelling bee and then won her district spelling bee! And even though we went on to the county spelling bee but lost, we are so incredibly proud of her! She studied like crazy, even on holidays/vacations and her hard work truly showed. She made all A's throughout the year and ended by being asked to be a safety patrol the next school year. So, so proud!

Jackson is now 4 years old and every bit as funny as he's always been. We are FINALLY 100% potty trained (woot woot!) and life is good! His latest obsessions are super heroes/ super villians. He can name every one of them and tell you what they do and what they look like. Amazes me....though he does get in a little trouble when he says, "Mommy, don't make me angry...you won't like it when I'm angry!"

We also have a new addition to our sweet family. My niece, Addison Faith McBrayer was born May 13, 2010. She is precious and has the sweetest little laugh. And when she smiles that little squenched up face and shows you her little teeth....sigh. Just turns me to goo.

As of last weekend, my sister, Kelly, her husband, Anthony and my niece and nephew, Erin and Braden....are officially Texans! Anthony accepted a job in Houston and headed out there right after Memorial Day. Mom and Dad headed out last weekend with Kelly and the kids and have been unloading and unpacking all week. I always felt one of us would end up in Texas. I just thought it would be me! But I know that God has a plan and that this isn't for good. It's just a small detour in the bigger journey!

After a lot of prayer and asking God for direction, I finally listened to Him and began to work with our Pastor's wife, Mrs. Margaret, in forming a women's ministry. It's our Proverbs 31 ministry and we meet once a month to come together with food, fun and fellowship. It's a time to get together and take off our "Wife" and "Mom" name tags and just be women talking and sharing together. We have games and prizes and fun things to get to know each other better. We have tons of great food and always have a devotional time to dig into the Word. It has been such a blessing to participate and be with these ladies and I know that God is truly guiding it every step of the way.

I'm now a sorta-kinda working woman too! In February of this year, I joined 31 Gifts as a consultant, and I love it! It's a Bible based company started by a woman in her own home and has grown by leaps and bounds over just a few short years. The company is based on the Proverbs 31 woman and they encourage us as women to live that Proverbs 31 life, be the woman we know God has made us to be and to enjoy life and all of God's blessings. Not to mention that the products are sooo adorable! I promised God that if He would help me be the woman I need to be in leading a woman's group at church, then I would put my consultant job into His hands and let Him guide it in whatever direction He sees fit. And He has done that far and beyond my wildest imagination. I am truly so blessed! Here's my link! https://www.mythirtyone.com/MelissaHillis

This past weekend, we were so blessed first to celebrate another Father's Day and honor my wonderful father and the most amazing father to my two children. We had a great day in the Lord and were finally able to meet our sweet missionaries, the Andrzejewski family! Bro. Michael, Sis. Nina, and their beautiful FIVE children were such a blessing! It was so nice to be able to finally hug them and see them in person. And the message that Bro. Michael brought was God inspired and touched so many hearts.

Yes, our life is busy and some days we don't really know if we're coming or going...but what a wonderful ride it is! God is blessing us left and right both in our home and at church. I love with my Jesus shows off! It's a crazy life as a wife and mom but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm still alive..I promise!

So I guess I took a 5 month hiatus from blogging. It wasn't intentional but neither is half the things that happen in our daily lives these days. Let's see what's going on.....

Well, back in February, after 2 years of praying and researching and doctor visits and poking and prodding...I finally had gastric bypass surgery! I know...a major major step and change in my life, but I think it will be so worth it in the long run. A lot of people don't understand my decision and think I either made the wrong choice. And I've actually had a few people feel sorry for me because of it. But in all honesty, it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I know I'll be healthier because of it and I'll prolong my life with my family. Not to mention it will go a long way in easing up my back pain. I can eat pretty much anything now...just not a lot at a time and certain foods just don't settle well with me. But through it all, 5 weeks later, I'm down 22 lbs so I think I'm well on my way!

We just had another amazing photo session with Julie. It was a mini-session at the Botanical Gardens and such a beautiful day to go with it too! Gracie looks so grown up these days and Jackson is stuck in this face of making a "scrunchy" face in all his pictures. At first, I kept trying to get him to stop doing it but then I thought...you know...that's just him. And when we look back at the pictures and see that little button nose all wrinkled up, we'll know..yep, he was 2 there and we'll remember it like it was yesterday.

The kids were so excited to see Miss Julie, too! They love hanging out with her and just being natural in pictures instead of being closed up in a studio. I loveeeee me some Julie pictures! Can't wait to see them all!

Potty training is coming along, slowly but surely. At first, we were having problems getting him to poop in the potty but the peeing was fine. And now it's just the opposite. Boys sure are different!! He has a funny routine though. He will go potty and come back and tell me, "Hey Mommy, I pooped! Come and see it and bring your phone!" I then have to take a picture with my phone and send it to Daddy so he can see it too. We then sit there and wait for Daddy to write back, the whole time Jackson saying, "Did he send you a message yet? Is he so proud? Did he see my poop?" But nothing compares to that grin when I tell him that Daddy said "Way to go!" Hey, if it works, it works!

Gracie is amazing. She gets all A's left and right. She's enjoying her RLC class at school where her teacher loves for them to "think outside the box". She's reading about a book a week now and racking up her Accelerated Reading points. She's just a little mini-Lawrence. On top of all that, she's growing up so fast. I see changes in her every day and it just warms my heart and breaks it all at the same time. It won't be long before hormones hit (they're already knocking on the door), boys start calling and we're picking out the right shade of lipstick. Sigh...where is my slow motion button when I need it??

We were just blessed with the birth of a new little niece. From the pictures we've seen, she's absolutely beautiful! We can't wait to see her hopefully on our next trip out to Texas. Chloe Marie Hillis, we love you!

We're also getting ready for the arrival of yet another new little niece, sometime in May. Counting down the weeks now until Addison Faith makes her grand entrance into the world, melts her Momma's heart and wraps her Daddy around that little bitty finger. Can't wait!

Birthdays are around the corner too. I can't believe Gracie will soon be 9 and Jackson will be 3. They're going to have another joined birthday party at the Splash Pad again like last year. They loved it. We just can't agree on the theme so it very well may be a two-themed party. We shall see!

Gracie started up softball again and her first game is this Saturday, April 3rd. Her team is called the Hot Shots and Lawrence is an assistant coach. I'm glad that they are getting to share this together. She also plays her cousin, Erin, twice this season so that should be interesting!

Everything else seems to be going good. I'm excited about all the changes God is making at church. There are lots of visitors and new members and we've baptized so many these last few weeks. It's truly a blessing. I love leading the women's Esther class each Sunday night. I will truly miss that when it's finished. God has been dealing with my heart lately and I know I am supposed to lead/direct some kind of women's ministry. I just don't know what kind or when yet. But I know God knows and He'll clue me in when it's time. Until then, I'll keep praying about it. I'm really excited about what God is going to do!

I guess that's it for now. I'll try to stay on top of things and blog more regularly. Hope everyone is doing well!

Long Time, No Blog...

So it's been almost two months since I've blogged. It's not that there wasn't anything to blog about. It's just that there's SO much going on and no time to blog.

What is it about the change of weather that brings on every germ and virus known to man? Top that off with it being still early in school, fresh germs to share and Voila! You have the crud every other week that your two children feel is the ONLY thing they're willing to share. Yay!

I feel like I'm in a fog lately for so many reasons. I've tried to go over them and reason them out but blah is just all I come up with. It's officially fall and twice in my life, I was pregnant during the fall. I think that makes me a little sad and happy at the same time. I'm not even sure if that makes sense. Just so many memories of those two times during this time of year that made fall/winter bearable. I hate that it gets darker sooner now and we haven't even hit the time change yet. And all this rain lately just tops it all off. But once we get these immune systems built up, this weather straightened out and my biological clock under control...maybe, just maybe things will not feel so topsy turvy.

What else has gone on.....Gracie loves third grade and her teacher, Mrs. Christmas, is wonderful. I am now officially a room mother...no big deal to some, I guess, but I never saw myself doing that. But I jumped in with both feet and I'm glad I did. I'm really enjoying it. We just got through our first big thing, the Fall Festival for the Elementary School and our booth, The Haunted Forest Apple Toss, won 2nd place out of every class in the school! Our head room mother and her family did an amazing job with the booth and decorations, setting it up to look like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. I ended up spending most of the night there working the booth and it was constantly busy with a line waiting, so that was a great turnout. And most importantly, the kids really enjoyed themselves and that's what it's all about.

Jackson is still potty training and that gets more interesting every single day. He can, completely on his own, come up with some things that just floor me.

For example....

Mommy: Let's go try to poop, ok?

Jackson: Otay. I try. It's coming! It's coming! Do you want big ones or little ones?

Mommy: How about a big one and some little ones. We'll try both.

Jackson: Otay, it's coming! And the little ones go plop, plop, plop.

Mommy: Wow...yes they do. How about we just do that and not discuss it so much in detail?

Another example of my child's very honest outlook in the world of potty training....

Daddy: Do you need to go try and poop?

Jackson: I already pooped.

Daddy: Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Let's go clean you up.

Jackson: I made a hamburger! ( I will refrain from details here but you get the picture)

...my child makes a poop in his diaper and then decides that it does infact resemble a hamburger...and when I think it can't possibly get any more detailed by a two year old, he tells us the other night that he pooped a hamburger steak. I'm telling you....you just can't make this stuff up....the kid is a creative genius and for some reason obsesses about food and pottying at the same time..but that's another therapy session altogether. So.......enough of that subject!

We just had another amazing photo session with Julie Cottrell (check my followers to see her blog and go to her website! You won't be disappointed!) We started out at the Peanut Depot in downtown Birmingham and walked the cobblestone streets and just let Julie's gears turn and click that camera. She has absolutely spoiled me and I'll never go to another photographer again. I've said it before, but she is an absolute dream to work with and I LOVE that she loves onsite photography and doesn't cram you in a small room with cheesy backdrops. She truly photographs people's lives as they're living them and captures their true personalities. I am sooooo excited to see how the pictures turned out! I've only seen just one proof and already I was crying because she is that good! It's amazing the people God puts into your life and how much richer your life is because of it....and any photographer that will actually lay down on the ground....in downtown Birmingham.... just to get the right angle .....I'm telling you...no one else will ever compare or have my attention for photos!

The kids are excited about Halloween coming up. This is the first year that Jack sorta kinda understands the concept of the whole thing. We are also going to pass out flyers in the neighborhood behind our church before Halloween, and then go back that night and "Trick or Treat so others may eat". This is where people can leave out can food for us to pick up on Halloween night as they Trick or Treat, and we collect them for our church to put together Thanksgiving baskets to families who might not be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner. I'm glad we're doing this because it shows the kids that there is more to life than going out and just getting from people....there's also giving back to others. I'm sure they'll come home with tons of candy on top of it all too, so it's a win/win situation. Now I just have to get their costumes all together....

Jack is a Nick Jr (formerly Noggin) fanatic and is hooked on the cartoon, Max and Ruby (a big sister/little brother rabbit sibling show)....so...through Grace's creativity, they have decided to work together this Halloween and become Max and Ruby. I still have a few pieces to come together, but I'm sure it'll be fun for them and of course, I'll post pictures after Halloween!

I've been going consignment shop crazy lately. Every fall and spring, you always have a list of them going on and I've hit just about every one the last few weeks. It tires you out, especially spending weeks getting things together as a seller and tagging, pinning, hanging, etc...but the payoff is you get to make money to turn and spend it at another consignment, rack up closets full of seasonal clothes needed at that time, skip the Galleria/mall traffic and save a ton of money. What's not to love about all that?

Other than all that, we're just taking life day by day and watching our babies grow more and more. It's times like this you just want to slow things down and enjoy them more, because you know they aren't going to be little like this forever. But life is amazing and going well and we're so blessed and amazed by everything God does for us.

Happy Fall to Everyone!

Jacksonisms...Take Two

Things to remember if/when you should ever have a two year old:

1. Everything you say will be remembered and they will pick the weirdest times to repeat it out loud.

2. They will notice at some point that your husband has hair in both his ears and his nose. Your husband will then be told that it's "dose" (gross). Try to keep a straight face. You can do it.

3. If you ever either on purpose or by accident, pass gas in front of, beside, behind or anywhere in the vicinity near them, they will announce it to the world, try to pick up your shirt/night gown and proceed to tell you loudly that he's "looking for dat toot".

4. If you have a little boy, and his little body parts are given names, expect him to refer to these body parts...and often. He loves watching Dora and Go, Diego, Go! so much that he no longer has a turtle in his diaper...he has a baby tortuga in there. He also sings a song about it. Loudly.

5. Expect that same little boy to be very bold when it comes to him and "dat toot" as well. It will go off at random times and it will be announced with a giggle that "haha I tooted" but at least it's followed up (most of the time) with an "cuse me".

6. Don't ever try to be funny about asking him what that noise was....he will tell you exactly what it was, that it came out of his diaper, and that his hiney is like a vent that blows the air out. (He found out what vents were a few weeks ago while playing on my bed and looking up at the ceiling and asking.."What's dose?" I told you...they remember EVERYTHING.)

7. Be prepared to laugh outloud at any given moment. When I told him today that I went to the doctor, he patted me on the hand. I told him I had to get a shot in my arm and that it hurt but I didn't cry. I was then told "I so proud of you. Dat's awdum!" (awesome) The greeter ladies at Walmart must have thought I lost my mind for laughing so hard right then and there.

8. Although they will have times where they can't sleep, wake up after bad dreams or just need another hug. You will drag yourself out of bed. You will walk with one eye open down the hall, bump into a wall or two and take a second to figure out how to open their door. But when those little hands reach out to you out of that bed and you hear the words, "Just hold me Mommy", you won't remember anything that came before that.

9. I think every child at this age goes through a dancing phase. Jackson's has hit big time. His favorite pasttime is to sneak into our bedroom, mess around with the alarm clock until the music comes on....turn the dial until something crazy comes on (tonight's selection was some kind of slow R & B song) and then proceed to get down and get funky. When you walk in and catch him, he looks up at you like YOU'RE the one interrupting him and he's doing just what he's supposed to be doing, then proceeds to continuing dancing.

10. They will talk your ears off. They will ask you 50 times where you're going and when will you be there. They will drive you nuts with the "I gotta potty" and then sitting there 15 minutes and doing everything else but pottying. They will make mess after mess while experimenting with their dinner and seeing exactly which foods can also be used as finger paint.

But when they're half awake/half asleep and headed to bed and they reach over and kiss you and tell you "I love you to the moon and back"...it's all worth it. You go to bed. You wake up, and you start all over again....just to get back to that point again the next night.

They drive you crazy. They make you laugh. They make you cry. But no one can ever capture your heart faster than they can. And it's all so unbelievably worth it.

My Hubby

I blog a lot about my kids. Anyone that knows me personally or just from my blogs, knows that they are my world. I love every chance I have to write about something funny, exciting, interesting...good or bad...about my kids. But I just wanted to write a different one today.

You have the Sticky Hands...and that's my Jackson. You have the Glitter....and that's my Gracie. And you have the What's for Dinner....and that's my Lawrence. I feel like I never say enough about him and the husband he is, so this blog is for him.

My husband is the most amazing man in this world. Not only is he the smartest guy I've ever met, he's the most loving and compassionate man as well. After 11 years of marriage and 2 kids, there is not a day that goes by that he doesn't tell me that he loves me. And more than that, there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't show me.

A lot of people that know us, know how we met. To this day I'm amazed at how many things had to go completely perfect in order for us to even meet, much less get together, fall in love and end up where we are now. I prayed two years with my pastor, for the man that God wanted me to have in my life. I talked to God one-on-one, pretty much like I type in my blog...just straight forward and to the point. I told him exactly what I was looking for in a man, and I often listed the qualities that I was looking for.....I prayed and I prayed and I waited....two whole years. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

I am so thankful for such a Godly husband. And not only that, but he is the most amazing and loving father. Our kids look up to him in such a way that I just have no words to express how it makes me feel. And there is such a bond between them that I know some fathers and children only wish they could have.

Thank you, Honey for not only being such a wonderful husband, but for being the most amazing father to our children. I love you with all my heart and I know that I always have you in my corner. And I hope you know that I'm always in yours. I know I'm not always the easiest person to live with, but you have always loved me unconditionally, at my worst and at my best, and you've never once made me feel less than wonderful. Thank you for all that you are...and all that you think you're not.

I love you,

Melissa

Calling All Shop-a-holics

If you ever get bored, truly bored...can't find a single thing to do to entertain yourself....go shopping with children.

Now, I have to say upfront, you have to be picky as to which children you take with you. There are some you just can't let out in public (there are also adults that fit that category as well, but I digress). For this example...let's choose...oh, I don't know....Gracie and Jackson.

Now, my kids aren't perfect. I'm not one of those parents who believe that somewhere, somehow, they're little precious wings and halo must have fallen off sometime after conception and before birth. You know those parents. You've seen them...the parents you roll your eyes at so much, they start to resemble a slot machine in Vegas (your eyes, not the parents). "Oh, MY child does this. Oh, MY child does that."...the parents that feel their kids can do no wrong. Anyway, back to my point. My kids aren't perfect but they are so good out in public when we're shopping whether it's for a quick trip to Walmart or a day of walking around the Galleria. On top of this, they are so stinking funny. They do things at the drop of a hat that have you laughing to the point of almost crying. It's during these moments that I'm glad I have a camera on my phone.

Gracie and Jackson crack me up constantly. If it's not Jackson and his funny little conversations, it's Gracie and her quick wit and sarcasm. They keep me in constant stitches sometimes. Don't think that's possible? Go to Party City with them and walk in the back through the Halloween costumes. Talk about one laugh after another! If it's not Jackson wanting to try on every kind of hat and then asking me, "How I look, Mommy? Am I so funny and coot (cute)?", then it's Gracie looking through the costumes, some of them of the adult variety (but not "naughty", just older) and her picking it up and saying, "What is THIS, why would someone want it and what the heck do you do with it??" and when I look, I've noticed she's picked up a dominatrix whip or a corset or some weird leather butt-less chaps. Try keeping a straight face on that one. I dare you.

I just feel so blessed to have my kiddos. We have our ups and downs and times we butt heads, but for the most part, it's just one big party. And I can just imagine what hats and costumes they'd pick out for that one!

Jacksonisms

Having a two year old is very interesting. It's a time where they're part baby and part big boy/girl. There's the joys and adventures of potty training. There are times where you sit back a lot because "No Mommy, me can do it." I think this is one of the times in their lives that they go through some major changes in all kinds of areas. Along with these changes, some of the funniest things will come out of their mouths. (Some of the weirdest things will go INTO their mouths too, just FYI)

Jackson is not quite 2 1/2 years old now. Just since his birthday in May, I've seen some of the biggest changes in him verbal wise. It's like he went from little words to big sentences overnight. Sometimes it freaks me out when it dawns on me, "Wow, I'm having a conversation with my two year old." A conversation...not a struggle with words or a rant or a temper tantrum. A conversation. Now granted, most of our conversations take place on the potty, but that's neither here nor there. It's just truly amazing to fully realize how your child thinks and feels about things around him/her, and how he/she chooses to express those thoughts. And they can come up with some doozies!

My favorite part of them learning to really talk, is seeing how they look at the world. Talk about an eye opening experience! This is when you truly realize how much they really have paid attention to you and how much they've soaked up and remembered. You will hear things coming back at you that is almost word for word what you said to your husband when you thought they were playing and not paying attention. And as they get older, they get your voice and mannerisms downpat too, but that's a whole other story.

And be ready when they start school! Fun times, especially when they get to be school age and the teacher learns far more about you than she/he cared to! (Don't forget to have the talk about how what's said at home, STAYS at home. Trust me on this. You'll thank me) The teacher doesn't want to know that Daddy has gas or that Mommy's boobs hurt during her cycle or any of that lovely stuff! I know this from both sides as a teacher and then as a parent. I guarantee, teachers will hear some things from some kids that makes her not want to look some parents in the eyes!

I said all of this to say this....kids are unpredictable! They can make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat. And right now, I am enjoying the 2's so much. Every day, my husband will text, email or call me and ask...."Has he said anything funny yet?" Because we know it's a daily occurrence. So, without further ado, here is a list of Jacksonisms that I've kept up with. Enjoy!
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On Garbage Day:
Jackson hears the garbage truck outside, and stops what he's doing and runs over to me.

Jackson: What's dat noise?
Mommy: I think that's the garbage man.
Jackson: I NEED to go see.

So we both get up and go to the front door where he looks out the side window. He's in awe because they're right in front of our house. He sees the truck pull forward and then the garbage man running behind it to catch up.

Jackson: That man took our garbage, Mommy.
Mommy: Yes, he did.
He stands there a few seconds still watching them, then looks up to me and says..."Well that was berry nice!"

It just floored me that he's not caught up in the world as much as everyone else. He has no clue that we pay these people to come and get our garbage. He just thought it was so nice of them to come and get it for us!

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Just a few days ago, we're going to the potty. I walk into the bathroom but he stops at the door. I turn around and he's just standing there looking at his hands. I start to say something, but then he starts yelling....

Jackson: Cut my fingers off!! Cut my fingers off!!
Mommy: What?! Why in the world would I cut your fingers off??
Jackson: Mommy, cut my fingers off!!

At this point, I'm not sure what in the world is going on. I'm trying not to panic but I can't think of a single thing that would make him want his fingers cut off! He runs up to me and puts his fingers in my face....

Jackson: Cut my fingers off, Mommy!!
Mommy: Jackson.....why do you want Mommy to cut your fingers off??

He looks at me like I have three heads and he can't figure out why I'm not understanding what he is so clearly telling me....He gives me this huge sigh...and then...

Jackson: Because....they scratch-ted me!!

Then it dawns on me.....he wants his fingernails cut! Duh! And not to mention, Whew!

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Overheard between Gracie and Jackson:

Gracie: Jackson, are you a big boy?
Jackson: (sigh) No, Sissy! I Jack-Jack!

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Yesterday, Lawrence hears a noise coming from down the hall. He goes around the corner and sees that Jackson had unlocked the front door's bottom locks and opened the door. Lawrence reaches up and puts the chain on the door and says...

Daddy: Jack! You can't just open the door by yourself! You're dangerous!
Jackson: I not dangerous! I good!


It's never boring around here, that's for sure.

What happens when you don't listen to Mommy?

Answer: This happens.

I forgot I had these pictures from the other day but they crack me up and I wanted to share them. He loves to put all his cars in empty Huggies boxes. But this night, he dumped them all out and decided to use the box as a seat. I told him several times that he better not do that and of course he didn't want to listen. I think by the look on his face here, he'll maybe be more open to listening to me at a later time. Eh, probably not...so I'll have my camera ready.

Bragging on my Baby Girl

My first couple of blogs have been mostly about life with a 2 year old little boy, but I wanted to write something about my baby girl, too. Well, I say baby girl but she's 8 going on 18 and my first baby.

She is so much like me, it's scary. If I ever wonder how I am or how I come across to people, all I have to do is have a conversation with Gracie. She has my sarcasm down pat and what's even scarier is, it's not just imitation...she truly knows what she's saying. Though, I do need to tone mine down some so we can make sure her's doesn't make her write a check her rear can't cash.

She is one of the smartest kids I've ever seen. We are so proud of her. She's now going into 3rd grade and this year she'll begin her RLC (Resource Learning Center) classes for gifted children. Last year, she was tested in lots of different categories and given an IQ test and as a result, she was asked to participate in this class this year. Basically, 3 to 5 hours a week, she'll be taken out of her regular class and she'll go into RLC. While she's there, they will learn to basically "think out of the box". They'll have problem solving and experiments and discussions that dig deeper than regular classes. This year their theme is "Explore", so I'm sure that will cover lots of things. I do remember the teacher also mentioning that they will at some point this year be given a store setting, a check book, and items to purchase, tally up including taxes, and balance their checkbook. Wow...maybe she can help me after that too.

She is a bookworm and proud of it. She's always been interested in books and I'm hoping that rubs off on her brother too. She's in 3rd grade reading on a 5th to 6th grade level. She loves to find a series of books and start at the beginning and go all the way through them and her vocabulary shows it. Can you tell I'm proud of her??

She's finally taken an interest in sports. So far we've played one season of soccer and one season of softball. She just signed up for her 2nd season of soccer and that will start soon. I'll post pictures when that comes up.

But most of all, I'm so proud of her and her stand for God. She's such a sweet Christian girl with a tender heart and worries about others and their well-being and if they're saved or not. I know a lot of adults who don't even care about that.

I know she'll read this so I just wanted to let you know Gracie, that I love you very much and we are so proud of you and the young lady you've become. You have a beautiful heart filled with God's love and anyone would be very lucky to call you their friend. I hope you have a wonderful school year and I know you'll make lots of friends and learn a lot. Just don't go and get smarter than your mother!! I love you :)

P-O-T-T-Y spells lots of laughs, a little stress and sucker wrappers everywhere

Remember that song? Eddie Murphy's attempt at singing about his girl wanting to party all the time. Horrible song but catchy tune. It's what I sing to Jackson everytime he potties. "My boy likes to potty all the time, potty all the time, potty all the timeeeeeeee."

We'll also sit and sing other songs and put "potty" into them like, "Old McDonald had a potty, E-I-E-I-O." and "If You're Happy and You Know It, Pee Pee in the Potty". Nevermind that he looks at me like I'm crazy and probably wonders if it's normal to sing while being naked from the waist down and you're trying to "go". It keeps his mind off of what he's doing and it usually works.

Wow...potty training. I haven't done this in quite a few years. With Gracie, it seemed to go very smoothly (from what I can remember anyway) and with very little hang ups. I was always told it was because she was a girl and how I would see how hard it was when I had a little boy. So I was always a little worried about that when Jackson was born but thought, "Nahhh, I have lots of time." Well, fast forward two years later (man, time goes by fast!!) and we are staring (literally) down into the potty.

I started a few months ago just by putting the potty out so he could see it. He was curious and he'd go in and sit on it. That lasted about a week or so and then he didn't so much as look at it. Then he turned 2 and I thought why not just try again. I don't have to push him into it or force him to sit on it. I just let him go in with me and would tell him what Mommy was doing because she was a big girl. Talk about a weird conversation! And he's at the age now that he'll repeat the last few words you say but in the form of a question. So it's hard to keep a straight face when I hear my own words come back at me..."Mommy's a big girl?", "Pee-pee goes bye-bye?", "Tuck my turtle?"

Yeah...the turtle. I thank my friend Tonya for that one. She called it that one time at church while changing his diaper and it stuck ever since. Man, I never had to teach Gracie how to "tuck" anything! So now, we have sitting down and tuckage....and trying to explain to him that he just has to do it without thinking about it. Yeah...right. So, he went a few weeks more after that not really giving a rip.

I started again two weeks ago. He has a little Elmo potty now where he doesn't have to tuck anything and he can sit and push a button and Elmo will tell him how proud he is and how he's growing up just like Elmo. And it works. So all this time, I could have mimicked a red furry monster and got the same result. Priceless.

The other thing I wondered about was rewarding Jackson when we got a result. I started off with M & M's and that worked for all of two days and he got bored. He would look down at them as if to say, "Big stinking deal...you want me to let go and pee in this talking toilet and all I get is five little pieces of candy?? Next!!"

I thought ok...what does he like....I knew I could promise him to go to the splash pad or to Walmart for a toy, etc but those were things that didn't give an immediate reward and he'd forget about the promises no sooner than he shook the turtle and pulled up his pants. So, we tried with some Dum Dum suckers. Wow....magic!

Dum Dum suckers are awesome. Even as a kid, I can remember loving them and looking at the pictures on the outside and all the flavors. He does that too! He'll look all through them and find just the right one and rip it open, declare what color it is, and pop it in his mouth. Instant reward. Now, it's had it's ups and downs too. Such as...as soon as he gets up, he wants to pee pee in the potty...for a sucker...before breakfast. He wants a sucker during the day but doesn't want to take his diaper off to go try and pee pee and doesn't understand why I just won't give him one right then. So we're working on that. But for the most part, he understands if he does it, he gets it.

Who knows...this may work until he's fully trained or he might look at me next week and flat out tell me no. And pooping on the potty?? Man, I have no idea what to do about that one. We'll just take it one Dum Dum at a time.

Have You Seen This Person??

We have a problem. There is a thief on the loose. He hits when you least expect it and he hits fast. He starts with the little cute puppy dog eyes and tilts his head. He watches you closely to see if you're buying it. Then he sneaks a little closer...eyes still on you...head tilted...and starts with that smile..just a little one at first so that his lone dimple slowly comes into view. By then, you're usually just mush and the sad thing is, he knows it. But you have to be strong...be strong I say! He's only 2! What could he possibly do?

So he slowly walks closer to you, leans over and says, "I give you loves, Momma." as he hugs me. Ok, that did it. I'm a big sighing puddle with a smile plastered on my face. He steps back, just watching me, with a huge grin on his face knowing he just won me over yet again....tilts his head and says...

"I have some of your coffee, K?"

"No, Jackson, you can't have any coffee."

"I need dat coffee."

"No, you don't NEED that coffee. You're a little boy. You don't drink coffee."

"I not little boy, I big boy."

At this point, he decides to move to the middle of the living room and starts dancing. I call it "Hey, your daddy tries to dance and it looks just like that" dance. He's shaking his buns and doing the 70's hand rolling thing in front of him and you can't help but laugh. And it seems he's forgotten about the need to be the next Juan Valdez.

You get up and walk away to put the laundry up. As you're walking back in, you hear this weird sound but can't tell what it is. You can't seem to find him either. You come around the corner and...ah-ha...you see that the sound was slurping and you now have an empty coffee cup.

He looks up at you with the biggest grin on his face and says, "Dat good coffee, Momma. I have some pease?"

"Jackson, you can NOT drink Mommy's coffee. That's for big kids, not little boys. And now you drank all of Mommy's"

"I get you some coffee."

"No, you can not go get the coffee yourself and you stay out of my cup from now on."

"Otay. I play cars."

And just that fast, he has snuck in, got the goods and fled. Yep, I'm a sucker. Some ladies have to say, "Lock up your daughters! My son is coming around!" I just have to remind them to put a lid on their coffee cups. Go figure.

Ice Cream + Jackson = BIG MESS

Riddle: What do you get when you put a high chair, a 2 year old and chocolate ice cream together?

Answer: This.

But he had fun, that's for sure!

No Thankya Thankya

Wow. As a mother, or just a parent in general, you end up subjecting yourself to many new and different things. There's the longer and messier dinner times. There is the extra laundry each week. There are the routines and schedules that need to be kept so that naptime doesn't come too soon or too late and your child doesn't start acting like something off the Exorcist. And then.....there's giving up your tv. That one hurts sometimes. Let me explain.

Before kids, you could record whatever you wanted. You could rent whatever you wanted. You could go at any given time, sit down in front of the tv on a toy-free couch, and curl up with a good movie. You could pause it to go answer the phone and not only would it be on the same channel when you came back, but it would still be paused! Oh, the freedoms you had! HAD.

But with two kids, it's slightly different. And by slightly, I mean it's nothing like it was before. Now, I don't let them watch tv all day. And I don't let them watch for long periods of time. There are times that we will all watch something together. And there are times that they will sit down and watch something of their own. So what is the problem, you ask? Let us dive in deeper here.

Before kids, there were movies that made you laugh. There were heart warming movies that brought home a moral that just made you so glad to be alive. There were horror movies that scared the skidoodles out of you. Now? There are about 235,601 animated creations. Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but it feels like that many plus some.

Take for instance, today....I had to get up earlier than normal to watch some "Mommy" tv which did not include any furry or fuzzy characters dancing around telling me that there was infact, a party in my tummy or that everyone goes to the potty. I got to watch a movie with no commercials wanting to sell me Bend-a-roos, Moon Sand or other crafty little gimmicks. I got to enjoy for 1.5 hours, total euphoria from a movie that did not teach me to be kind to my friends, that dancing is fun, or that running with scissors is dangerous. It...was....bliss....

But, that was then and this is now. As I type, I have two mini-me's running around the living room, each doing their own thing, but listening to one of their morning shows. I think today, we're being taught Mandarin Chinese courtesy of Kai-lan. Xie Xie Ni, Kai-lan...(Thank you, Kai-lan) oh, how you've brightened my day.

Now, they look like they're not paying attention to the tv. Gracie is reading and Jackson is coloring. And at the same time, they'll talk to each other...allbeit, it's, "Hey stop that.", "Hey, I had that first.", "Hey, Mom why are you pulling your hair out?" But you touch that remote just once...you hit pause or OMGoodness, you turn it off.....you have committed a carnal sin. So, ok we'll learn some Mandarin Chinese. Then the tv goes off for a while and we spend time doing things together for a few hours.

After lunch, we can watch another program of their choice. So they look at the taped DVR shows and discuss (this one....NO....this one....NO) and they give me the gift of Yo Gabba Gabba. Now...for those who are unfamiliar with the goodness that is Yo Gabba Gabba, you are missing out (on headaches and eye rolling). This is the show that lets me know there is a party in my tummy, that we don't bite our friends (awww, man...I was really looking forward to taking a chunk out of Samantha when I saw her next) and don't eat food that falls to the ground because apparently the germs will talk to you and tell you that they're dirty.

The characters alone on here should frighten my children, but they think they're great. You have a red alien type one eyed creature who looks like he has a bad bumpy skin condition. His name is Muno. There is a big pink flower blob named Foofa. You then have a short green furry striped monster type creature whose arms are longer than they should be. His name is Brobee. As if all this wasn't enough, oh there's more. There is a blue creature that looks part cat, part fox and part squirrel named Toodee. And last, but certainly not least, there is Plex, the magical yellow robot. Put this all together and add the creepy host, DJ Lance Rock, who is dressed in a very form fitting orange jump suit complete with what looks like a furry Q-tip looking orange hat...and you have the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba and a show that my 2 year old barely moves during. Scared yet? Me too.

So to sum up my little blogvel (blog that starts off as a blog and ends as a novel), enjoy your tv time while you can. Soak up those documentaries, those comedy shows and the do-it-yourself marathons...because one day....you too.....will enter the world of Yo Gabba Gabba and you won't be able to say No Thankya Thankya....because you'll be stuck...stuck I say! And not a thing to do about it.

Now if you'll excuse me...it's dancey dance time.

Here I Blog Again

Hello....my name is Melissa....and I'm addicted to blogging. (Welcome, Melissa)


Okay, so it's not that bad....yet, but I do love to write and blog. I used to keep a blog years ago and one thing led to another and it turns out, these little things called kids...they don't leave you with a lot of free time. I know. I was shocked too. Crazy, right? You spend so much time getting ready for them, you bring them into this world and dote on them. And they take up all your time! :)


I can't guarantee what you'll find here or how often you'll find it, but what I can guarantee is that it'll be true life stories of a mother of two, a wife of 11 years and our little world around us. You may like it, you may not....but...


Here I blog again!