How do you know?

We got laying hens not too long ago and they just recently started laying eggs. Champ found a couple of eggs and wanted to cook them. I told him to go ahead. Champ: "How do you know when they are ripe?"

Larger Than Life

This picture was taken at our local toy store (with permission). My boys are Lego crazy. I couldn't resist taking Rance's picture with super giant sized Lego (Playmobil) figures.

Things I Love (not in any particular order)...

1) The sound of my boys' laughter.

2) When my boys play well together.

3) When my boys use their imaginations.

4) Listening to my boys play (and they don't know I can hear them - they are more uninhibited then).

5) My husband's and Anthony's dimples (they are the only 2 that have dimples).

6) Watching my husband interact with the boys.

7) My boys' hugs and kisses.

Good Manners

One Sunday morning after Bible class, Anthony's teacher told me about a conversation that they had in class. It goes as follows...

Miss Angela: "Anthony, would you like some water?"
Anthony: "No, thank you."
Miss Angela: "You have very good manners Anthony."
Anthony: "Yes. I have good manners, because I have people at home to remind me when I don't."

Conversation

Lee: "Mom, when you were younger did you ever want to go somewhere?"

Me: "Like, where?"

Lee: "Another country maybe?"

Me: "Sure. I wouldn't mind going now if I had the chance."

Lee: "Where would you go?"

Me: "I would love to go to Spain or Australia. I would probably choose Australia first because I wouldn't have to learn a new language."

Lee: "You speak Australian?!?!?!"

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Rance, my 3 year old is afraid to watch 'Horton Hears a Who' he said it is too scary, but he wants to watch 'The Incredible Hulk?' I'm not sure he knows what he's asking.

Snow Much Fun

Check it out here for more snow day fun.

The Experiment

My 2 oldest boys, Lee (10 - soon to be 11) and Champ (9) are having to do their own laundry. Yep, from beginning to end...wash, dry, fold and put away. I still wash their towels and washcloths, but they are responsible for their own clothes.

This started about a month ago. The boys have their own bathroom with a laundry basket for dirty clothes. I empty it everyday because I do 2 loads of laundry a day (more on somedays, but 2 is my minimum). I do not go into their room in search of dirty clothes (I am trying to teach them responsibility) because they are supposed to put their clothes into the laundry basket in their bathroom.

One day while they were in school I did all the laundry and when they got home from school I asked them to clean their room. When they finished, their laundry basket was over flowing (there was at least 1 load of clothes there). Now this was not the first time that this had happened, but if I could help it, it was going to be the last. That's when I made them responsible for their own laundry.

They had on occasion helped me with laundry and I helped them the first few times until they learned how, now they are completely responsible for their own laundry. We do have some ground rules...1) they are to do their own laundry (not talk their brother into doing it for them), 2) they are to do their own laundry (they are not to wear dirty clothes - they do NOT want to know what will happen if they wear dirty clothes because they are not doing their responsibilities).

This does several things, teaches the boys how to do laundry (which could be helpful when they are older and decided not to get married or get married later on in life or if they get married pretty soon after collage they can help their wife - yes, I am already trying to score points with my future daughters-in-law), it teaches the boys more responsibility and it helps me (now remember they brought this on themselves).

We do not have chores around our house, we have responsibilities (basically it is the same thing, but the word 'chores' has a negative sound to me and responsibilities are something you never outgrow and are not necessarily negative - my children are one of my responsibilities and they are quite pleasant - on most days).

When I decided that they were to be responsible for their own laundry, I made them each a laundry bag, I put a button hole in the back (wish I had used a large grommet instead) and they hang it on the towel hook in their bathroom. They put their clothes in the bag and when it is full, they do their laundry. Champ is great at this, I never have to ask him or remind him to do his laundry, Lee on the other hand is not so great. His bag can be overflowing and I still have to tell him to do his laundry. I do, every now and then, have to remind them that the washer has stopped and they need to put their clothes in the dryer and stuff like that, but they are really doing great with it.

From the Mouth of Babes

We were in the drive-through line at McDonald's (oh, come on admit it, you do it too) and Anthony said "I want a cheeseburger with no grown up stuff on it." (Translated - he wanted a plain cheeseburger.)

Shopping Fun

Anthony (4) has a very weak stomach (and always has). Yesterday (Christmas Eve) I was trying to finish up some very last minute shopping (so you know how crazy and hectic things already are) and I had to take Anthony and Rance (3) with me.

We went into the first (and only) store and Rance sneezed, so Anthony threw up. Yep, right there just a few feet from the entrance. It was strawberry milk. Not a pretty sight. Of course, I didn't have wipes with me (why didn't I have wipes with me, I always carry wipes with me). I had just a few tissues. Well of course I looked like the worst mom ever because I wiped Rance's nose first, before tending to Anthony who was throwing up. But I have inside information...I knew that if I didn't get to Rance's nose as soon as possible, Anthony wouldn't stop throwing up. After Rance was taken care of, then I tended to Anthony.

I have to tell you that Anthony is one of the best 4 year olds ever. When he realized what was going to happen, he held out his own hands and tried to catch everything so it wouldn't make as big of a mess. Isn't that the sweetest thing ever?

There's just something about boys!

Boys, Boys, Boys

My son (10 yo and in the 5th grade) brought home a paper of his vocabulary words.

This list was at the top of the page...

forbidden
blared
reluctant
gossiped
mischievous
elegant
hesitation
irresistible

He missed question #5, it was written like this...

5. The woman's tasteful, stylish outfit caught our attention. ____________________

With the words, 'tasteful, stylish' underlined.

He was to fill in the blank with the correct vocabulary word.

Do you want to guess which word he put in the blank?

IRRESISTIBLE

Boys

I live in the country (on back roads) and we don't have any neighbors. So when I was potty training the boys, they would pee pee off the porch (onto rocks, leaves or whatever they could see). As every mother knows, when a little one says they have to go, they have to go right then and it is usually when you've just left a perfectly good, clean bathroom somewhere . So, if we are riding in the vehicle and one of the boys said they had to go, I pulled onto the shoulder of the road and let him pee (which in our area, due to the back roads, it is not always easy to find a spot to pull over).

One day, we were driving and Rance said that he had to go. (He was wearing 'big boy' pants and everything.) So I began to frantically search for a place to pull over and I said, "Mommy's looking for a place."

Rance told me again that he had to go pee pee.

I said, "Mommy's still looking."

Rance said, "There's a porch, and there's a porch."

My Record is Broken

I have managed to make it 10 years with 4 very active boys without any major accidents (no stitches, no broken bones). This year is a different story. This past summer Rance (3) had to have stitches. Saturday night (Halloween), Lee (10) broke his arm. It's nothing major (just a fracture), he just has to wear a splint for a couple of weeks. I guess I am really lucky that I've made it this far. God has really blessed my family.

It's Tough on a Dog

It’s Tough On A Dog
By Jean W. Sawtell

It’s tough on a dog when his boy grows up,
When he no longer romps and frolics like a pup.
It’s tough on a dog when his boy gets old,
When they no longer cuddle on his bed when it’s cold.
It’s tough on a dog when his boy gets tall,
When he’s off with the boys playing soccer and baseball.
They no longer paddle through the mud and the bog,
Hoping to find a stray turtle or frog.
They no longer run through the grass up to their knees,
Or roll in the pile of fresh fallen leaves.
It’s tough on a dog when his boy gets tall,
When he’s off to school, looking at girls in the hall.
It’s tough on a dog when he has work to do,
When he forgets to play as he used to.
It’s tough on a dog when instead of the woods or field or pond,
His boy becomes a man - and the man is gone.

There's Just Something About Boys

God has blessed me with 4 wonderful boys and a fantastic husband. Life is never dull to say the least. I have also found out that boys are very different from girls (what they do, how they think, etc.). I thought that I would start a blog about being the only girl living with a houseful of boys.