Honesty is the Best Policy?

Yesterday I went to get Hunter from his Primary Class.  I was presented with yet another work of art from him.  This one, though, actually cracked me up to no end.  To explain the picture, the commandment that Hunter has chosen to work on for the week is I will honor my father and mother and he drew a picture of Matt and me holding hands with a heart between us...  Do you see Matt?  And that big, egg-shaped lady holding his hand?!  It seriously doesn't bother me a bit though.  Hunter knows that I'm the only person he can ever call fat... but I did remind him that once the baby was out, all bets are off. :)

Obviously, the tall, thin guy on the left is Daddy and my representation is spot on.  Hunter made me nice and round because I'm a fat mommy right now.  LOL!

Hunter the Graduate

This morning, my sweet boy graduated from Pre-school.  What?!  I know, where has the time gone?  Hunter had the same two teachers, Miss Cindy and Lynda, as Corbin did when he went.  I was pregnant with Hunter when Corbin graduated.  Now Corbin will be in 4th grade and Hunter will start Kindergarten.  And Dane will start Pre-school in the fall.  How the time has flown by.  And through the tired and frustrating days, my heart is full and our lives continue to be blessed.  Hunter has grown up so much over this last school year.  According to the growth chart they gave me, since August he has grown 2 inches and gained another 8 lbs.  I forgot the camera in the mayhem of this morning, so all I was left with was the video camera on my iphone.  At least I got it recorded though.  I will "beg" pictures off of some of the other moms.

Whiner McWhiner

I've been doing this a lot lately.  I've caught the whining bug from my kids.  I feel terrible that my husband has had to endure me over these last months, so instead of calling him and ugly crying into the phone, I turn to the interweb.  I'm not a great pregnant person.  I don't glow.  I don't have a perma-smile.  I'm lucky if I dry my hair and actually put street clothes on.  I'm walking sorta pigeon-toed these days because of the pain.  I've become seriously neurotic (more so than when I'm not pregnant).  My hips pop all the time.  My stress levels are off the charts (it all should have been done yesterday).  The third trimester nausea is seriously going to do me in.  My mind has so many grand plans, but my body won't sync with it.  I want to drink Dr. Pepper all the time, but I don't want my baby turning into a caffeine dependent high strung crying thing.  There's only room for one of those in our house and I sit comfortably on that throne right now.  Fighting the exhaustion is exhausting.  I'm swelling.  I can't wear my wedding ring anymore **tear**.  Spider veins. ew.  I just want to feel human again...**Deep breath in... aaannnd exhaling**

So now that I've let off some steam, these words have been on loop in my head all day long, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."  Sometimes this phrase ends in question marks, other times exclamation points.  Sometimes it comes in a whisper, sometimes in a shout.  But one thing is certain.  I can and will make it through.  Life is good.  We are blessed.  Soon, we will have Talon and this time will be a distant memory.  I still don't feel any different than I did at the beginning of this post.  I still hurt and stress and worry, but I can deal.  I know I can, I know can, I know I can.   

Girl's Overnighter

My friend Chrissy and I recently went on an overnight trip to Charlotte, NC.  So. Much. Fun!  We raided IKEA, Homegoods, and the South Park Mall where there was an Anthropolgie, Pottery Barn, and some other stores that were way overpriced.  We got lost trying to find the van Friday night (at the mall), so we approached a security guard who actually drove us to our vehicle because of my "condition".  Yay for being pregnant (for once)!  So come to find out Usher and Akon were in the Mall when we were.  It was actually really dead for a Friday night and I seriously wouldn't have been surprised to find out that I walked right by them without noticing.  I was a woman on a mission that weekend and shopping tends to block out everything else. :)  Chrissy and I didn't get to bed until the wee hours of the morning, so I was blown away to find myself waking up after 9 am on Saturday morning.  Whoa!  That seriously hasn't happened since my Rick's Days.  We got ready relatively quickly because we were approaching check out time and I know Matt wouldn't have been very happy with me if I got another night charged on the bill for over sleeping...  So off we went... to....  IKEA!  I love that place!  I love their prices.  I love their cafeteria...  I love their bathrooms.  I went there with a purpose though.  I've been in the process of re-doing the boys' bedroom to accomodate all 3 of them.  So far so good.  I'll post pictures of the finished product soon.  We're on the last leg of completion.  They will actually move in there this weekend.  yay!  Then onto getting the baby's room put back together... and then onto the playroom... okay I've gone off on a couple tangents...   So girl's vacation.  Great shopping, great company, great eating, and great spending!  Couldn't have asked for a better break!!

Our haul.  It was quite impressive if I may say so myself.  There was a significant amount of planning and preparation that went into this trip, by the way. :)

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!

This actually happened about 2-3 weeks ago.  It happened in a split second and I beat myself up for days over this one.  Dane was jumping on the bed and (according to Hunter) bounced right off the bed onto the Kung Zhu battle arena.  He got a gash in the side of his head about an inch long and a puncture wound at his crown.  All I remember is the blood.  Everywhere.  Running down the side of his face down his neck and pooling in his ear.  Did I mention the bloody handprint on my bathroom door?  And the spotted trail of blood that went from Hunter and Corbin's room, through my room, and into my bathroom?  Horror movie come to life, I tell ya.  A plastic toy did this?  Holy Cow!  I just had checked on them 2 minutes before and as I began drying my hair, I heard a scream.  I rolled my eyes b/c I thought Dane and Hunter were fighting, but seconds later a bleeding 3 year old stormed my bathroom.  My first thought was his ears... head wound....  brain bleed... serious....  Heavenly Father kept me calm because my internal monologue was trying to make me panic, but it didn't happen.  I somehow went into business mode and wrapped Dane's head with a towel and sat him on the floor.

Dane's gash- the picture doesn't do it justice.  It was nasty and we didn't even get the puncture would on his crown.  He was a little less than tolerant at this point though. :(

Talking to him calmly and then directing Hunter on what I needed him to do, we were up and dressed and out of the door in about 5 minutes.  Hunter was amazing!  He stayed calm throughout as well and followed every direction I gave him and did it in record time.  I was so proud of him.  I was able to stay focused and not get frazzled and I think because of my calmness, Hunter was able to think straight and perform quickly and accurately himself.  We met Matt at the Urgent Care and I think once it all set in and Matt kind of took over, my nerves got me and I broke down a couple of times.  My baby was in pain and I couldn't fix it and the guilt was just all consuming.  It was hard to listen to his cries of pain as they stapled his head wound, but it was over in less than a minute.  His head was wrapped and after some sprite and a toy, he was okay.  We had a quiet day that day and by the afternoon, he was back to his old self.  He let me know when he wanted the dressing off his head and there were times during that day and the next couple that I had to make him slow down.  Man, what an experience.  The staples were taken out last Wednesday (after 7 days) and I think there is still some sensitivity in his head, but we were really lucky with this one.  The Lord watched over us and blessed us-especially Dane.  I'm very thankful for the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit and the reassurance I receive on a daily basis.



After the Sprite... and after a little clean up too- like the sagging front of his shirt?  All dried blood- and yes, we still have the shirt- I was magically able to save everything that got blood on it!

Hunter's Faux Birthday!

Just as last year, Hunter got to celebrate his birthday with his preschool class. I had a big cookie with Iron Man made and he enjoyed the attention that came with his faux birthday. He keeps saying he's five now, but I have to keep reminding him that his birthday is not until July (which he knows btw, but argues with me for the sake of argument)  So, Happy Faux Birthday, Hunter.  **Real Birthday post in July.


I love the ham in him- he makes Matt and me laugh on a daily basis.




At the beginning of each year along with supplies, parents have to provide a present to be put in the pile for birthdays.  Hunter picked the one I donated- surprise, surprise. :)  He got another Mr. Potato Head...*sigh*



I love this picture!  We call this his crazy eyes.  Hunter pulls this look out when he is super happy or if he is crying.  Seriously.  But I still laugh because he has such beautiful anime eyes.

The Pinewood Derby

This past Saturday was the Pinewood Derby for Pack 52. After days and days of sanding and more sanding and painting and more painting and stratically placing stickers, Corbin's car was finally complete. His vision had come to life! Do you not love where he placed the round stickers to make him look sponge? Right over the mouth and between the eyes. I had a mental flash of Austin Powers staring at the mole on that guy's face (in Goldmember?) going, "Holey Moley" and "Moley, Moley, Moley, Molllleeey". I'm sorry, it just literally had me rolling on the floor laughing. Corbin said he didn't do it, but um, no one else placed those stickers, so that made me laugh even more. The reason why I find it so dang funny is because you can create your own Mii's for the Wii and everyone of Corbin's players (and there is close to a dozen to choose from) all have a mole right over their mouths. Weird, but I'm giggling hysterically as I type this b/c it is so far in left field that it's hilarious to me that he puts moles on his creations and always right above the mouth. Back to the Derby. Matt and Papa were the judges at the finishline. There were about 12-15 cars racing, so there was a pretty good crowd there. Everyone was really excited to see what their cars could do. I would like to say that events like this bring out a certain competitive spirit, but it's mostly in good fun. Mostly. ;) Everyone wants their kid to do well, ya know? Corbin's car won like 3 heats and got to the quarter-finals. He had a pretty fast little car. He was so sure he would win... until he started racing the other winners of the heats. He just couldn't beat the Super Mario Car. It was just a hair faster (this car was super shiney and it was sanded almost completely flat in the front- meaning crazy aero dynamics, I think). He raced this car probably 4 times and couldn't get past him. :( So Super Mario ended up moving on to the semi-finals (?- I can't remeber the order) leaving a VERY dissappointed Corbin. They were awarding trophies and he just wanted one so bad. I think I wanted it worse for him. So I told him to cheer for Mario and we would get it next year. The race was so exciting, they had a first, second, and third place winner, and then a Grand Champion. Guess who won? Yep, Super Mario did. During a break, Matt found Super Mario's dad and exhanged some small talk. I think Matt was already planning for next year. Bwahahahahaha! **putting fingertips together** We're not competitive or anything in this house. :) In the end everyone got a certificate and a plastic gold medal. Corbin gave the medal to Hunter who was ecstatic to have it. So until next year... Bwahahahahaha! Had to get a picture of Matt and Corbin after the race next to the track... if you can see it.

Funny Pages

Just over the last week or so- the kids have been saying some really funny things. Thought I'd share some:

Corbin: Dane, do you want to be a big brother?
Dane: um, no. I want to be a tiger. Rar!

We've been taking advantage of this great weather (that is, until the foot of pollen landed on us) and going outside a lot. Corbin and Hunter like to race even though Corbin shows no mercy with his younger brother. Hunter still gives it his all and keeps on doing it in hopes one day to beat him... so before one particular race, Hunter says to Corbin in all seriousness:

Hunter: Corbin, you go in slow motion, I'll go in fast motion this time. :)

Corbin: Mom, I think Dane is a German baby.
Me: What? Why?
Corbin: Because when I showed him a picture of himself when he was a little baby, I said, "Dane, who is that?" and Dane said, "das baby."
Me: LOL

Dane accidently ran over Hunter's foot with his plasma car and Hunter got really mad at him.

Hunter: Dane, you're a dummy head!!!
Dane: (With crunched up eyebrows) No, Hunter! I a bear!

I like to keep these little things recorded because it's always nice to go back and read how awesome they are...

In other quick news- Talon is getting bigger and moving a lot more. I'm feeling him in my ribs now and he especially enjoys using my bladder as a pillow. I'm pretty much into whatever I can eat- anything noodly is sufficient. I'm nesting like crazy and it's causing me a certain amount of anxiety because I want it all done last week and there's really nothing I can do about it... at least not all at once. I have to keep telling myself this. Life is good though. The Lord is really blessing us all and I'm thankful.

Mean Mom

I'm a mean mom. I try not to be, but I don't know what else to do. Today marks the 7th day in a row that Corbin has forgotten to bring his Word Study words home. His assignment is due on Thursday and it's a pretty time consuming homework assignment. Over the course of the last few days, he has had his DS taken away for a week, his beloved Pokemon game taken away for 2 weeks, no phone priviledges, he has to miss scouts tomorrow (obviously to finish his assignment), and I made him write 30 times "I will listen to my mother" and then 20 times "I will not forget my Word Study again" in one sitting. So this obviously isn't about just the word study. I guess it's the straw that broke this camel's back. He broke the news to me today that he forgot again with... a smile. A smile. My face just burned up. Yes, my hormones are in overload, but I had to just walk away from this. I came downstairs to be greeted by a backpack, a pair of shoes, and a lunchbox thrown on the floor. Steam began rising from the top of my head.... And then I cried. As I cried, I went through the daily questions: Where do your shoes go? What do you do with your lunchbox? Where do you put your backpack? Where do you hang your coat? I know he was expecting agitation from me, but my gasket blew and I was all waterworks. I know I shouldn't do this in front of my kids, but I felt like an absolute failure for not being able to properly teach simple concepts to a 9-YEAR-OLD.

Well, homework got finished and the only thing I haven't tried for a punishment was sitting in the corner. So I moved a chair to the corner of the kitchen and told him to sit down until I told him he could get up. That was 2 hours and 1 minute ago. Yes, he has been in the corner for 2 hours. I gave him a book to read and I gave him a nice supper on my best tv tray. I also opened a blind for him to look outside. I had a nice talk with him and he seemed to actually understand why he was sitting there. He did have a mild tantrum 42 minutes in and I almost caved. Almost. Yes, I feel horrible to doing this, but I feel like this punishment will be remembered more than a spanking or getting yelled at. I've had to leave the area here and there to cry some more because I felt bad, but then I had to remind myself that he wasn't tied down or gagged or starving or whatever. He was taking that pill that needed swallowing. Am I a mean mom? Probably. Do I love my son?! More than anything. But sometimes being mean is the only road to take.

A Random Funny

I usually post funny sayings of the kids on the side panel, but I just had to share this one. The boys are getting used to the idea of having another boy added to the mix. They desperately wanted a sister... at least Corbin and Hunter did. Dane doesn't care, I don't think. Anyways- Corbin and I were studying together for a Science Test last night and we took a break for a minute... This is how the conversation went:

Corbin: What are you going to name the baby?

Me: Well, we've decided to name him Talon Barrett. Did you know where Barrett came from?

Corbin: Where?

Me: Well, since Daddy likes guns so much, he got it from a gun called the Barrett 50 caliber.

Corbin: Blankness in his face

Corbin: What does "Talon" mean? It sounds familiar.

Me: Talon is like the claw of an Eagle, ya know. (I'm laughing now because his face is so distorted from hearing this information)

Corbin: Why would you give the baby such a violent name?! You named him after an Eagle claw and a gun?

Me: Well, it's a cool name and we didn't name your brother after an Eagle claw... What should we have named him?

Corbin: Claude Fedrick Wilson. (My late grandpa's name)

I just enjoyed this little conversation. It made me see how really tender Corbin is under his facade of testosterone. He loves his brother already and said to me that he is glad that Talon will be with us soon. He and Hunter are even talking to my tummy now. Hunter calls him some weird made up name with an Indian sound to it. I know, kids are weird, but fun!

Drum Roll Please....

Today was the ultrasound for Baby #4.... da, da, da, da, daaaaa (I couldn't figure out how to spell a drum roll) We're having another BOY! Yes, we all know that a little girl would have been great, but I have developed a profound sense of gratitude with the coming of this news. I knew in the depths of my mind that this was going to be a boy, but I hung onto hope of a little girl (plus, I get so distracted by those cute hairbows little girls wear). When the technician said "he" I felt... honored. Shocked too. But really, really honored that Heavenly Father would trust me with another of His sons to raise during increasingly trying times here on Earth. My boys are going to be future Priesthood holders, missionaries, Husbands, Fathers, upstanding citizens... That's a lot to think about and a big job to undergo, but one with purpose! It brings me great happiness to know that the Lord has confidence in my abilities as a mother and confidence in Matt as a Father and roll model for these guys. I look forward to what's to come and I am excited to meet my new guy in the next few months!

My Youngest Baby is 3!

Yes, I know I am way late posting this one, but life has a way of getting a little overwhelming at times, right? So Dane turned 3 on February 15th. He is my love child. :) We didn't do much that day. We all went to the gym and Matt and the boys swam at the pool. They had a great time and afterwards we went to Dane's favorite restaurant... Yep, Chic-fil-a once again. The pool famished him and he ate an entire 6 nuggets kids meal and some ice cream. He was content afterward. The real festivities were the following Sunday at Nana'a house. He picked out Lightning McQueen plates to have his cake on. We actually had brownies b/c Dane lurves them. :) I once again forgot a camera, so my mom has this birthday on hers. Dane got lots of clothes for summer, a Tom and Jerry movie (his faaavvooorite), a Thomas pillow, and a ride on motorcycle. He also got some play-doh and another ball. Another successful birthday under our belts this year! Happy Birthday to my sweet Dane! Mom loves you so much!



side note: Dane has been potty-trained since about a week before his birthday. He took off that pull-up and never looked back. He's doing great except for the going #2- but I think we are getting that under control now and well on our way to success! Yay for Dane!

My Oldest baby is 9!

So in all my busy glory, I didn't do Corbin's birthday post yesterday. Corbin turned 9 years old and I'd say we had yet another successful birthday. We began pre-birthday celebrations on Sunday at my mom's house for dinner. Corbin requested spaghetti for his birthday meal, so we feasted on that. We sang Happy Birthday and he got lots of presents. He was very happy with his haul. Yesterday, we went to Target to spend his gift cards and money he got. He bought another DS game... I know, right?! So after wreaking havoc in Target, we ended the evening at Ruby Tuesdays for Corbin's real birthday dinner. He got his very own 7 oz steak, brocolli, mozzarella sticks, grapes, and cleansed his palet with vanilla ice cream and extra cherries on top. Yep, he ate it all! In between courses, he played his new Pokeman game and was in Heaven! (We never let him play at the table anywhere) He looked up at me and said, "Mama, this is the best day of my life!" SUCCESS! So, to round out the celebrations, Dane and I came up to the school to have a belated birthday lunch with Corbin and let him share a treat with his classmates. Popsicles, of course- he got several pats on the back for that. :) Meredith (his cute little girlfriend) came and sat with us. She was his chosen guest. And finally, in two days time, Corbin and Hunter will be heading off to the happiest place on Earth- Disney World! Nana and Papa had an urge and decided to take the four oldest grandkids with them. Can't fight those urges. :) So Happy Birthday to my darling boy, Corbin! Glad you had a great 9th celebration and cheers to many more! Mom loves you more than bunnies!

A Summary

Is January already over with?! I can not believe it! I'm going to vow to be better at blogging. I realize I don't have to have anything epic to write on and I attempts at comedy are usually futile so...

January in a wrap up session:

We spent the first days of January in Warner Robins with Matt's family. A good time was had by all.

I did my usual volunteering at the school and helped with duty-free lunch. I always like going and hanging out with Corbin's class at lunch. Kids are soooo gross, but always entertaining to say the least.

The weekend of January 8 brought us a little snow, which cancelled school for Monday and then Tuesday, don't forget Wednesday... and Thursday! Friday was school holiday and so was the following Monday. So let's count. 10 days of no school right after they got off of winter break. It wasn't so bad, but the 10th-13th, we were pretty much housebound. The 3 or so inches of snow we got on Monday actually froze over and made the outside conditions less than functional- at least here in SC. EVERYTHING was shut down. Have mercy. I know that the boys got cabin fever, but we managed. We had lots of food and we stayed warm. They played out in the snow on Monday and no, I'm not prepared for this type of weather. I put plastic bags on their feet to keep them water-proof and we had no gloves so we gave them hand warmers. Baaaaddd, I know. I will be prepared next time.

I've been feeling really run down physically. I had a little burst of energy that last about a week and then that whole feeling like I got hit by a truck came back. I could sleep where I stood. I fell asleep all the time whenever I got a free minute. I felt like I took sleep aids and was fighting the sleep that they are supposed to bring. Miserable, I tell ya. So, it all came to a head around the 20th. Taking a shower and minding my business, started feeling a little nauseated and then these pretty black spots started filling my vision. Next thing I know, I'm waking up on the floor of my stand up only shower with my arm hanging out of the open door. My elbow was bleeding and I couldn't even gather a thought. I stood up and finished my shower (a little freaked out to say the least) and then I later that morning, I ended up at the doctor b/c I felt so terrible! To sum it all up- nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. Blood counts, urine, everything. Chalked it up to low blood pressure. ok. At least I can feel it coming and do something to stop it now. In other baby news- went for my 16 week appointment yesterday and everything is going well. I've gained like 4 pounds total according to my chart, baby has a good strong heartbeat and on March 3rd, we find out what we're having! Exciting times.

The boys are doing really well. Dane has become quite the dirty little fighter. He jammed Hunter's finger and can pretty much hold his own in a brawl. He's all about Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry. He's really into mega blocks right now. He loves nursery at church. And he likes to pretend that he is a puppy- we are forced to call his food "puppy food". I will start potty training him after I finish this set of diapers. He's beyond ready to train, I've just been a little unmotivated.

Hunter is thriving in pre-school. He knows his address and phone number. He loves a little girl name McKayla because she is so pretty. :) He is all about his muscles and wants so desperately to have big ones. This need has caused him to randomly drop to the ground and pump out some push ups. Hilarious. He's serios too, though. The other day, I came into the living room to find him with his legs on the couch while he was busy pumping out some push ups on the floor. I didn't teach him any of this, but if that helps with the testerone I'm not gonna knock it. He is also obsessed with wearing the double shirt look (long sleeve shirt under the short sleeve shirt). You're only cool if you wear 2 shirts according to the book of Hunter. And jeans. Only jeans. And if they're torn in the knee all the better. Those are his only preferences, so I'm okay. I'll draw the line at black eye liner. Hunter is sick right now. First time all season. Crazy fevers, no appetites, and lethargy. No push ups to report for that last couple of days... but he did report to me that the whole in his armpit is getting deeper (when he flexes) LOL!

Corbin is so over 3rd grade. He is enjoying his class this year though. He has a good teacher and I like that she is nice, but no nonsense. He has a girlfriend named Meridith. They were in 1st grade together too. He said that her friends get mad at her because she always wants to talk to him at lunch instead of them. It's only 3rd grade, so I'm not gonna sweat it for right now. She a cute kid and she hugs me every time I come to the class. I'm a sucker, I know. Corbin quit wrestling- just wasn't his thing. I think he's more of a lover, not a fighter. ;) He has joined the scout troop in our ward though. We've been bad about taking him and after some thought, Matt and I have decided to give the scouting program another go. Corbin is really into Italian ice right now for snacks. Outside of eating and sleeping (and when he doesn't get it taken away) he is playing his ds and wreaking havoc. :)

I was supposed to write a short blog entry, but I guess that didn't work out. We're good, happy, and healthy (except for Hunter right now). Matt has become a work out god and health food fanatic- which I will not knock. I'm very proud of him and he looks great! I even gave him his own shelf in the fridge so his food won't get lost in the shuffle. Take care to everyone!