All we need now is the RC Cola...

The Great Blueberry Revolt of '09

I bought some fresh blueberries at the grocery store on Sunday. They are as close to perfect as one can get. They are luscious little dark blue-purplish orbs of sweet goodness, and I couldn't resist buying them for my little darlings. Yesterday morning, I got the bright idea of fixing my little angels buttermilk blueberry pancakes for breakfast. These aren't just any blueberry buttermilk pancakes...these are from scratch, secret recipe, made with nothing but a mama's love pancakes. And the fresh blueberries from North Carolina only makes them better. So I waltz into the kitchen ala Snow White and work to prepare my darling angels the very best blueberry pancakes. I swear a bluebird came and sang on my window sill while I fixed the blueberry goodness. I prepared the boys' plates and even topped the pancakes with some more blueberries because...hey, who doesn't like fresh blueberries? So in my best nightingale voice, I call the boys to the table for their wonderful, special breakfast. Oh silly me! What dream world was I living in!? Aidan came running into the dining room, took one look at his plate, crossed his arms and declared "Huh! I don't like that! That's YUCKY!" Ok, I took a deep breath and thought, that's just Aidan- he's my picky eater. Conner will love them. When Conner came running into the room, he immediately climbed into his seat and examined his plate. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that at least one of my children will enjoy the breakfast I worked so hard to prepare. However, as I turned to fill my coffee cup, I saw a small blue ball whiz across the room. I really can't explain what happened next. It's like a scene from a movie- I was standing still while all this chaos ensued around me: Conner and Aidan started smushing and throwing their blueberries! After what seemed like hours, I finally came to my senses and stopped the madness. Needless to say, they didn't get any breakfast (and I wasn't about to fix them anything else!). I don't know what's worse: their wild behavior or the fact that they wouldn't eat my homemade blueberry buttermilk pancakes! When it came time for breakfast this morning, I poured them cereal out of a box and opened a package of yogurt for them. And you know what? They ate every bit!

What goes in must come out

It never fails. Whenever I settle in for a nap of my own when the kids are supposed to be taking their naps, or I've sat down for dinner, or I'm in the shower actually shaving my legs, I hear a loud and resounding "I gotta Poop!" coming from Aidan's mouth. He can get himself on the potty to do his business. It's just the whole wiping thing that tricks him out...although he assures me he will wipe his own bottom when he is 4. I smile in relief and tell him to enjoy it while he can because he only has 2 more months to use me as his Lady Charmin! So anyway, you are probably wondering why in the world I write about this. Well, I am glad you are. I've been thinking about this whole poop thing and I've realized something. Early motherhood is all about the poop: where, when, how much, and what does it look like? It begins when you're pregnant and you can't poop. And when you finally do (thanks to the 5 glasses of Metamucil), you call your doctor in hysterics because you are convinced you just had your baby. (Oh, come on ladies! You know this happened to you!) Then, your wonderful bundle of joy arrives into this world and you see poop come out of this precious child that is, quite frankly, rather disturbing. You think maybe you should call Mulder and Scully to come and investigate, but thankfully the nurses and doctors say this is normal and healthy and to let them know when the poop changes in color and texture. So you get a notebook, a poop journal so to speak, and proceed to record how many times a day your baby poops, what color it is, and what it smells like- it is green and seedy? does it look like French's mustard? does it smell like buttermilk? All these, of course, are signs that your baby is healthy if you are nursing that wonderful ball of love. If you give formula, I have no clue what the healthy poop looks like. As your baby gets older, you still worry about the poop but in a different aspect. At this stage you still examine the poop and pooping frequency to make sure your baby is ok. You can always tell if your child has had beans, raisins, or corn at the babysitters for lunch. Your conversation with the pediatrician is still roughly the same- how often does your child poop? The colors of concern change, though. Is it white, black or red? If so, there's a problem. This is when you start to worry over when the child poops- will he poop in his white Easter outfit? will he have a blow-out diaper right during the baby dedication? will he have diarrhea when you are at Walmart and have nothing in your diaper bag but Goldfish crackers? Then comes the time when you focus on where the child poops, the goal being that the poop lands in a potty of some sort and not in a diaper, pull-up, underwear, or on your new summer outfit. Finally, about the time this precious child has learned to poop in a potty and wipe his own bottom, another stage of motherhood comes knocking on your door. (As soon as I open that door, I'll let you know what it is!)
I've had some fun writing about this but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much you can tell about the physical health of a child by looking at what comes out of their bodies. If you feed them good things, their body works right and you can see it. If there's a problem, you can also look at what comes out to tell. As I thought about this, something hit me- This is true of their emotional well-being also. If you feed your child a steady diet of love, attention, and encouragement, it can be seen in their outward behavior. If you don't, there will be problems that will eventually come out in the child. What a strong reminder for me that what you put into your child will come out!

I'll Admit My Ignorance...

Yes...it's true. I hate to admit it but I just can't figure out how to get the pictures in each post to fit just perfect! For the love of sweet peas, I am a teacher and it has to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T!! If you have any tips or suggestions, please let me know.....

The Break UP

Dear Dimples, Jiggles, and Fat Rolls-

This letter isn't easy for me to write but it has to be done. I wish I could do this another way but you just won't listen to me. I'm sorry but our relationship is over. Yes, we are so-over. This is it; I can't take it anymore. Let's face it - you're weighing me down. You've hung around way too long...and in places that don't need to be hanging. Yes, it's true: I needed you when I was pregnant with two 10 lb babies. Yes, I loved you then. You were warm and comforting. But I started to realize that something was wrong when you kept bringing extra friends over. I ignored it, just turned a blind eye to your antics and lies. Lies...oh, the lies you told. Lies that it's OK to eat that extra helping of lasagna, that it's OK to eat a bag of Sweet 16 powdered donuts, that baggy shirts are in style right now and will camouflage the kangaroo pouch that you call a stomach. I listened to you and now I have a closet full of clothes I can't wear. I miss my clothes!! You've kept me away from the lake, the pool, the track. And I can't take it anymore! There are too many miles to run, laps to swim, fireflies to help my boys chase. I can't do those things with you constantly at my hip. This is my final goodbye. Oh, I know I've said this before, but believe me, I am stronger now. I've already lost 15 pounds of you and now I'm working on 6 more. So get your bags packed, clear your things, get your junk out of my trunk and GO!! I'm better off without you!

Sincerely,

Lori

The Second Child Syndrome

As most of you know, Conner is my baby. He and Aidan are about 18 months apart. I've noticed something about him- he has absolutely no fear! Last night, we took the boys to Granny and Papaw's so they could play on the farm. Granny and Papaw have a big play-set for the boys. Conner has become a very good climber; he could climb up the ladder on the play-set all day if someone would let him. Anyway, he fell off the top step of the ladder last night. Fell just like a potato sack straight to the ground. Praise God- he was ok. Tonight, when I was giving him a bath, I noticed he has a huge bruise on his ankle. I have no clue where that one came from. The child is a walking accident. He has only been on this Earth a mere 2 years and 2 months and already his little knees are scarred pink. Conner is fearless and unafraid. If YouTube is still around in 15 years, I guarantee you will be able to find one or more videos of Conner driving a 4-wheeler or some other motorized thing off the roof of our house.


Looking at my friend's children, I see this same pattern in their second child. I have one friend whose daughter practically lives in a cast. What is it about these children? Are they born with a natural tendancy to wreck havoc on their little bodies? Do they have a strong desire to assert their independence and individuality? Or do we as parents finally realize our children are not made of glass and stop hovering over them? I don't know the answer but I do know I will start buying Bactine by the case loads at Wal-mart.

I meant to start blogging now!

So...I had a good streak there for all of 2 days and then I let it go! Oh yeah, I meant I would start NOW! I don't have any new or exciting news to post. We've been doing the same ole', same ole. Here are a few pictures from our lazy summer days so far....


Aidan catches a fish at his cousin Hunter's birthday party.

This is how I picture what the Duke boys looked like when they were little!

Weathering the Storm

As I write, we are at Granny and Papaw's house. We are in the middle of a severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. I'm watching the boys play and eat junk food, oblivious to the thunder and lightening outside. I've started thinking about all the good times we've had here on the farm.


So many times, this place has been a place of refuge for me. When I stayed at home with the boys, there were many long days I just couldn't do it all by myself anymore. Ed worked as much as he could since I was not working. I would pack the boys up in the car and head to Granny's. The boys would run and play until their little legs couldn't move anymore. Then Granny would help me give them a bath, put their nite-nites on, and put them in car. They would be out by the time I reached the end of the long, gravel driveway. In the quite in the car, I'd take a deep breath and recharge to do it all over again the next day. So I think it's appropriate that we are here during this storm. I feel safe and secure. I've posted some of my favorite pictures of the boys playing on the farm. You can tell by the looks on their faces that they love this place dearly.

Conner's Second Birthday Party

It is so hard for me to believe that Conner has turned 2! He's a lean, mean, biting, basketball playing machine! And he loves big brother very much. It is monkey-see, monkey-do when it comes to those two. They fight and laugh and have a great time together. His birthday party was originally planned for March 28 but we had to reschedule because I was sick. I'm glad we did because the weather was beautiful for his party this past Saturday. Family gathered at the farm and the kids played outside until it was time for the Easter Egg Hunt. Ed's job was to hide the eggs. His mom told him to hide them in the front yard so the kids could easily find them. Needless to say, Ed did not heed his mother's advice so now we'll be finding eggs for years on the farm. After the outdoor festivities, it was time for the party to move inside. Conner has a great time opening his birthday presents as well as Aidan. Poor Aidan. He didn't realize these presents weren't for him. He asked when it was going to be his birthday. I guess the last time we had Conner's party, we combined it with Aidan's so they had their party together. For those of you who just now realized that Aidan's birthday is in August and Conner's is in March...yes, I failed on my motherly birthday duties last year for Conner. But what do you expect? This is the first time I've updated my blog in two years! Anyhoo, we had a great birthday. It's hard for me to believe Conner is 2. I've noticed something, though. I wanted Aidan to grow up quickly, but I've tried to keep Conner a baby as long as I could. He's my last one so it's hard to let him grow up. At least he never got into butt jelly!!