Caleb is 4

Today is a landmark day.  Caleb turned 4.  Much to his regret (Today you have to poop inthe potty and you do not get to drink "warm milk" out of  a sippy cuy).  Poor buddy bear. So, here is a reflection of our year with our Caleb.

1. Caleb-when I think of you I think of laughter. 

Your comedic relief is continual.  Just your attitude about you makes me laugh.  I don't know yet if that is one of your goals in life is to make others laugh, but you are good at it.  You are one silly boy.  I.E.: Sunday you stayed out during the praise and worship part of the church service. John was doing a skit on stage about the building fund.  It's dark.  You are standing, along with Ethan, on the back of the chairs in front of us.  After several times of Betsy and I telling you to get off of them, what happens?  All of a sudden, feet go flying through the air and you are now in the row of chairs in front of us!  Yes, I laughed, but I did have to convince you that I meant serious business if you EVER did that again.

 

 

2. Strong will.  You, My son, are one of the most strong-willed people I have ever met in my life.  You do not accept no for an answer, which absolutely drives me and your dad nuts alot of times right now. But, I know that God has big things in store for you because with that strong-willed attitude you can do mighty things to serve Him.    I.E.: Getting you to apologize and say you are sorry takes about 20-30 minutes plus a meltdown.

 

3.  Courage.  You don't really know too much of fear.  You do the wildest things sometimes and I really am amazed. Yes, you follow along in your brother's footsteps alot, along with your daddy, but what any average child would do you just keep on going.   When discussing defending ourselves from bad guys, you two decided that you would protect us with your nerf guns.  That, and shoot the cats and the bull..literally, with your nerf guns. 

 

4.  Creative and artistic and bright.  I am amazed at how much you pay attention to detail.  Seriously, I have had people tell me about how detailed you are at church. And, if I have to hurry you it does not go well.  Since we have been homeschooling, you have spent the majority of the time listening in on Ethan. And, since you have done that you have picked up so much knowledge even at 3.   Your favorite things right now are lego Star Wars.  I will follow the directions and put it together for you, but in two minutes I turn around and you have taken it apart and you have built something else out of it.  You do not get that from me.  Your imagination is amazing.  Which, sometimes is to your disadvantage since you tried to convince me the other day tha tyour poop was yellow and white and I couldn't see it on the toilet paper. Hmm. 

 

 

Caleb, you are one amazing boy. I love you so much and am so excited about what God has in store for you in the next year and the years that follow!!  You are my Bubby Bear!!



El Matador

No. I don't know spanish. My extent is Tow-Mater and El Materdor. Oh yeah, that and Burrito tipico with rice.

Last Friday we were fixing to head to my twin sister's house for my niece's birthday.  John was taking a half-day at work, I needed to run, shower, devotional, we had school to do, finish packing, load the van, tend the animals, pick up the house (my own personal goal), eat, and be loaded by the time he gets home.  What a morning.

School was fairly trying considering the fact at 7:30 Ethan was already asking if it was time for lunch yet so we could go ahead and leave.  Get that finally finished (like pulling teeth that day), get Linley packed up, me packed, boys are already packed, oven turned on preheating for pizza and it's time to go outside to tend to the animals and load the van. 

Then it happens: MOM!! The bull is in the yard!!! 

No way. That cannot happen today.  He must be confused. 

I look outside, and to my dismay not only is the bull in the yard, but joining him are the goat and the calf.   We are due to leave in one hour, pajamas still on, van not loaded, children not fed. Oh dear.

Out we go, luckily I decide to put on my good running shoes...I was going to need it.
So, mental picture here: 6 year old in boots, 3 year old in flip flops, me in pink fleece pajama pants and pink UK shirt and running shoes, Linley ready to go.  Boys running everywhere trying to herd the cows and goat, and then comes our lovely D O G.  Yes, he is a border collie.  He was the last pick of the litter.  Yes, he is smart but he is stubborn and does not do what normal border collies do. He harrasses the animals.   So, I have that dadgum dog running around nipping at that bulls' hooves while we are trying to get him back in the pen.  Get the goat in.  Not bad.  Get the steer in, not horrible, I could so take him he's not that big.  But then, flash in to El Matador.  The bull and I size each other over. Yes, he could so take me.  However, he does not know that.  The screaming crowd are three children then  abandoned by one to jump on the trampoline.   Instead of a red cape I have my pink UK shirt and pink fleece pjs.  Yes, if we only had a video of this.   Let the sprinting begin.  Now picture, me, baby on my hip, stick as tall as John, 700 lb bull sprinting around the yard and me yelling at the top of my lungs...."GOOOOO!!!"   We're in the front yard, then the side yard, then I think he's heading to the fields, then he's heading to our garden, and then back to the chickens, then prancing around the trampoline.  Mercy, I'm sweating and exhausted. Luckily, Ethan is a good herder.  I get the bull heading back to the gate, Ethan runs ahead and opens the gate, Linley, stick, and I  get him corralled into the fence.  Ethan slams the gate.  Yes, VICTORY!!!  I should have taken a bow after that scene. If only I had a cape. My good running shoes will never be the same. The cow pooped in the yard.  Poor shoes.

I got everything done before John got home except for the fact that the kids were not all in their seats.  Caleb was of course.  Then Ethan and Linley.   Now we're off to Lexington. We get halfway to Lexington and the kids are ready for a stop, we pull over at a gas station, get everyone out, and wait a minute. Caleb, where are your shoes?  What? You don't have any shoes? Since he hung out in the van while I was getting everyone else in there he omitted his shoes (which is so normal for him because everytime the child has to wear shoes it is a meltdown).  Luckily, I grabbed a pair of nice brown shoes for him before we locked the door.  So, the only pair of shoes that child has on the trip is brown dress shoes.  Yeah, let's just say we had a meltdown everytime we had to wear shoes this weekend. 

We get to Betsy's house and "let the wild rumpous begin!" as Maurice Zendak would say.  Whenever we put our kids together, it's usually a breeze, really it is. They entertain themselves. But, the thing is, you NEVER know what they are going to do.  Move to:  Fashion Show. 

Katie Beth comes downstairs and informs us they are putting on a fashion show. Oh dear.  Katie Beth wearing her fine Christmas gown mc's for us.  First down the runway is Ethan, wearing a lovely red Christmas dress with red and green tulle for a skirt and a Christmas tree of tulle on top.  Next, we have Caleb, wearing a hot pink number and skin tight pants.  Then, Annalee comes in wearing gray workout pants and a t-shirt.  Yes, the boys put on the girls clothes and Annalee put on Caleb's.  Another show: Ethan, sprinting through the show wearing nothing but underwer. And Annalee sprinting, wearing undwear.  Oh dear.  Here comes the kicker. Caleb, sprinting through the how wearing underwear...ON HIS HEAD!!!  Yes, nothing else   "PUT ON YOUR CLOTHES!!" 

These children keep us on our toes and we are so blessed :)  Sorry, kids. I have to blog about this so one day I will be able to show your spouses and your kids what you did:P I love you!

The End of the World as we know it.

Today has been a great day in the Cole household.  We have had several mishaps, of course, and some laugh out loud graceful moments put on by me.  There are a few moments that I have just can't stop singing the song, "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!!"  Of course,  for Caleb and Linley they didn't feel fine.  So, here are a few of their moments today ending with the laughter of the day.

Relaxing day at the Cole house, raining outside, doing much of nothing inside. I'm sewing, Linley comes and sits in my lap and starts to chew on my arm. Yes, she is 15 months. I say, "No Linley, don't chew on Mommy's arm."  Insert song: It's the end of the world as we know it.  You would have thought I flogged her, poor thing.  She goes into a wail and flails herself out of my lap onto the hardwood. 

Caleb is having a hard time transititioning to actually getting out of his pajamas to go to the warehouse.  He's in his room for timeout for something to do with that and he's crying for "warm milk". Bless him, he's 3 and he has to have warm milk.  So, I get him his warm milk from this morning (it's not even 11 am yet) that he hadn't finished.  It wasn't enough according to him, so what does my son do? Shake his sippy cup all over the room screaming it's not enough.  "It's the End of the world as we know it."   Oh no no no no no you didn't just do that.  Good bye warm milk.  "It's the End of the World as we know it."

Linley is playing with my cell phone. She throws it in the floor because apparently it didn't do as she wanted.  Good bye cell phone.  "It's the End of the world as we know it." 

Caleb has to get dressed to go to Jackson and actually look presentable and wear (dum dum dummmm) SHOES!  "It's the end of the World as we know it!" 

Those are just four of the incidents today.  One day, I think I'm going to throw a fit. 

Tonight we go to Jackson.  We really had so much fun. The kids actually acted civilized at Cheddar's, no one fell apart accept for a minor incident with Linley but overall it was great.  Then we head to Toy's R Us for Ethan's birthday bicycle that he is getting and the spending of two twenty dollar gift cards that they got at Christmas.  Yes, that was almost five months ago. But hey, we don't live too close to  a Toys R Us and they thought it was more than awesome to go to the store and pick out a toy for a Christmas gift.  I think I need to start saving those for halfway through the year from now on.  Now, they actually play with what they got!  What seems like forever we finally get the correct bike and get toys picked out and head to Maggie Moos. 

I'm sure that the fraternity that was there watching everything go down truly got a show.  The boys pick out the brightest blue ice cream I have ever seen in my life.  I, of course, get my usual cake batter with cookie dough and hot fudge. John gets his banana with reeses. I'm holding Linley, passing out ice cream to the boys, and trying to eat my ice cream before it melts out of the cup. Linley didn't have enough patience for me so naturally she tries to start digging in.  Now, we have hot fudge on her and we haven't even paid yet.  I'm trying to feed her to keep her out of it,  Caleb is having issues with his neon ice cream because it's melting so fast and getting him dirty. I'm trying to find napkins for Linley and Caleb before we even make it out of line.  Then, while trying to keep my ice cream from going out, I drop some on Caleb's arm and on the floor. Caleb is talking nonstop asking for napkins all the while Ethan is trying to find us a place to sit down.  We get paid and head out the door and we don't make it ten steps before Caleb just puts his ice cream down on a table and is fixing to melt down on me because he is sticky.  We get to the car, I get Caleb's ice cream set down, get the wipes out, get the blue off (did I mention I'm still holding Linley here and trying to feed her and me with melting ice cream?). Now, Caleb decides he's done with the ice cream (three bites into it) and Linley is such an ice cream hogger that John asks me, "Are you already done?" Yes, I shared but I got all the cookie dough :)  John gets Caleb settled and threatens no more ice cream for him, ever, so he gets it back up and starts eating again after John dumped half of it on the ground so he doesn't get sticky.  Ethan, bless him, is an innocent bystander in all this asking for Caleb's uneaten ice cream because he ate all of his.  Linley then mooches off of John, Caleb is done, Ethan is done, neon ice cream on the parking place and on the van.  That was about as relaxing as getting your legs waxed.  But, it was yummy. 

Now, onto the funny parts:
Picture this: John asking me, "What are you doing?"
1.  Dancing. Duh.  It's Alvin and the Chipmunks on the dvd player 
2.  Singing Alving and the chipmunks, "I told the witch doctor I was in love with you and he said, Ooh Eee Ooh ah aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......." I slipped arms first followed by the rest of me when plugging up the drain in the bathtub for LC.
3.  Trying to get LC in the tub, not paying attention that I am one female verses three males in the bathroom, someone left the lid up, and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  Mental note: always check the toilet seat even though multitasking. 

It's the End of the World as we know it and I feel fine!!!!  And blessed, what a wonderful day and wonderful family to share it with.  My husband has my utmost respect, he puts up with all the madness and mayhem and never complains or calls us completely crazy.  Thank You God for your blessings!!  Good night!

New days

Linley is now 15 months old as of April 9th.  I had this post on that actual day but accidently deleted it so here we go again.

Linley is a very independent little girl.  I call her my wanderer.  She likes to investigate everything.  Pick u everything, throw away everything, stash everything. I have recently found pacifiers in a box of cereal, in the pots and pans. She is pretty good at being a parrot now.  She will repeat almost everything you say and she is all about voicing what she thinks no matter if you understand or not.  Apparently she sticks up for herself as well. This week in Sunday School a little boy took her toy.  Linley didn't cry, no, she got up and whopped him on the head and then walked off.  Yes, she has two older brothers.   She is tough as nails. Fell at the nursery and has a huge bump and bleeding, never even cried. Then, five minutes later took a soccerball to the belly, knocked her down. She cried on that one though.  Bless her.  She has also found the mudhole: I literally had to pull the shoes out of the mud due to the suction.

Ethan has now started riding his bike without training wheels. Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing: two other friends at church did this so he said, "Well, I guess we'll try it." It only took 5 minutes and he got it down pat.  He's everywhere now.

Funny story:
Linley napping, the boys deciding to get wild, I have to run on the treadmill getting ready for the half-marathon.  I tell the boys they have two options-play quietly inside or head outside (70+ degrees out).  Of course, they head outside.  I'm on the treadmill and watching what's going on outside, I see the waterhose being moved.  Here comes Ethan to tell me Caleb has sprayed the house and him. My response: clean the house, not your brother.  Ethan leaves. Ethan returns: Caleb is butt-naked.  My response: So.  Ethan: Can I?  Me: Yes.  Notice the differences between first and second born: Second born acts and never asks. First born always asks first.   Finish my run and go stand on the porch and watch what has occurred.  Two naked boys, a waterhose, and a trampoline, lots of giggling.  Yes, I got pictures.  Caleb is my helper these days. Feeding the dog, watering the animlas, whatever we need he likes to help!


It's always wild here, usually fun, Amazingly blessed. 

Ethan is 6!

Holy cow. I am the mother of a six year old. 

Recap: 6 years ago today we were watching the NCAA tournament and then I thought I was getting the stomach bug. Yes, I was that naive.  Even though it was the day of my due date I still never dreamed I was going to have a baby. I should have figured something was up when we were walking around our neighborhood at 10:30 PM because I was feeling so bad.  Anyway,  after around 12 hours of labor, the beginning rough but after I got my "Drugs" we were good to go. 

Since then Ethan, you have been nothing but a blessing in our lives.  So, since you are six today I thought of six things that I love about you! Here they are:

1. You are caring.  God put you as a big brother for a purpose. The way you care for your sister and brother is really amazing to watch.  If you are around, I don't really worry much because I know you are there caring for them. 
2. You are unselfish.  This is normal for you, you give in to your sister and Caleb constantly.  I caught you the other day in line at games in AWANA letting a little boy in front of you in line just because they were sad they were the last one in line.  You didn't care and let him in front of you.
3. You are funny.  Literally, I laugh with you all the time.  You are getting very sneaky as a little boy and playing all kinds of games on me.  I have to constantly watch out, you put a plastic snake under my pillow one night and after you went to bed I found it!! You little Stink :P  Your dance moves are just plain awesome!
4.  You are thoughtful.  You always ask me if I want some of your drink or some of your candy. 
5.  You are sensitive to God.  You and Caleb are always discussing Bible theology which is very insightful.  Your faith is something I know God loves.  God is loving, He cares for us and that's that. It's very simple for you and I love it.   
6. You are truthful.  You always tell me what really happens no matter if it's your fault or not.  You even admit to me when you've lied.  Plus, you are always there to tell me what Caleb "really did." 

Homeschooling this year has been full of fun and moments of craziness.  You are your daddy made over. You work so hard and have very high expectations of yourself.  You are like me that you are goal oriented.  You have a goal and you work until you get it.  I am so happy to be your mom and you are such a blessing to our family. We love you Baby Bear!!!

Easter Fun and Ethan turning 6

Easter is here as well as spring and we are bringing it in with style. 

This week we have gone from snow showers to windy spring days.  Those windy spring days brought about a day long power outage, which caused our refrigerator to surge, which ended up with losing tons of food but now a fridge that looks that we just got it out of Lowes because we had to throw everything out and clean it (Can we say run-on sentence here because that is what that whole episode felt like.) PIcture John using my heat gun for craft stuff at 9 o'clock one night and something burning in the freezer, which we found out later was the styrofoam but John completely fixed the fridge.  This was Monday through Wednesday. 
Then, we had the spring days where I looked outside on the trampoline and what do I find? Two boys, stripped down to their underwear with ivy-like grass hanging out of it.  Oh yes, this was so cool that they walked in the house and I sent them straight to the bathtub which had a brown color to it when I got them out of there. 

Monday Ethan turns 6.  We are having a bday party at Yayas Island tomorrow with mostly all of our family.  Therefore, all of us sisters got together today for Easter fun.  Betsy, Matt, Katie Beth, Annalee, Mom and Dad all came over today to visit before Easter fun tonight.  John took all the kids outside.  He put them to work, they were able to collect all of the sticks in the front yard and start their own bonfire.  Then, it's time to head to Mom and Dad's house.  Everyone is ready to go but where is Caleb? In the garden.  With no shoes on.  Did I mention it rained today?  Throw the boy in the tub and we're off again.  We had 6 kids lined up in my Mom and Dad's house with a cup full of dye and eggs everywhere. Can you believe it but of course the only one who ended up with completely dyed hands was Caleb?  Bless him.  He had to have another bath. 

Now, it's time for some real fun. Insert Harlem Shake:
http://harlem.shabz.co/l/8E331F30-11FC-47E3-9515-91A0372CA5CF.html

Yes, we talked our Mom and Dad into it.  Yes, it was AWESOME. 

Mom had chocolate stuffed into some of the Easter eggs.  Now having 3 kids I do things with the third I find I NEVER would have done with Ethan or probably Caleb.  Linley is like Hudini. The child finds ways to open things.  And she has good priorities.  All this Easter candy means chocolate.  This afternoon she would not pick up any Easter Eggs because she found two chocolate Hershey eggs, one in each hand. Therefore, she would not pick anything else up because she had to have her chocolate.  Everytime I turn around that girl had chocolate in her mouth or in her hand, or going through Ethan's basket.  (Yes, she knows who to mooch off of, Caleb would knock her down but Ethan won't do a thing to her).  Try to take a piece of chocolate away from that girl and let me tell you: The wrath of Linley is coming. 

Got everyone in bed tonight, time for my shower.  I now notice that there is mud all over the white  shower curtain.  I'm in the shower and it's like I'm at the beach. I am standing on pieces of mud and dirt.  Yes, I had to take leaves off of the drain in the tub so water would go down.  Multitasking and almost used germ-x instead of lotion.  John asked me how that was going to turn out. 

Observations of the week:
Caleb, when mad, yells "Booty Buttcheek!!" at you in his meanest voice.
Linley, when Caleb is taking my lap or John's lap away from her, she hits him, on the head.  He, of course, hits her back.  I think Caleb has met his match.
Ethan teaches Linley how to play things, like trains and whatever else he can think of. His goal is to make her laugh.  She has him wrapped.  
Ethan, when threatened with a spanking, prefers to be honest about it and get spanking done immediately.  Caleb prefers to put it off so he can hopefully talk his wway out of it or hope you forget.  Picture this scenario in TJ Maxx.  
Doing Resurrection Eggs with kids for Devotionals this week.  Eggs were going everywhere, pieces of the Resurrection story being tossed around.   Trying to read the Bible while LInley  is screaming because she rather read a book in my lap than Caleb in my lap reading the Bible.  Not how you would picture a quiet devotional time with the kiddos but hey, God uses everything right?

Happy Easter!!!

Our new normal

Well, life around here is taking on a new normal. Linley is now  almost 15 months and into her independence. Caleb is still three, which if anyone has a three year old boy you can empathize with me here, and Ethan is closing in on six.  Holy moly, he's turning six next week.  Rant: I have a six year old. You know how you put people in categories?  I.E." Oh look, they have a new born, sweet young family.  I.E." Oh, they have a  three year old and another kid, they're getting seasoned." I.E." Oh, they have  a six year old, and two other kids, they're getting on up there." Yep, that's us. Getting on up there.  I'm now in "that box." End rant.

The past two weeks at our house have been um, shall we say "Stressful" for mom? 



Linley is getting more and more independent yet is also turning more and more towards a Momma's girl.  I love seeing her light up when she sees me.  She waves and run towards me. OR, she's playing happily then sees me and immediately starts crying and whining so I will pick her up.  Um, hello, you were fine just three seconds ago and nothing has changed here.  Linley is very accustomed to hearing the word No.  Does that mean she likes it? Absolutely not.  But she hears it alot.   Today, at the Easter Egg hunt there was a table of food set out.  She is running towards it trying to grab stuff and of course I'm saying, No Linley.  After about five of those run-ins she gets over there and I'm not watching. Her aunt sees her and this is what happens: Linley gets to the table. Attempts to grab something off the table.  She turns and looks at me.  I'm not looking at her.  She thinks for a couple seconds, gives a look, puts her hand down, moves on.  Apparently, if I'm not telling her No about it it's not worth trying to get it.  Another example. I was at a friend's house getting my hair cut.  Linley comes to the door crying.  We stop and talk to her and then dismiss it.  She's just whining so we continue with the hair cut.  All of a sudden we stop and look at her because she quit whining.  She then realizes that we are paying attention to her so she immediately starts a fake cry.  Seriously? 

Caleb is still into this three business.  Meltdown.  All day long.   Yesterday was Bible Study day at church. It's time to go.  Oh but wait, the top button to his shirt is not buttoned.  Mom, you have to come to MY room and button it.  Oh no no no.  Please must be used here.  Button now in place.  Uh oh. My hands were just washed so now he is wet.  He then ensues to call me "Booty Buttcheek!!!!"  Mama don't play that.  Ask Caleb who his new roommate will be if he does that again.  It doesn't walk around on two legs nor does it have a bedroom in this house.
Last night we had some of our good friends over.  We're sitting at the dining room table while the boys and girls are playing.  All of a sudden Ethan appears at the table,smelling like baby powder. Tattling ensues, Caleb has poured baby powder all over the room.  I pass this one over to John, I'm done for the time being.  Then Linley appears in the room. What's in her hair?  What's all over clothes?  What's that strong smell?  Yes, Caleb decorated Linley with baby powder as well.  I then hear the vaccuum cleaner going.  I never went and checked how it looked but when I dusted today, yes please write that one down, that I dusted baby powder off of the front and sides of the dresser. 

So the new norm, Ethan babying Linley,  Caleb still being three, Linley being independent.  It's never calm here and I wouldn't have it any other way, except maybe nap time. Yeah, I could handle a calm house during nap time.