Mom, Mom, Mom....Mom

  Oh, how I understand why my mother wanted to change her name!  Most moms know that they have to take my title and multiply that times however many kids they have and that's close to how often they hear that everyday.  The sad/crazy thing about it is that other people around me notice them calling my name now more than I do.  LOL!

I have to admit this is how I still see them!  All little and cute and smooshy!

  OK, now the complaining is done!  I love hearing them call me.  Why?  Cause that means they still need me.  Or they want to show me something fun.  It also shows me that it means a lot to them that I pay attention to something they do.  For instance, right now, Jack is calling me so that I will watch him dance every time he wins his game!  Those things make me smile.  It's a sweet reminder of why being their mom is so great!

  For all the extreme lows and frustration there are equally as high happy awesome moments in motherhood.  Three little letters spell mom, but it doesn't begin to explain all that we feel and do for our kids.  To all the other moms I know and to my own mom..."You are awesome!"  to say the least!

This is my mom and Lacy!  One of my favorite pictures of her!

Life with Jack

As a mother I love all my children.  I wouldn't bat and eye before I would jump in front of anything that would hurt my kids!  There have been times I have literally felt like I've had the strength of ten men (lumber jacks) when my kids were lost or threatened.

  Having said that I have to speak of Jack and his "personality"!  A day with Jack is exhausting to say the least.  Temperamental is a nice way to put it when I'm talking about my baby.  Everything upsets him and everything makes him blow his lid.  You can literally see the anger building in him and a exploding out of every pore in his body!  You try to correct him in any way and the monster comes out.  He miscounts while playing hide-and-go seek...the green eyed monster rears.  We don't let him finish a DVD when he wants too, explosion!  It is all day everyday.  I still put him in his room, spank him when necessary, and make sure I use a soft tone with him, because a loud tone makes it so much worse.  It's like poring gas on an open flame in the middle of a room of TNT if you use and loud or angry voice.  Like I said, exhausting!

  Now, I know what my family is thinking...payback!  I will be the first to admit that I was not a happy child myself.  I remember slamming doors, telling my parents they ruined my life, and screaming at my sisters.  But, well, there isn't really a but.  The thing that makes it worse is that he doesn't even know what will make him happy.  And since I know the kind of "stubborn" he is I know what his little mind is thinking.  "I can give it right back to mom and dad!"  He takes it all as a challenge.  We get angry...he shows us how much more angry he can be.  We finally lose it and have to spank him...he gets even louder.  I remember thinking the same things growing up.  So I know a little about how to calm him or let him calm himself down.  Now, if I could only get Danny to understand that sometimes backing off is the only way.  Jack loves to know that he's getting under your skin.  The whole thing is frustrating and stressful.  I go to bed every night dreading starting the next day.  I know it will pass...cause it did for me.  But it took a long time, and I hope I survive.

1year old.  

Perfect costume!

I told him we don't pore out all the goldfish on the table and that he needed to clean it up.  So he screamed and spit out he mouthful of fish he had been chewing!  :(

So sad

Man how they're growing

 Danny and I were just talking about how big our boys are getting!  Isaak and Brett are doing dishes now as part of their normal chores.  And Brett just lost his first tooth today.  Jack no longer looks like a little chubby baby and he speaks so well!  They all love each other a ton, but have the usual brotherly fights.  Each one keeps me laughing and sometimes crying, but I couldn't imagine not having them in my life.  I hope I am doing a good job raising them each day.  

 Brett is kind and sweet!  (lost first tooth!)

 Jack lives to be goofy!  

Isaak loves to be cool and mature!