If a toddler wails and there's nobody around...

Do you hear someone crying?
I don't know. D'you hear someone crying?
Dunno. Maybe. Can't be sure.

Tanner's Birthday party

Cracks me up everytime

Starting the decline into chaos - literally.

My Cade

I really like this picture of Cade. He's concentrating intently on his "work" and just looks darn cute!

Daredevil

Again...typical. Note the form, the height, the placement of the arms, the look of joy in the face despite the chance of totally missing the cushions and smashing onto the tile floor.


This was taken a couple of days before Thanksgiving - hence the shorts. Lovely. However, it was cold on Thanksgiving. Just in time

My Boys

Typical.

From Halloween 2007

I'm not happy and I'm about to let you know just how unhappy I really am.

Weather gripe # 890,893,238

OK, anyone who knows me can tell you that I gripe about the weather. However, I now have a perfect reason to gripe. It's mid November and the high today and tomorrow is going to be nearly 90 degrees! My kids are wearing shorts! Their summer clothes are getting too small and I REFUSE to buy more! Thanksgiving is next week - nobody wants to eat turkey, dressing, and pie while it's hot! That's cold weather food, comfort food. You're supposed to eat until you are stuffed (while wearing pants and a sweater) then head outside to play a little football. Then, once you are rosy cheeked from the cool temps, you come in, have some more pie, and sit down to watch football on tv WHILE IT'S COLD OUTSIDE. I hate Houston.

Am I ever going to learn?

I heard much giggling and laughter. My thoughts, "Oh, they've found a fun game or something, thank goodness." Should have known it wasn't just my wonderful children playing perfectly. Tanner just walked by, and there is a big, green 4 written in marker on the back of his head.

Sicknesses, chapter 2

Man, they are sick AGAIN!! Last year about this time, we began the rounds of sickies that lasted until May. Kinda hoping for a better year this time, you know? Cade has some sort of viral bronchial thingy going on and the Ts have colds which they have generously shared with me. And it just figures that we are all sick on a weekend that Bryant isn't here. Hey, it could be worse. It could be another stomach virus. I think that would have taken me out. Seriously. However, the sheer crabbiness of Tristan and Tanner nearly did me in. Tristan screamed all morning. All freaking morning. Then Tanner screamed all afternoon. Then tonight, they both screamed. Cade, my wonderful, sweet child, didn't scream. He just tried to stay out of the way. Bless him. He's no dummy - being in the line of fire is dangerous. And while I'm on the subject of my kids...aren't they pretty? Yes I know boys are handsome, but I like the word pretty, k? Anyway, aren't they beautiful? And sweet? And funny? See, I'm trying to remember all of their good attributes so that after a day like we had today, I'm not tempted to Fed Ex them to their grandparents.

Last one, I promise...

Aaaaaaand this is what happens when all three boys sit within 2 feet of each other
"Get off me"
"Mommmmmyyyyyyy"
"Can we be done please?"

Pumpkin Patch Adventures Number Three

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN

Pumpkin Patch Adventures - Part Two

I am so over pumpkins. Can we go now?

Pumpkin Patch adventures

Run, run to the pumpkins!

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

What my life has shrunk to

Tristan is finally feeling better. Thank God. He doesn't just get a little sick - he gets a lot sick. He doesn't just get an ear infection - he gets a double ear infection. He doesn't just get a cold - he gets pneumonia. You get the picture. So anyway, Tanner now has "something". I don't know if it is the same thing because he just doesn't act sick or if it is related to a food allergy (worried about wheat). The point here is - with all the diapers I have changed in the past week and a half, and Tanner's relentless diaper rash, my life has literally consisted of changing 9 million poopy diapers a day and hunting down the best diaper rash cream (triple paste, btw) and making sure nobody gets dyhydrated. Lovely. This weekend, Big Daddy Meow is changing all the diapers. My poor, cracked hands need a freaking break. My psyche needs a break. My NOSE needs a break.

Need more disinfectant

Round number 2 with a stomach bug. Tristan was so sick yesterday I debated taking him to the ER in the evening. I'm beyond tired between yesterday and today. So tired, in fact, that I can't think of anything to say.

September 11

I remember it so vividly. Cade was 13 1/2 months old. I had just gotten out of bed to make his oatmeal and I hadn't even had my coffee yet. Sesame Street was on the tv when my mom called adn frantically asked if I was watching the news, to turn it there now. My sleep fogged brain was still trying to sort out what I was hearing when I saw the other plane crashing and my mom started screaming "Oh my God!" simultaneously. Matt Lauer said something about it being a small plane and I immediately said no, it was a jet. I ran to the back of the house and yanked Bryant out of the shower and he came running into the living room in a towel. I did manage to feed Cade his oatmeal, but i dragged a chair and his highchair into the living room to watch the tv. I had a playgroup that day, the first one, and I didn't want Cade to miss it, so we went shortly after. I was soo shocked that none of the other moms had even heard what was going on. We turned on the tv for a few minutes, then turned it off to concentrate on our kids - on happy things. When I got home, Bryant soberly told me the towers had collapsed. Gone. Just like that. I don't think we turned off the tv for a week just trying to absorb what had happened. For the longest time after that, I would go into Cade's room at night while he was sleeping and pick him up and sit in the rocking chair and smell his sweet head and think, "what kind of world have I brought my child into?" But you know what? It didn't stop us, those terrorists didn't succeed because we are living, doing, going about our business. Yeah, when I see a plane, I think "what if" but I'm NOT living in fear. I'm NOT letting them win. Nope. I'm NOT.

People are not nice

So I watched the MTV Video Music Awards in a small attempt to stay somewhat current and hip. Yes, I'm going to talk about Britney. That poor girl. Her eyes were just dead. She looked trapped. She has nothing left to give. If she doesn't change her life (she needs Jesus in a bad way), she never will. But what disturbs me the most is the way the media GLEEFULLY displays her failure. People were just waiting for her to mess up, to do something, ANYTHING wrong so they could jump on it like a bunch of hungry rats. And Sarah Silverman - disgusting. She needed to be slapped. Kicking someone while they are down is cowardly. Make fun of someone, but leave their babies out of it. Classless.

Just because...

Look at that beautiful face (even with spaghetti sauce around his mouth).

I'm in big trouble

That? Is the face of pure D naughtiness and the joy at having gotten away with it. Lord have mercy.

Mistake # 248759

You know, I really thought that Tanner would miss his brothers when they went to school. Boy, was I wrong! He is in hog heaven, I swear! Nobody to take his toys away, nobody to knock him down, he can play and go as he pleases, and best of all, Mommy's undivided attention (for the most part - gotta get some computer time in there, too). On one hand, I think it's kind of sad. I was ready for him to be lonely so I could step up (yes, I'm a bad mom for hoping that I would have to provide lots of hugs and kisses and soothing). Nope. He is as happy as a freaking clam. Right now he is running the bubble mower that belongs to Tristan through the house at the speed of sound, pausing occasionally to grin at me in delight. However, I am SO glad that he is good at entertaining himself and is, in general, a happy kid. Moral of the story, I was wrong - again. But don't tell my kids. They think I am right all the time - probably because I tell them I am never, ever wrong.

Two things...

Two things - I realized late last night that the Ode to Daddy...sucked. I can do better, and he deserves so much better. But I'm not doing it right now. I've had a long day with the kids, it has rained, and my nose is running off my face. So, when the time is right, he will get a proper, deserving Ode.

The other thing - peanut allergy. Tanner is allergic to peanuts. Occasionally I freak out about it, wonder how in the world I can protect him literally his whole life, etc. Today I was reading of of the websites that I go to regularly for updates and info, and it increased my anxiety about tenfold. How am I going to protect this child when he isn't WITH me? When he's offered cookies at school? When he is in his "indestructible" phase as a young adult? As a college kid who carelessly puts something in his mouth at a party while he's been drinking? (Come on, you know college kids are going to drink and don't think otherwise, no matter how much you don't want them to do it, they are - A LOT.) And if he HAS been drinking, will he know how to locate his epipen? I could drive myself crazy with worry, but all I can do is try to educate him as best as I can and PRAY that he keeps himself safe. However, how can I educate him when I can't even get my own family to get on board with me? My mom ois forever telling me that it isn't fair to deprive the other two from pb&j, certain foods, etc. Plus, my nephew is also PA but has never had a blood test so they dont' know what level he is. "Well he ate such and such and didn't have a reaction, so I dont' see the problem with giving it to Tanner." Just tonight, I had a replay of that conversation for the hundredth time. Then there's BDM (Big Daddy Meow). He was at the store tonight getting stuff for his time out of town. He said, "Hmmm peanuts. Those sound good"
My reply "Ummm WHAT??"
BDM "What's the problem?"
Me "HELLO! Tanner? Him? What if you touch something and get peanut fragments all over it? What if you leave the jar in your stuff and Tanner or one of the others get into it? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?"
(I'm certain he's thinking that I have gone over the edge right about now)
BDM "OK! I won't get peanuts! Geez!"
A few minutes later, he was on the cereal aisle. "Honey-nut cheerios sound good"
Replay the same scenario we just went through (Honey nut cheerios are not nut free)
Moral of the story - no matter where one of us is, out of town, here, on vacation, whatever, we all have to live a peanut free lifestyle so that it becomes natural. My kids know this - they ask me "is this peanut free?" whenever we buy stuff at the grocery store, and the phrase, "that's not peanut free" is a deal breaker for them, no fuss, no nothing about not getting a certain type of cookie, bread, chip, cake, brownie, ice cream, cereal, whatever. Just gotta get my husband to that level of thinking...

Ode to Daddy

Thank GOD Cade is feeling better. His tummy is still sensitive, but he is able to eat popsicles and toast. I laid around yesterday all day long feeling pretty ick myself and made BDM handle everything. He was NOT happy. However, being the great dad that he is, he dealt with Tanner's screaming, Tristan's all around naughtiness, and Cade's frequent trips to the bathroom with a minimum of yelling and only a couple of pleadings of "I need a little help here". I only felt mildly guilty every now and again when he was besieged by "Daddy I NEED!" "Daddy I WANT" "Daddy HELP ME". However, again, he did quite a good job and I knew that I was handing over my kids to very capable, loving hands. (Nevermind the huge mess I had to clean up today - it was totally worth it).

Because this is what moms do

In anticipation of getting the stomach virus since I've felt a bit "off" in the tummy most of the day myself, I washed all the minimeows' clothes and underwear. Nothing like planning for impending doom. Good news is - Cade is feeling a bit better and he no longer looks like a dingy, gray sock.

First Casualty

Well, we didn't even make it through the first week of school without someone getting sick. Last year at least one of the kids was sick and on antibiotics from October through May. Cade woke up last night with a stomach virus. Woo-hoo!! Let the fun begin! I hate stomach viruses. Nobody likes them, but I FEAR them. It's like impending doom - you know everyone is going to get it, and it's just a matter of time. Like watching a freaking tidal wave or something. Ugh. Big Daddy Meow better get his butt home tonight and help me out.
In happier news, Cade is loving his teacher and his best friend is in his class. He's such a teacher pleaser - he acts perfectly at school and saves every bit of attitude for me.
Tristan is beginning to like preschool. He still cries at dropoff, but now he's sitting in circle time and grins at me when I ask him about his time at school.
OK, I'm needed.

Yes, I'm still figuring this out...

It's Boo-boo!!

LOL!! One of these days, Tristan is going to hate me for this!!!

I figured it out!!!

I can post pics!!!

On Saturday, my sweet minimeow Cade turned 7 years old. Just the other day he was a little baby! BDM and I were looking at pictures and vidoes of him when he was a baby, and it's just amazing that he has grown into such a kind, thoughtful, gorgeous boy. We saw his old preschool teacher yesterday and she was taken aback at how grown up he looks. Her words were, "He looks like a little man!" said with much shock and a little sadness. But when I look at him sleeping, I remember that book where the mom picks up her boy every night while he sleeps and sings, "I love you forever, I like you for always, As long as you're living my baby you'll be".

Beginning

Wow, I'm a blogger! Woo-hoo!! Yeah, like I've got time for this or something with three boys and a husband. But anyway, here we are! And before we go any further, let me explain that "meow" is just a goofy name we all call each other around here. My husband, known forever after as Big Daddy Meow, calls me "Meow." My kids call me "Meow" interchangably (is that a word?) with Mommy. I call BDM "Meow" and my boys "minimeows". So there you go. Incredibly silly. Love it.