Ethan's First Job

At 13 years old it's only volunteer work, but it's still a job.

My mother in law had a stroke a few years ago that left her in a wheelchair and very different than she was before. I'm always touched when I see how Ethan is with her. He's so loving and not timid in anyway. So when I got an email a few days ago from another homeschooling mom asking if any teens would be interested at volunteering at a near by nursing home, I thought Ethan would be perfect! I contacted the volunteer coordinator at the home that day and she agreed to meet with Ethan the next morning.

It was so cute watching him get ready for his "interview"! He spent waaay too long fixing his hair and added waaay too much gel! He was pretty nervous when we got there, but the lady really liked him and asked him if he wanted to start THAT AFTERNOON! We already had plans that day so he signed up to come back the next morning.

If I ever have to be put in a nursing home, I want to go in one like this place! It's beautiful! They took us on a tour and showed us the beauty salon, the cafe, and where they set up the bowling alley. The rooms are huge and they all have big flat screen TVs! Some of them even have patios. And this isn't an assisted living home where they can come and go as they please! It's a nursing home. A nursing home that I kind of wanted to move in to ;)

So for the past couple of days I've been dropping Ethan off at "work". He stays for just a couple of hrs and helps with things like transporting the ladies to and from the hair salon, helping the residents with activities like bingo, and just spending time with them. On Monday he's helping a lady with their cooking show :) 

The way it's all set up is really nice. They just send us an email and Ethan just puts himself into the schedule for whatever and whenever we want. No pressure. Because there's no pressure, and he has so much control, I told him that he should try and stick it out for at least a few months but I'm hoping that it turns into something more long term. 

I am soooo proud of him! He loves it as much as I though he would and he's already received some positive feed back from the activities director. I love hearing him talk about the residents he's meeting and the funny little thing they do! He says it may just be volunteer work, but at least he's doing something that makes a difference!

 

How Can I be This Old

I can't believe I'm the mother of a teenager!! How can my little boy be this old!? How can I be this old!?

When we first started throwing around ideas of how we should celebrate Ethan's 13th, we thought about having a huge party and inviting everyone we know. Then as the day started getting closer and I started thinking about all the work and $$ that would actually go into it, I had a great idea! I told him we could still have the big party OR we could just have a small family party and I'd give him $100. Maybe I should feel a little bad about bribing my kid with money but I think we both won in the end. I was saved from a ton of party planning and money and he is a lot closer to buying that xbox he's been wanting :)

Actually, he ended up with over $300 dollars!!!! What is a 13 year old going do do with all that money!? I told him he should give some of it to me for giving birth to him. For some reason he doesn't like that idea.


In the days weeks leading up to his birthday I was feeling a little sad thinking about how fast time has gone by and that my first baby was going to be a teen. Then yesterday morning I had just woken up and was laying in my bed when Ethan came in to cuddle with me for a minute. After I wished him a happy birthday he said that so far I was the second one to say it. He told me that before he got up he was laying in bed reading his Bible and got a text from his nanna.

My son spent the first few waking minutes of his 13th birthday reading the Bible...

At that moment all sadness was gone. I did cry a couple of times that day but they were tears of thankfulness. I take no credit for any of the good in my life. God has taken my feeble attempt at being a good mother and is turning it into something beautiful!

So we officially have a teen living in the house. And I think it's going to be amazing :)

Coat Shopping At The Museum

Last week we took the kids to the gym so they could play while we worked out. We try and go there 3 times a week and the kids always have a great time. There's a huge rock climbing wall and a play center that puts McDonald's to shame!

After we were finished the kids went to the coat rack to grab their coats and Ethan couldn't find his. We looked everywhere but the thing was gone. At first I thought that maybe some kid took Ethan's coat by mistake thinking it was theirs. But then Jonathan pointed out that there weren't any other coats left behind. The kids center was closing and the rack was empty :/

If I believed in karma I'd say I just got a little taste.... Earlier that day I took the kids to the museum and while we were hanging up our coats I spotted this really cute one hanging right next to mine.

Me: I could totally put this cute coat on and walk right out of here.

Logan: How do the keep that from happening? It's not like anyone looking would ever know you just stole that.

Me: I don't know. But I bet that kind of thing happens all time.

Me and my big mouth!!

I should just start labeling everything with our last name like my dad did when we were kids. As soon as we got something new he'd whip out his sharpie and in big letters write SARAH SMITH (not my real maiden name) somewhere on it! I still have luggage that has my maiden name covering the bottom.*I've been married for 14 years. It's probably time for some new luggage.

I used to be soooo embarrassed by my labeled belongings but now I'm thinking my dad may have been on the right track!

I left our name and number at the gym because hopefully if someone's kid comes home with a coat that doesn't belong to them they'll return it.

If not we're going coat shopping at the museum ;)

Canceling Halloween

Call me a heathen but Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! I love candy and I love free. Halloween is the perfect mix of both. And when you have multiple children you end up with more than enough candy! Even for this greedy Momma!

But Halloween is on a Thursday this year and we have church on Thursday nights. The kids have been surprisingly understanding about us not skipping church to go trick-or-treating and I've been trying hard to still make it fun.

Have you ever taken your kids to a trick-or-trunk event? We went to our first one on Sunday. The kids walk from car to car and people hand out candy from their trunks. It sounds kind of creepy as I type it, but it was really cool! Most of the people had their trunks decorated and the kids didn't have to walk a long way like when they're going door to door.

Because we aren't going out on Halloween, I didn't want to spend money on costumes so I picked up these cute Wizard Of Oz masks at Jo-Anns for $1....They were SO cute that my 12 year old couldn't be bothered to wear his in public. So instead of going with the theme and wearing his Tin Man mask, Ethan thought it would be much cooler to wear his Scream mask. The funny thing is that of course he's never even seen the Scream movies. He walked around all afternoon telling people he was dressed as the man in the famous Scream painting...

He was SO cool that I couldn't be bothered to correct him :)
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We'll also be going to the circus this week. Not just any circus though! We're going to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® Presents DRAGONS

*courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The anticipation builds throughout Ringling Bros. Presents DRAGONS as children of all ages bear witness to one phenomenal Ringling Bros. circus act after another, from Shaolin Kung Fu Warriors, charging Cossack riders, magnificent Asian elephants, fierce tigers to the frenzied Globe of Steel. As the audience observes these and even more real world displays that pay tribute to the dragon, their continued excitement will bring glimpses of the elusive beast. But, the big question remains; what will it take to lure a true dragon from its golden lair? 

The shows will be at the Blue Cross Arena at 7 PM Oct. 30; 7 PM Oct. 31; 7 PM Nov. 1; 11 AM, 3 and 7 PM Nov. 2; and 1 and 5 PM Nov. 3 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. (Purchase tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or at the box office)

We try to see the circus every time it comes to our city and the timing couldn't be better!

What are your Halloween plans? Does it involve a visit to the circus?

Going on a date to Dairy Queen...In my PJs

I think my heart melted into a puddle during dinner last night.

Ethan is dog-sitting this week and told me he wants to take me out on a date with some of his money. He said I could pick any restaurant, so naturally I picked Dairy Queen :) None of this dollar menu or healthy food though! He's insisting that I order one of the "real meals" with a soda and a LARGE fry!

Watch out ladies! My boy is a romantic! He suggested we bring a candle to set on the table while we eat our Dairy Queen dinner. He may even take me out after and buy me some new shoes when we're done. Lol.  He already knows the way to a lady's heart.

The very best part is when he said, "I know people may look at us like we're crazy but we should wear pajamas so we can be completely comfortable."

When's the last time your date treated you to a LARGE fry that you could totally eat in your PJs?

I'll be accepting applications for daughter-in-laws for the next 10 years.

First Day of Homeschool

On Tuesday we started school again and I can already tell things are going to be a lot better this year! Last year my heart wasn't really into homeschooling. I felt frustrated and unqualified. I thought for sure that I had failed them but I was pleasantly surprised when, at the end of the school year, both the boys did amazingly well on their tests!

After talking to some public school teachers and some fellow homeschoolers I was really encouraged! I'm more sure than ever that homeschool is the right choice for our family and I feel challenged to be a better teacher.

I also have met some other moms who are starting to homeschool for the first time this school year. Some of them are looking to me for advice but I've found myself feeding off their excitement and ideas!

This year my goals are:

• To be more sensitive to my kid's different learning styles.
• Make school as fun as possible
• Take the kids to some new field trip locations
• Be successful in teaching science and history without a curriculum (for the first time)
• Most importantly I want to be more positive.

When I got frustrated last year I think I let my negative attitude affect my entire view of homeschool. Somehow I've gotten back to the way I felt when we first decided that homeschool was right for us.

I love being able to choose what my kids learn and when they learn it.

I love that they don't have to be exposed to the things that are happening in the public schools.

And I LOVE being able to have my gang at home with me during the day.

Ethan (10) 6th grade

Logan (9) 4th grade

Evelyn (6) 1st grade

Houston (3) Likes to play with toys :)

I love homeschool.

Blogging Runs in the Family

My 11 year old son reads like a crazy man! Every Tuesday he comes home from the library with a bunch of books that he finishes in a matter of days. He reads allllll day long. As soon as he wakes up in the morning he reaches for a book. I've made him stop reading before and go outside to play only to look out the window and see him sitting at the picnic table...with a book. Sometimes I'll even catch him trying to read by the light of his lava lamp when he's supposed to be in bed sleeping.

So, I'm using his love for reading to try to get him to write more.

Lava Lamp Book Reviews

Ethan will be writing reviews of books that he has recently read. I'm sure he would be thrilled if you and your kids would stop by and leave him some feedback!

And I'll be thrilled that by doing this he'll be practicing writing, spelling, grammar, and typing skills ;)

Thanks for showing my baby some love.

Everyone Should Wear Undergarments

This summer I've really been trying to get the kids out of the house more. Now that everyone is potty trained and can walk on their own, taking them out by myself is a lot easier. The only problem is that they can all talk.

Last week all the kids had a couple of dollars to spend so we went to Target. Instead of going straight to they toy aisle I wanted to take a quick look through some of the clothes on the clearance rack. Almost immediately I spotted a really cute top that had been marked down to $8!! As I was holding it against me to make sure it would fit Evelyn said, "Oh, mom! That will be perfect for when you have my sister!!"

Me: "When I have your sister?" (I wasn't quite catching on)

Evelyn: "Yeah! For when you have my sister in your belly"

Me: "Evelyn..."

Evelyn: "You know! A perfect shirt for when your pregnant!"

Me: "EVELYN! I'm not pregnant and this is not a maternity shirt."

I put the shirt BACK on the rack and we headed for the toy aisle

Evelyn: "Yeah but it would be perfect for when you are pregnant."
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Because we made our little stop in the clothing section it meant that we had to walk by the undergarments on our way to the toys. Ethan was all offended and started walking sideways while hiding his eyes.

Ethan: "Mom! Why do we have to walk by all this?!"

Me: "You mean the UNDIES and BRAS? Because it's on the way to the toys."

Ethan: "Mom! This is embarrassing"

Me: "Ethan, I think it's time you learned that everyone wears undergarments. Well, maybe not everyone...They should though..."

Ethan: "MOM! I'm going to be scarred for life after this!"

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I may have been having a little too much fun teasing him but it wasn't like some stores where there were pictures of half dressed women everywhere! It was just some stuff hanging on the racks.

Silly boy!

The Tooth Fairy might just call CPS on you

This has been the "Tooth Week" in our household. First, Evelyn lost her second front tooth. She officially looks like a vampire now. And sounds like a vampire with a lisp. This was the fifth tooth she lost and poor Logan has only lost three. Being the kind sister that she is, she sincerely offered to help the boys lose some more teeth by knocking them out.


We got a second opinion on braces for Ethan. The new lady says that she would wait and check him every 6 months. She said he does need them, just not right this very second like our dentist was saying.

Speaking of Dr. A...

Yesterday, Houston was outside playing outside and fell and hit his mouth on the driveway. His teeth looked OK but he had a pretty good sized cut on his gum so I wanted to take him to the dentist just to have her check/clean it. While we were waiting for the office to re-open after lunch, I had him lay down so I could ice it and try to clean it up a bit.

The inside is too gross to show

 
The little guy was so tough and hardly cried at all. At one point he was whining and he reached over and grabbed Evelyn's hand for comfort. I think it took her off guard because she said, "It's OK Houston." and then looked at me and said, "Aww. That almost made me cry a little."

When I got him to the dentist, they took x-rays then we waited for Dr. A.

When Dr. A came in she was looking him over and then asked how he got the red marks right under his nose. I told her I thought they were probably from the fall *Duh!* A few min later she asked her assistant to get her camera and then proceeded to take 3 pictures of Houston's injuries. After taking the pics, they set down the camera, cleaned him up, and never said a thing to me about why we took them.

At first I thought that they probably always take pics of these types of injuries "just in case". But then I remembered that the reason we went there 5 years ago to begin with, was that Evelyn (who was one) had fallen and hurt her mouth. They didn't take any pictures of her then...

Houston will be fine. They said he was lucky and that his x-rays looked good. They numbed his cut, cleaned, and scrapped it. They even had to use a buffer to get the black scratches from the driveway off of his teeth :/ Poor little guy. He's had ice cream twice today :)

Honestly I'm a little nervous about them taking pics. I'm sure it's nothing but I'm kicking myself for not asking why they did. Did they really suspect me of doing that to my own kid!?

And if CPS is going to come then I need to change out of my pajamas!! ;)

Why did that kid just try to pee on your face?

At 4:00 AM I was attacked by a ten year old with revenge on his mind. True story...

There I was, sound asleep, when I suddenly felt a tickle on my face. I quickly rubbed my forehead only to find my hand covered with green paint!

Sitting on his knees in front of me, giggling like a little girl, was Ethan holding a container of finger paint. The kid was trying to paint my face green while I was sleeping!!

He is soooo lucky I can take a joke! I may have even deserved it a little after what I did to them on April Fools Day...

Dining room

Green milk

Painted face. Can't you see the evil in his eyes!?

In my defense, I did those things on April Fool's day! It's like an official holiday! Not some random night weeks later where a person may be dreaming of cupcakes and be completely caught off guard!

And my husband wasn't any help either. When he awoke during the commotion and I tried to tell him what happened he said, "Why did that kid just try to pee on your face!?"

Darn kids! I'm not even safe in my own home anymore...

Braces yourself!

I can already tell it's going to be one of those kind of nights. I figured I might as well embrace it so I'm in bed...but armed with my laptop, nook, and a huge water bottle.

Sooooo...Want to know why I can't sleep? Let me tell you about the awesomeness that was my day.

The good:
Logan brushed his teeth before bed last night and instead of putting his toothbrush away he left it right in the sink. This morning Jonathan heard Houston tell Evelyn, "Logan left his toothbrush in the sink so I spit on it cause he never lets me play with his DS."

See, Houston was last in line to brush his teeth. When he saw Logan's toothbrush in the sink he saw revenge!

*I'm still laughing about this! Who knew he was such a little stinker!*

The bad:
All the kids had dentist appointments today. As we were getting ready to leave all 3 boys said they didn't have any socks to wear. Jonathan says it's because they're all dirty. I say it's because they don't have many socks left because Bruno (the dog) is always eating them! Whatever the reason, we had to stop at the store on the way to the dentist to buy the kids new socks. We fail at parenthood :/

The ugly:
Because we were sock shopping we were late to the dentist.

First 3 kids were good. No cavities. Then it was Ethan's turn.

*When the dentist wants to talk to you in private...run! I should have run out the dang door.

She says he has a cavity. She also says he need braces. Even though he's only 10 and hasn't lost all his baby teeth yet they want to start him on "phase 1". After she explained why they're so important for him and blah, blah, blah she sent me over to talk to the money girl.

*When they send you to talk to the money girl...RUN!

Money girl is whispering and smiling while she talks to me. I think it's because she was trying to hypnotize me. Or maybe she was trying to get me in a happy place before she told me it was going to cost us $5,500!!! I think after that she may have been explaining their payment plan or something but all I heard was, $...deposit...$...monthly...$.... At one point Ethan walked over and started to rub my back. Then money girl asks if I'd like an appointment in 2 weeks... No! Do you have anything open...after I win the lottery?
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So now I sit here and think. And think. It could be so much worse. At least we have insurance (for as little as they'll help). And I'm thankful that this is our biggest medical "issue" right now. We're all healthy and happy. And we'll be OK.

Now if I can just get my brain to believe it I'll be all set :)

Super Bowl Scare

I'm so excited! My Valentines craft series is being featured over at...






I love this blog! And being able to be involved in it, even just a little, makes me feel like one of the cool kids ;)

So if you're visiting from The Poop Whisperer...Hey. How are ya? Thanks for stopping by! I'd love if you'd stay a while :)

Our Super Bowl Scare.

After church on Sunday night we stopped over at my parent's house to catch the end of the Super Bowl and to gorge ourselves on snack food. As we were getting into the van to leave church, Ethan thought it would be funny to close the automatic van door before his brother had a chance to climb in. Well it was all fun and games until he realized that his fingers had gotten closed in the door! Even though he was crying, it wasn't that I-just-broke-all-of-my-fingers-so-take-me-to-the-hospital-right-now!! kind of cry. So we went ahead and made the 5 min. drive to my parent's (there were chicken wings waiting to be eaten, people!) and told him to run his hand under cold water.

As I turned around for just a second to get myself Houston some food, I heard a loud BANG! Ethan had just passed out cold and was laying on his back in the middle of the kitchen floor. From the way he looked we thought for a second he was having a seizure! Thankfully he started to come around right away and was able to answer questions and drink some juice.

He was OK. He said while he was running his hand under the cold water he started thinking about the pain and how his swollen finger looked. He's just like his dad! Whenever he gets sick or hurt he starts to get woozy. This is the first time he has ever passed out though. Jonathan passed out in that very same spot about 6 years ago when he had a bad stomach bug. I have a feeling this may be the first of many times this will happen in Ethan's life :/

It was super scary to say the least. Seeing my kid laying on the floor like that was something I pray I never have to see again! I'm so thankful that my husband, family, and friend (who is a nurse) were all there to help.

Ethan asked if I took any pictures of him! Uh..No!  Sorry, but I was too busy wondering if I needed to call 911!!

R.I.P Mickey

Now it's time to say goodbye 
to all our company.
M-I-C
K-E-Y
M-O-U-S-E

R.I.P Mickey. At least you died with a belly full of peanut butter.

Ethan begged to be the one to throw it away

I hate rodents! You know how some people are deathly afraid of spiders or heights? Well I really hate rodents of any kind! Rats,squirrels (Why do they always wait till you are RIGHT next to them before they run away?!), mice, whatever. I don't want them anywhere near me. Especially not in my home! We moved out of the last place we lived in that had a mouse. Really.

So, the other night when I thought I saw something out of the conner of my eye, I tried to convince myself that I was imagining things. I calmly put my shoes on, walked into the kitchen to take my vitamins, and went to bed. Then the next night, Bruno (our dumb beagle) must have seen it run across the floor, and FLIPPED OUT! Since we didn't have the option to move this time, the hunt for Mickey (we should not have named him) was on.

I wont go into all the details of how we drew him into our trap (there may have been some peanut butter and dimmed lights involved) but when we got home from church tonight, Ethan was very happy to report that we caught Mickey...At first.

After letting all the kids check it out and me snap a pic - what? This was a happy moment for me! - Ethan took him to the garbage bin. That's when the tears started flowing. Really. Houston said, "I'll never see Mickey again." over and over again as he hung onto me.

Notice me trying not to be so happy

I was all, "Death to all rodents!!" and Ethan was fighting back tears while he asked why we couldn't have just let him live with us. Poor kids...next time (please God let this be the last) we won't name the stupid thing, and maybe even get one of those live traps...or a cage.

Someone call the fire department! Mom's about to blow!

I've realized that I can't write, sew, or do anything creative when I'm feeling stressed. I didn't even write my Tuesdays blog this week :( Things are starting to calm down here now so I'm starting to feel that spark again :)

Like I said, I've been a little stressed. Lots of mind clutter as I like to call it. As I check things off of my list of things to do, I feel better. One of the things I've been thinking about is starting to do childcare in my home again. Maybe even get licensed. I don't know...It would be nice to have that extra income and a little spending money for myself, but it would be a big change to have a couple extra rugrats running around here while trying to home school. I put an add out just to see what would come up and I have a lady with a 6 month old coming to meet me on Monday. I'm a little excited about it being a baby. But nervous of how it may work out.

My mom had an at-home daycare for years and she almost always had great kids and great parents. We all loved those kids like they were family and still have contact with them today. I'm hoping that's how it will be for me if I decide to really do this.

Anyways, in other news, I think Ethan is turning in to a little hoodlum. Did I tell you about how he got suspended from the YMCA for fighting with another kid? I still have a hard time believing that he was in the wrong. Not my angel ;) The teacher in the kids play area said he and another kid were fighting. Ethan said that the kid took his glasses. He wasn't mad, but he was wrestling the kid to get them back when the teacher happened to look over. She wrote him up and suspended him. I should have punched that "teacher" in the face to show her what a real fight looks like!.. just kidding ;) I let it go.

Fast forward to last night. A bunch of us were standing around talking after church when someone pulled the fire alarm! Of course it had to be one of my kids! Technically it wasn't a fire alarm but an AED unit. They both have the same results though. Who knew?...A loud alarm started going off in the building, the security company called, and we all stood outside praying that the fire department wasn't going to show. I think Ethan may have been praying for his life. I know I was praying I wouldn't start screaming at the kid in front of all my fellow saints!

Ethan said it was an accident and that he had no idea that's what would happen if he opened the little glass door. I said we will count it as a lesson learned. If it happens again though, someone's going to have to use the AED when the saints hear what I have to say about it! 

Lets just pretend we never had this conversation

First off, I am really excited about the new "mom's blog" I'm writing for Her Rochester. I'm still going to keep blogging my more personal thoughts here, but I think it's going to be a fun challenge to have to write a new blog every Tuesday (at least) for strangers. And it will also be a cool way to meet some new people :)

The weather here could not have been more beautiful these past couple of days! We have been spending a ton of time outside and that has been a really nice change. But do you ever have one of those days where you just want to hide under a rock or maybe your covers? Well that's how I'm feeling today. I should be super happy right now because both of the boys are done with school and Ethan did great on his final test. Yea!  But what I would really love to do is lock myself in my room with my book, laptop, and phone and just...be. OK, and food. I'd want food too :) That's not gonna happen today though so instead I'm just kind of taking it easy. I got the kitchen cleaned and we made some "yea! School is over" cookies, and that's it. I think I deserve a break after the stress I had to endure yesterday.

I had a talk with Ethan yesterday that ended in him saying "Lets just pretend we never had this conversation." Yes friends, it has begun. Blah! I'm sooo not ready for this grown up stuff yet! I did get through it without giggling like a little school girl so that was good right?  And it wasn't THE TALK. Just a conversation about bodies. :/  Next time though, I'm going to make him call stinkin Jonathan at work!

He (Ethan) is growing up so fast! I know I say that all the time. The other day our neighbors, who are both women, *wink wink* were outside building something. Ethan was very concerned that they were doing the work themselves. He kept saying how strange it was to see a lady doing hard work and holding a hammer and that they shouldn't be doing that! lol! I didn't know if I should be proud of the boy, or ashamed of myself. I do want him to be a gentleman, but maybe momma needs to show her boy that she isn't afraid of doing some manual labor now and then!... Maybe... But not today. Today I'm going to eat a couple of "Yea! Schools over" cookies and enjoy this beautiful weather.

The first decade

PMS+Ethan's birthday=Sentimental Sarah.

Today is Ethan's 10th birthday. I don't want to talk about it!... I can't believe how fast the past ten years have gone by! One second I'm in the hospital holding my first child... and then I blinked. Last night we were cuddling in my bed and I was crying like a fool trying my best not to cry while I told him about the day he was born. Minus all the childbirth gore. I made him promise me that he will not grow into one of those bratty,smart mouthed teenagers that are too cool for their mom! He promised he wouldn't and said that I would always be way cooler than him. :) I highly doubt that! Ethan is the kindest,smartest,and most helpful 10 year old you will ever meet. I am so proud of the little man he's becoming and look forward to seeing the man he'll become.

                                   PAUSE: I know it's a lot of pictures OK. Just humor me!

 And that's his first decade in a nut shell. Well in this case, a bunch of pictures :)

Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!

I love my little boys. Although I am so thankful God blessed me with a girl, where would a mom be without her little boyfriends? Houston just started telling me that he loves me. It's a lot better then his new trick of calling people wiener heads. Sometimes he speaks the truth... It melts my heart. Almost as much as Logan asking if he can take my hair down for me while we cuddle on the couch, or when Ethan told me that he's sure I was beautiful when I was 18. I mean, I'm living everyone women's dream. Being surrounded by 3 little men who love you even when you don't let them sleep in your bed or play video games all day! It doesn't get any better then that ladies!

So Jonathan and I like to take our kids out individually on "dates" sometimes. It's a nice way to bond with 1 child and to make them feel special. Lately I've been taking the older boys to musicals. I want them to a) be able to appreciate good music and b) not to be one of those guys who think taking a lady to the Olive Garden is the big time! I do love me some Olive Garden though!...  So far we've been to see Phantom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (both at a local high school), and last night we went to see The Lion King on tour.

Jonathan and I went to see it the last time it was in our city and knew that the next time it came we would try and bring the boys. We had pretty good seats (on the main level) and as soon as the first elephant walked down the isle beside us, I knew they were going to love it :) Ethan laughed out loud a bunch of times but Logan only did when Pumbaa used the word "fart"... Hey, you can dress um up...Afterwards they both said they really enjoyed it. Mary-Liz (her and her husband came with us) and I really enjoyed the dancers bodies dancing. Really A. Maz. Ing.  And to top it all off, Todd bought them ice cream cones!

I love music. All kinds. If you were to look at the songs that are on my ipod you would find some Etta James, Brittany Spears (Don't judge me), MC Hammer (you can't touch this), and a bunch of other slightly less embarrassing artists. I'm no music snob. If I like a song, the vocals, the lyrics, then I don't care what the genre is or who sings it. Sometimes  a lot of times when I hear someone with a beautiful voice sing, I get a little teared up. Can you remember the first time you heard the woman playing Christine (in The Phantom) hit that incredible note? Or the first time you heard Defying Gravity? I can. And I want to share those special times with my children.