I am not even sure where to begin...
We'll start with things I love about Lilibeth:
She loves a "boat" in her hair. One evening as I was putting her down she asked for a "boat" for her hair. I told her that she could wear one to school the next day. When I was changing her diaper for the first time the next morning with sleepy eyes she said to me, "Boat for school?" She is my very best napper. She will request a nap, then start walking toward her pack-n-play and say, "Nap, nap boys!" When she thinks West is doing something wrong, she calls him "West Irby." Even though she does not have a middle name, she has picked up on the concept that with mamas, trouble and middle names somehow seem to go hand-in-hand. She loves a baby and is so excited that "Aunt Inz" just had Major. She can't wait to help with the baby.
Things I love about West:
West still loves to cuddle... Oh, I love to cuddle with that boy! He is a song leader. Every morning and evening after Klint and I leave (or before we come in) West leads the crew in reciting their ABC's and counting as far as they can (last week it was to about seventeen... give or take a few numbers in the sequence!) Who needs me when West can easily keep this class on their toes? Oh, and West also LOVES to sing "Happy Birthday." I taught them the song the day before Fancy's birthday... the only problem is now Fancy seems to be the only one who has a birthday... and it comes around daily!
Things I love about Jack:
Jack can see that I have my plate pretty full and wants desperately to help me.... specifically with discipline. One morning, we were at the trip-trap eating a little breakfast when West quickly (he's fast, folks!) swiped some item off of Lilibeth's plate. This theft was acknowledged with a shrill scream by Lilibeth and then, "Take it! West Take it!" I turned to West and said, "Give it back to your sister, or go to time out." West ever so politely returned the food to his sister. I was not feeling so patient, so I huffed out, "Thank you." Jack apparently thought that I could do better than that. He followed up with, "Good choice, West."
 |
| Sweet, sweet Lilibeth. She drives the teacher in her Mama CRAZY... she loves to turn books upside down! |
 |
| Reading her news and world report |
 |
| Cupcakes... yum! |
 |
| Ummmm... yes! |
 |
| Cousin Mason & Cousin Morgan... cute cowboys! |
 |
| Aunt Kelly reading to Lilibeth |
 |
| Cousins at play... celebrating Papa's birthday |
 |
| Visiting with friends |
 |
| Converse and a tutu... it's a superstar look! |
 |
| Jack, Lilibeth and West with their very first teacher! |
 |
| Celebrating Fancy's birthday with none other than... cupcakes! |
 |
| Gan playing her favorite game... "Eye winker, Tom tinker" |
 |
| Papa Bill and West |
 |
| Visiting the new fire station... three cheers for our heroes! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here it is... although it still makes me shudder (for a variety of reasons) I feel like I should record it here so that I can laugh about it later...
Last Monday morning, I took Lilibeth, Jack and West to my parents' house to feed their dogs. They were in Arkansas meeting Major. I had just returned from Arkansas and had missed them so much. I wanted it to be a great day. We started with playing in Duke and Fancy's backyard. A back yard with dogs occasionally has poop in it, and Jack found it... on his shoe and leg. I cleaned him up the best I could and put them back in the car to continue our fun morning. We went to wash the car. We ran into Daddy at the gas station... super fun! He reported that he was off to downtown to pick up some materials. We went back home and I decided that a mid-day bubble bath (especially when there has been a poop incident) was in order before lunch... good times. It was almost lunchtime and I thought, "I have been carrying these dirty kids around... I should at least change my clothes before I fix lunch." Here, my friends is where it all went terribly, terribly wrong. As I am walking to the bedroom to quickly change, I am already taking off my dirty clothes. I pass by the window and see our back porch cats looking sadly at me and I think two things: 1) I have no idea how long it has been since they have been fed 2) If I do not feed them now, I will get distracted and they will starve. I guess I thought a third thing because I did decide to put on my robe over nothing but my panties before stepping quickly (we do everything that involves being out of the room with three toddlers very quickly because you JUST NEVER KNOW) onto the back porch to feed the cats. I fed the cats and turned to go back inside only to be met by a locked door. Quick, sharp intake of breath. Oh, NO! I think to myself, "Stay calm." So much for those nice, reasonable thoughts in your head... So here are the events that follow:
1. Check other doors (Alcatraz)
2. Scale tall nice fence that Klint put up for kids protection in my short brown silk robe with missing tie
3. Run and check garage door (no such luck)
4. Scale fence and run back to check on children. West, Lilibeth and Jack are seated like tiny reading angels in the breakfast room window enjoying their books. Keep calm.
5. Tear my car apart looking for a key (in my old car, I kept an extra house key...it had not made the transfer to newer car)
6. Scale fence. Run to nearest neighbors' house. Realize that no one is home. Wonder why we thought it would be a good idea to live anywhere where the closest house is a two minute run from your own home? Miss old subdivision and the safety of a cul-de-sac.
7. See UPS driver on cross street. Scream and wave arms trying to flag him down. UPS driver does not notice crazed woman in her robe because he is on his phone.
8. Run back home to check children. Scale fence. Find hammer in yard. Check children... all good. Take hammer to glass door to our bedroom. Try to break it. No luck. Wonder what they make "glass doors" out of these days? Run to window to check children. See that Jack has pushed a tool over to the trip-trap table to climb on up. Say through window, "No, Jack. Do not climb up on the table." Climbing continues. Crying now (me)... Jack has not seen this behavior from me before and laughs. Continues on to table. Gets one leg stuck in the seat and one leg stuck out on the table (legs are at 90 degree angle). Jack is now upset and teetering. I realize that he is about to fall (awkwardly) onto concrete floor. Must not wait to watch it happen... must get help ASAP.
9. Scale fence. Wonder why we cheaped out on our drive and got crushed asphalt. It really hurts your bare feet as you run. Begin running down road in opposite direction. Praying loudly and begging God to protect my children. Picturing Jack fall and West opening the "child-proof" lock (which he has just learned to do) to access cleaning products to eat under the kitchen sink. Imagine him sharing said cleaning products with his sister. Run faster, pray more loudly. Run past five houses of no one home.
10. Approach 7th house... cars! Run to front door. Sign says, "Go to back door." Run to back door. Knock and scream like a lunatic. No answer, Crack back door open and scream inside through the crack that I desperately need help. Wonder if I will get shot for this insane behavior.
11. Three men come when I crack the door and call for help. One takes me home. The other two call for help. They kindly seem to ignore the fact that I am wildly under-dressed at noonish.
12. Scale the fence for the LAST TIME and see that (no sarcasm whatsoever) an angel of the LORD has placed Jack safely with both feet in the middle seat of the trip-trap. The other two seats on the edge of the table have somehow been taken out and thrown on the floor. I am also thankful that West has occupied himself reading with his sister and has not taken it upon himself to discover all of the reasons that I may have to call Poison Control under the kitchen sink.
13. Wait calmly (finally) for help to arrive.
14. When help arrives (Praise the LORD!) they want to know where my husband is. I guess they think someone should ask this man why his wife is running around the neighborhood screaming and abandoning her small children. They were all so kind... they didn't want to do any damage to the house and were wondering how quickly he could come with a key. Klint is still downtown At that point, I would have been happy for them to drive the firetruck through the side of the house, just please get me back with my babies! The firemen had better sense than I did and determined that picking the lock would be the best option. I must admit, I was slightly embarrassed that one our firemen heroes was the husband of a teacher that I worked with. But when you are desperate to get back into your house with your children, you just don't even care. Upon entrance, I grabbed Jack out of the trip-trap and asked the very kind police officer if he would mind watching my children ever so briefly so that I could PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!
 |
| On Saturday (after the lock out drama) we were running errands and passed a grand opening for a fire station. How could I pass up this opportunity after the great rescue of Fall 2012? We LOVE firemen! |
 |
| Gan and some of her great-grands |
 |
| Jack loves to say, "woo-woo!" repeatedly when we pass any emergency vehicle |
 |
| It took about 20 pics to get this one of West looking at me... "Don't look at the lady with the camera" is his new game. He's on a winning streak! |
 |
| Look at all of this! |
 |
| Pretty girl |
 |
| Surprise Target date with Jeffie... treats! |
 |
| Silly business |
 |
| Guess who is a big brother? This guy! I have had a fantastic week with Walker Boone and Major. It's like WB grew up overnight when Major was born... |
 |
| Love these little feet |
 |
| This is a pic of Jack right after he said, Good choice, West." It makes me laugh every time I see it. |
 |
| Last month's pic at the splash pad |
 |
| Klint & I have truly appreciated the help of grandparents, aunts and uncles and babysitters this summer. We have been reacquainted with the lake and live country music. Hello, old friends! |
 |
| The boys filling up the Little Blue Truck at the NICU Reunion (Children's Museum) |
 |
| Lilibeth loved the reunion, too! |
 |
| Major Mast... we already love you like crazy! |
 |
| Pumpkin ... my friend (and photographer!) played with the kids for a morning this week while I have been in Arkansas with Walker and Major. Thanks for bringing your camera and sharing some of their day with me, Jessica. Please check out Jessica's work at: jlmayphotography.com |
|
