Monkey In The Mirror?

Will is growing up so fast. I know that I've already written about him and his talking, but I just have to comment on him again. It just seems like everyday he comes up with the funniest little things. I guess it's because the other two were so close in age. Or maybe it's just that I was a crazy woman back then with them being so close and little at the same time. I think possibly it is because I now have two other people at home with me to laugh in amazement at all the new accomplishments.

Just the other day we were out eating lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We had met Rusty there and had the best meal. We were seated at a large round booth and we let Will sit in the middle of us like a big boy. He did very well and ate his entire meal of chicken nuggets (yes, I know, we pretend they are fried Mexican style). When we were waiting on our check he decided to get up and walk around the booth (actually on the seat) and check things out. There was a mirror on the wall behind us. He kept looking at it checking himself out. We thought this was so funny. He then stood up, looked at himself, and then crouched down and came back up slowly peeking at his reflection making the most serious face I've ever seen. Complete with furrowed eyebrows. It was all I could do but laugh. That night we were watching a program on Animal Planet (John Russel's favorite channel) on Orangutans. It was talking about how smart these animals are. They did this test on one of them that consisted of looking in the mirror with a blob of blue paint on their heads. If they tried to wipe it off they knew it was their own reflection. They amazingly passed. The scientists went on to explain that human children will not know that they are looking at their own reflection until the age of three. I thought this was so interesting. It made me think of Will and him making that face in the mirror. Was he really thinking he was seeing some other cute little boy around the corner? How funny. So, of course, I had to do my own test. I made a mark on his cheek and took him to a mirror. He immediately tried to wipe it off. Well, I thought, either I have a gifted two year old, or those scientists were off on their theories!

Isn't it funny how we put so much emphasis on what "the experts" say we should or should not be doing that we lose focus of what we actually can do. I'm not saying to forget the milestone chart, but if you just relax and realize what is really important you will get more joy and laughter out of life. I think we all could learn something from Will and his gazes at his reflection: Let's all relax and have fun with that cute boy/girl in the mirror.

Here Comes The Rain! (Maybe)

*The boys examine the lizard and the dead cockroaches like only a boy would.


* Fly humaburd, fly!

Today we woke up to the most amazing sight. It was something that we hadn't seen in quite some time. We looked at it with the excited wonderment just as one might a fresh fallen snow. What could this miraculous sight be that would hold us so transfixed with awe? Well, it was a sky filled with gray clouds! You see we haven't seen this since we've been here. Even though it has sprinkled a few times, we haven't seen skies like this since we left the South. Much to our disappointment it didn't rain this morning. The blue skies broke through the clouds as the sun seemed to melt them away. But, we do hold out hope. There is a twenty percent chance this afternoon and evening! The weather is changing ever so slightly. You can feel the humidity in the air. Now, it's nothing compared to back home, but it's higher than it's ever been since I've been here. I think it is like twenty-nine percent. You almost can smell it.





I guess the wildlife can feel a change as well because we have been experiencing some strange and interesting things. Last night I looked out on our back patio and saw something on the wall. I thought, "What is that? A leaf." Then I noticed another a little ways down. OH NO! It was the biggest, hugest, ugliest cock roach I've ever seen. I don't know where he came from, but I thought I was going to Die!!!!!! Rusty went out and threw his flip flop at them and killed them instantly. EWWWW! This morning Mae came in my room and whispered loudly in my face that a lizard was stuck in our sliding glass door. As I stumbled over to the door putting my glasses on, I realized that the little sucker had somehow gotten between the screen door and the glass door. (Thank goodness Rusty hadn't left for work yet or we would have had a dead lizard between our doors.) The children were so excited about the big bugs, the lizard, and the clouds in the sky, you would have thought Santa Clause had made an early visit. Then Will started saying "HUMABURD, HUMABURD!!!!" I looked out to where he was pointing to our little feeder and saw three hummingbirds buzzing around it and drinking the nectar. We just stopped and watched them. As soon as they would fly away another would come. It was so fun to watch.





I guess the animals are as excited as we are about the upcoming Monsoons. I know they are able to feel it if I can. This excitement about something so simple is another way God has blessed our lives here. He has made us realize how precious, and yes, exciting something like a little rain can be.

Lessons From My Children

*This picture was taken in October of 2006. My how they grow!

I was looking at some old pictures yesterday. I was quickly reminded of how fast my children grow. As I looked at my children's little faces I was reminded of all that they have brought to my life. Each so unique and yet the same, both in the way they look and act. I have also changed along with them.









John Russel, my first, has given me knowledge and courage. With his little strong will he has shown me that some battles are best left un-faught. He has given me energy that I didn't know I had and stamina to deal with the most difficult situations. With him I feel that I can face anything.









Mae has taught me that through difficult times you can find beauty. She has built me up when I thought I could no longer go on. With her quiet grace she has shown me that things can turn around quickly and if you look hard enough you will see blessings.









Will has given me stability. Being the third child he has shown me that I can enjoy the big things without worrying about the little. He has given me peace that I didn't know I could endure. With him I know that everything is going to be OK and that I can breathe a breath of fresh air.









My children have taught me many things, and I know they will continue to do so. Together they've all shown me that I can be me and be proud of that. I can laugh when something is funny, dance when I hear a good song, and be silly when life calls for it. I love them so much for not only who they are but for who they've helped me become.

Happy Birthday To Will

We all had the most fun celebrating Will's birthday. I can hardly believe that my sweet boy is two! We had pizza and cake with the neighbors. He had a blast opening all of his gifts. Here are some fun pictures of the event. Love to all!

Animals

We have all had the best time watching for wildlife. The animals are very different here than back home, and seem to be very abundant where we live. We have seen many lizards, which are very common, but still fascinate us. They love our back wall and one has even made a home in the flower pot that houses Mae's lemon tree. She now says she has a pet lizard! The other day we saw a baby javelina on the side of the road. We stopped to take a closer look at him. He was the cutest thing. I said, "He's so cute, we should take him home." John Russel quickly reminded me that his mother was probably nearby and she might get angry and get us! (Wow! He is learning something from all those nature shows he loves to watch.) The same day we went to the post office and there was this little rabbit outside the window. He was right below it. The kids loved watching him. We have since gone back and he is still there. I guess that's his little home. We have seen a coyote scurrying through the desert as we rode down the road. It was nice to actually see what we had been hearing howling at the moon on many nights. To Mae's delight we have also seen a roadrunner running across the street. Rusty has seen jack rabbits and quail on the golf course, and we all have seen many ground squirrels. The ground squirrels look like little meercats, which the kids love because they love to watch Meercat Manor. They are very cute as they stand up on their hind legs and look around. We also saw what we believe was a pack rat at the park. We were walking along the park path one day and this little mouse like thing ran in front of us. I screamed! It then climbed on one of the cacti and just peered over at us like, "Hi! This is my little home." We couldn't wait to get home to look him up on the computer to see exactly what kind of mouse/rat he was. Then there are the humming birds. They are everywhere. My neighbor has a hummingbird feeder, and we love to watch them at their house, so we decided to get one. We all have loved watching them feed right outside our breakfast room window. But, by far the funniest thing that we've encountered isn't very foreign to any of us. One night we were sitting on our back patio enjoying the cool weather and we heard this strange but familiar sound. Rusty and I look at each other and both realized it was a cow! Now, this wasn't from some distant pasture. It was right outside our back fence. The neighbor's dog was going crazy! See, our neighborhood is in the middle of an open cattle range. We thought it was hilarious.

All this wildlife, although very common to most, is so interesting to us. It's amazing all of the adaptations these animals have made to live in the desert. We will keep on looking and adding to our memories all of these creatures that we find so unique. Pretty soon we will be able to make our own nature show!

People Watching

*This picture is from our trip out west. Even though it has nothing to do with my posting I thought it was a cute picture!


Today we had swimming lessons again. We had to run errands afterward so I took a change of clothes for John Russel and Mae. Will and I were dressed and ready to go. So I sat and watched the kids lessons on one of the pool chairs under an umbrella. The pool was getting crowded as people arrived for their daily swim. Most of them were Moms with kids. I had the best time people watching.





I love to sit and watch people. I guess it's like how we like to watch animals at the zoo. I love to see what they are wearing and how they do their normal "thing". There was this one mom that was covered in tattoos and wore a string bikini. I found her very interesting. She was telling one of her children to do something that she obviously didn't want to. As the child stood there whining I felt a silent bond form with this woman. I had just done the same thing at home trying to apply sunscreen. Then there was the Hispanic lady with four kids. She came stumbling over to a pool chair with her arms loaded with pool "stuff". As she unloaded her loot her children went scrambling this way and that, a few jumping in the pool. She had to ask a man teaching his child to swim if he could grab her almost drowning child. Another silent bond formed. Didn't I do almost this same thing swimming with Mother in her pool with Mae a few years ago. A young father and mother were over by the stairs with a baby. The baby was greased up with sunscreen and had a little white hat complete with chin strap. They were enjoying playing and splashing with the baby. I don't think their eyes left that baby one time. Big smiles were plastered on both of their faces. How that takes me back to having only John Russel in the pool to play with. Oh, he used to splash and splash. Instant bond formed.





Funny how watching people, so different than me, can make me form this weird connection. I guess it's like seeing someone that you can never imagine having anything in common with and instantly realizing that they are not that different than you. Children have done this for me. The love I have for them and the things that I've experienced because of them have taken me places and opened doors for me that I would have never thought possible. They've made me realize that we are sharing this crazy thing called life with many strangers that have had the same adventures (or misadventures) that I have had. They make the world smaller and then again remind us of how small we all really are.

Good Ol' Summertime!

Today has been such a great day. We decided to go swimming after John Russel and Mae's swimming lessons. So, after lathering on sunscreen on every exposed inch of flesh we headed to the pool. When the lessons were completed we all headed into the pool. It was so refreshing compared to the hot sun. We splashed and played and all had the best time. Our neighbors joined us for the fun. I love to watch the kids swim. John Russel and Mae are swimming around like fish flipping and diving for toys. They seem to be getting better everyday. Will floats around in his little life vest inner tube thingy drinking so much water I'm sure the entire pool lowered an inch while we were there.

After awhile we decided to head home. We changed out of our wet suits and headed next door for lunch with the neighbors. How nice it is not to have to fix lunch. The children scarfed down peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheeses and goldfish like they hadn't eaten in days. (I love that about swimming.) We played for a few minutes and then headed back home for nap time. Will was practically sleep walking back to our house. He was exhausted. Mae and John Russel were, too. They are sitting in front of the TV having "quiet time". I started this so they wouldn't be loud and wake Will, but now I realize they, too, need a little down time.

Now the house is quiet with the music from one of their cartoons softly playing in the background. The sun is high overhead and excruciatingly hot. We are all safe indoors all snuggled in and relaxing. Our fun is over for the moment as we rest and wait for our next summer adventure. Maybe that will be Popsicles on the back porch, or and evening bike ride. Whatever it may be I know that the truly fun part will be the spontaneity of the activity. Good Ol' Summertime!

One, Two, Tie My Shoe!

John Russel has learned to tie his shoes. We've been working on the mechanics of this task for quite some time now. Yesterday we sat down to try again and he just did it on his own. I know this seems like no big deal and many kids his age have already mastered this, but I am thrilled. Do you know what this means? He can get himself completely ready now. No more waiting to get out the door. When he decides to go outside he can put his own shoes on. When his shoe comes untied he can tie it himself.

Oh, how time flies by. It seems like yesterday that he first walked at all and he even needed shoes. I remember him running and jumping around. He was like a little hurricane. I can't believe how many little milestones we've gone through in these short six years. Pretty soon he won't want me around as he runs and plays with his friends.

So, as we get ready to go outside and play today I'll watch him as he puts on his shoes. In a few more weeks he won't even need to stick his tongue out as he loops the bunny ear over and under. As he concentrates on his new accomplishment I'll take a mental picture of him tieing those gray tennis shoes. I'll then file it away in my memory under "M" for milestones.

Today is Father's Day. The children and I made Rusty breakfast and served it to him in bed. We gave him cards that the children made and his gift. We gave him a picnic basket. Really it's a gift we all will use. We went to the pool this morning for a quick swim. Rusty had a blast going down the water slides with the kids. The lifeguards even had to blow their whistle at him for running to the slides. He's such a big kid! Now, we are back at home for lunch, a nap for Will, and golf on TV for Rusty. We plan on hitting the pool again this afternoon.

These are the kind of days that I hope will burn into my children's memory. Days of doing not much of anything but are so much fun. I can remember similar days with my Father. I remember riding around with him in his truck looking out the window at the cotton or bean fields buzzing by, my feet not even touching the ground. I'm not sure if there was anyone else with us, but all I can remember is his presence as we drove across the countryside. What a memory. It wasn't what we were doing that was important, it was just spending time with him. I hope my children remember this day and enjoy spending time with their father just as I did. It doesn't matter what you do that's important, just time spent together.

Check out my Slide Show!

Dust Devils

Today we went into Tucson to get John Russel's allergy shot. We go this back way that takes you through the outskirts of town. On the way home we saw two very large dust devils. We have seen them before, but these were very tall and thin and the clear sunny day set them off against the blue sky. They were tight and seemed to be spinning pretty fast. The second one even had that eerie curve to it that tornadoes get. I've read that they aren't usually dangerous, but on rare occasions they can get rather large and spin pretty fast which can in turn cause damage. What an interesting natural phenomenon to see. They say they even have them on Mars! There is nothing like a spinning dust cloud to set this Tennessee girl on edge.

As we traveled down the road I kept expecting to either run into them or pass them on the side of the road. They were further away than they looked and were very tall. As we finally did pass them you could see the dirt and the few pieces of debris that had gotten caught up in the rotation spinning high in the air. The second one seemed to be spinning so fast that it got this shiny transparent look to it as it bent and twisted in the sky. As we rode on towards home these strange devils seemed to dissipate as fast as they began, leaving a huge dust cloud in the sky. I also read that they last only a minute or so. What an interesting thing to observe. How powerful and remarkable nature can be.

We all enjoyed the performance the dust devils put on for us today. I'm sure we will see many more while we are here. Isn't it interesting that something that some people see quite frequently can be so fascinating to others. I guess that's God once again telling me to slow down, open my eyes and look at this amazing show He is putting on for us!

*This picture is from the internet of a dust devil in Iraq. I wanted to post it so you could see what I was talking about.

One of Those Days

Today has been one of those days. I know that you all have had them and know exactly what I'm talking about. You know, the kind where nothing, and I mean nothing seems to go right. It all started with our morning swim lessons. We were greeted by strong winds at the pool which made for crazy hair and freezing children exiting the water. Nobody was happy about that. With wind whipping my hair I tried to warm the two older kids just as Will decided that he wanted to go swimming. He proceeded to sit down on the wet concrete, with his clothes on mind you, and tried scooting into the pool. Thank goodness I caught him in time, but that meant I had to drop the towel I was trying to cover Mae with. Oh, we were not happy campers.

Then I had the bright idea that we would go to Target. My friend Carrie said she wanted to go too. So we thought we would leave after I got the kids changed. No problem, right? Wrong! When we got home I instructed the children to go upstairs change out of their wet bathing suits and into dry clothes and then bring their wet "stuff" down to the laundry room. As I packed a few essentials in the diaper bag, Mae came down naked with a purple shirt and purple non-matching shorts. So, I took her back upstairs and pulled out a very nice appropriate dress. She had a fit! "No, I don't want to wear that!" she cried. After convincing her of how pretty she looked and reminding her that her cousins loved to wear dresses she relented. Then came the hair brushing. You would have thought I was scalping them both. Finally, after the biggest to do in the world we were out the door and in the car on our way to Target.

When we arrived at Target they were so excited. We were going to have lunch in the little cafe in the store. When we walked in they started running this way and that. Then they climbed on the bar stools and said, "We're going to sit here, Mama. Is that OK, Mama. We like these chairs, Mama." They must have thought I was at the back of the store because they were screaming this as loud as they could. After finally figuring out what everyone wanted to eat and drink I had to change the order because someone wanted an icee instead of a coke. The girl behind the counter gave me the cups to fix the drinks while she prepared the food. I started getting the drinks fending off Will's little hands trying to grab every drink I filled. Finally everyone (except Me) had their drinks. I sat Will at a table and then went to get the food. I gave Mae and Will their hot dogs and John Russel his chicken nuggets. Then I turned to get ketchup and I heard a scream. I turned to see Mae's purple icee covering the floor and one of her legs. I wanted to cry. After cleaning her up as best I could and moving them to my table we started to eat. Mae kept looking at me like, "How could you have done this to me?"

It was now time to shop. With chicken salad stuck in my throat I cleaned the table. We then proceeded to the dollar section. The kids asked for every little thing. "Mama, I really need this American flag hat!" Now, I can't blame them. Target has a way of making you think you really need all this stuff. I have the same problem. We were able to escape this section of the store with a pack of three little American Flags. (Hey, we really will need these come July 4th)

We then made our way around the store to the toys. I decided to let Will down to play. I wanted to see what he might be interested in because his birthday is coming up. That's when I realized that I'd been running over my big toe with the cart. Ouch! I didn't notice at first, and it wasn't that it was a big deal. It just started hurting because I kept doing it over and over. I don't even know how or why it happened. Just chalk it up to going to Target with kids. As we looked at all the toys I thought, "Eww what's that smell?" Then I quickly realized that Will had pooped. My friend Carrie watched the two olders while I went to change Will. If only I could find the bathroom. I asked a lady in red and she directed me to the front. Well I went to the front but it was the wrong side of the store, so I walked to the other side carrying Will the entire time. (I didn't want to make a bigger mess!) Now, my back was killing me. Thank goodness the bathroom was nice and clean.

Will was changed and fresh and it was time to move on from the toys. This was amazingly done with ease, but them we entered the little gardening area with the kids gardening stuff. Oh my, it was like the dollar section all over again. I did, however, find some great Father's day gifts. So, after making our way around I remembered that I needed ice trays. Well, I couldn't find them anywhere in the kitchen stuff. After asking another lady in red she informed me that they were located on the other side of the store. Maybe another day I thought.

It was time to go. Everyone had had enough. We made it through the check out with only two incidents of asking for gum and three for hotwheels cars. Pretty impressive. The children must have been tired. We arrived at the car and the olders climbed in as I pushed the cart over to the little receptacle running over my toe one last time for good measure. I then put Will in the car. I think he actually fell asleep before I had his car seat buckled.

People tell me that I'll miss my children being little , and that I'll get bored when they are older. I know this will be true someday. Probably sooner than I would like, but please don't tell me that today.

Now, I think I'll go soak my big toe!

My Patio

As we have settled in to our summer routine I find myself longing for the shade of our back patio. It gives such a nice break from the sun. In the morning the bright sun shines in and brightens every inch of it, but by 10:30 it is almost covered in shade. Only the edges where I keep my plants get sun. Then by the afternoon the sun doesn't even touch these areas. I love to sit and look at my flowers and little trees that we've planted. I also love to let my eyes drift out towards the pecan groves and even further to the mountains in the distance. I always secretly hope to catch some desert wildlife, but the only thing that seems to pass by are people walking on the trails or a few birds. We do have lots of lizards that like to sun themselves on our walls. Now, they are fun to watch. They do this little up and down thing that we like to call their morning push-ups. I'm not sure what the purpose of this is. We, however, find it hilarious.

Just yesterday I was sitting out back and I said to myself, "What is that sweet smell?" I looked over and realized it was Mae's lemon tree! It was full of blooms. It almost smelled like honeysuckle. How marvelous! I got up and admired the little tree and all it's new blooms and I noticed many more buds getting ready to blossom. Soon, if we're lucky, we may have a tree full of lemons!

I love my flowers I have planted. The periwinkles and lantana I've planted remind me of home. They love their new residence on my patio and seem to be getting plenty of morning sun. I like to think they are doing so well because they like my company. I can go to my patio and be delighted by the sights and smells of my beautiful little "garden". With the new fragrance of my lemon tree and the gorgeous colors of the blooms I now have even more to enjoy on my back patio. Soon I hope to sit back and admire my patio with a tall glass of lemonade!

Ups and Downs

There is no better scent in the world than my children's heads. I know this sounds crazy, but I love to smell their sweet hair. When they climb in the bed with me in the morning there is nothing better to lay there and drink in their precious perfume. It must be something primal to it. Something left over from a distant ancestor. Maybe it is like how mother animals differentiate their young. I'm not sure the reason for it. All I know is how much I love it. We were watching a movie last night and Mae was snuggled up with me on the couch. I kept leaning down to smell her head. Oh, I could have stayed that way all night. They always seem so sweet and small. It reminds me of when they were tiny infants and I would get up in the night to feed them. Their sweet smell seemed to fill the room. I love to bond with them in this way. All three of them have their own special scent. I think if I were blindfolded I could recognize them just by smell.

I wish I could keep them this way. I love it when they snuggle and act so sweet. Then they will do something only a 6,5, or 2 year old will do, and I wonder, "What?" How could something so sweet do something so vile! Like when I'm talking with a friend and Mae constantly interrupts me to tattle on a friend, or how John Russel told me he doesn't have to go to the bathroom because he went in the pool, or (my personal favorite) how Will can throw a huge temper tantrum in Blockbuster because I won't let him rip all the movies off the shelves. When I say huge I mean monster huge complete with deep screaming and laying on the floor like I'm killing him. He does this favorite new act quite frequently now.

Parenting is so interesting. Thank goodness God gives us this unconditional love to deal with situations such as these. I don't think without Him we could have these night and day feelings about our offspring. One minute I could tear their little heads off, and then with the same breath hug them and never want to let go. It's amazing the emotions we as parents experience as well.

So if your children are way passed these little stages or if you've never had the chance to experience emotions such is these, I ask you to remember me and say a little prayer that I will never forget how precious these little beings are that God has entrusted me with. One whiff of their sweet little noggins should do!

Summer

John Russel and Mae have started swimming lessons this week. We get up and go to the pool for their 30 minute lessons. The lifeguards at the pool are teaching them, and there are several classes going on at once. They are in different classes, which are small. It is fun to watch and see all that they are learning. It's always amazing to see how much more they learn from someone else. Mae is learning the freestyle and John Russel has mastered diving and is working on some other strokes. They love to swim.

After their lesson we either all swim at the pool or come home and rest a bit before lunch. They are always starving after swimming. I can remember this from my childhood. Now, I can see where their hunger comes from just by watching them move in the water. They use every single muscle they have. So, lunchtime is filled with "I want more raisins." " Can I have more juice?" and my favorite, "What's for dessert?" At this rate I'm going to have to make another grocery trip before the week is over.

This summer has started off on a great note. Even though the hot weather has been here awhile, the lazy summer break has finally started. We can hang out, play all day, and enjoy each other without a lot of obligations. This is what Summer is all about. Although we have plans to play soccer on Saturdays, the games will be very close to home. I know we will enjoy going to John Russel and Mae's games especially because they are early in the morning. This not only means a break from the heat, but it offers precious time to spend the rest of the afternoon with each other doing whatever we want.

So, as we look forward to our summer "vacation" we will try and give ourselves the much needed break from all of our normal obligations. We will try and enjoy each other and all that our family has to offer.

Happy Summer!

Family Visits

Well, we have had a fast and furious whirlwind visit with our family. On Saturday we went to our clubhouse pool and had a blast. No one got sunburned, but me, of course. I guess I was too busy applying sunscreen to everyone else. Then yesterday we went to Mt. Lemon. What a glorious experience. It doesn't matter how many times I go, it is breathtaking every time. We had a picnic lunch, "rock-climbed" over to some cliffs for a fabulous view of Tucson and the surrounding mountains. We all were mesmerized by the beautiful scenery. We then went up to the top and took the ski lift to the top of the mountain. Of course there is no snow, but the green grass, tall pine trees, and 74 degree weather made it all worthwhile. We then had cookies and drinks at a little restaurant.

Unfortunately, our trip down was delayed due to a deranged man on a shooting rampage! I know can you believe it! They caught him at the base of the mountain. The investigation caused the closure of the mountain. No one in or out. We were in a safe place, and really it wasn't so bad. We just sat on the patio of the little restaurant. We ate cookies and let the children play. Thank goodness the weather was nice! The trip back down was just as exciting and beautiful to see.

I think the children all had a blast with all the fun planned activities, and I know they were excited to see all the different things Arizona has to offer. But, I think the most fun they had was playing with each other, sleeping in the playroom, and eating whatever they wanted. Children are amazing creatures. Jesus was right when He reminds us to be like them. We all need to enjoy and take pleasure in the simple things in life. So, as I remember this little visit and all the fun stuff we did, I will also be reminded to relax and have fun. No matter what.