wow...just wow!

Wow. Just wow. Time really does fly! I've heard people say that all my life and sometimes I agreed, just for the sake of being agreeable, but today, I'm having a major case of "oh my gosh I can't believe how fast time has gone" itis. I just got back from (GULP!) registering my sweet little punkin for Preschool. That's right - preschool. My Jacob is going to preschool at FBC this fall. Unbelievable. Really!!!! Any mommy would agree that this moment is a very proud moment. Any mommy would agree that preschool is a very very good thing for kiddos. Any momma in Shelbyville who knows Jan Wonderlich (the preschool director at FBC) knows that you just can't go wrong with FBC preschool. Jan is an amazing woman of God and has been a good friend of ours for many years. Billy and I were fortunate to team-teach with Jan and her sweet dear Roger who passed away a few years ago. They were quite a team. Any momma would also know that this is a huge milestone and will be instrumental in shaping the young man he will become. Any momma will also know that this feels like it should NOT be happening yet. At least this momma feels that way! Part of me is excited and watching Jacob's little eyes light up when we talk about it makes me know it's absolutely the best decision for us. BUT... can't help but feel a little, no a lot, nostalgic today! I really do feel like it was just yesterday that I found out I was preggo with Jacob. And that it was just yesterday that my water broke at the Shelbyville Cinemas and I gave birth (not at the movie theater thankfully!) and instantly fell in love. Now, 3 + years later, we have two sweet babies that keep us super busy and one of them will be getting a backpack and school clothes and (tear) maybe even a favorite teacher that he'll love as much as mommy and daddy... Jacob man, I love you and am so proud to be our momma - keep shining for Jesus baby! I pray that your compassionate little heart will make a mighty impact on FBC preschool next year and the whole world one day. Love you more than you'll ever know!!!!

They take it all in...the GOOD and the bad...

Our Sunday School class is helping with a project called "hope for Haiti," which is collecting buckets full of non-perishable food items to help provide relief to the suffering families in Haiti after the devastating earthquake they endured. Our job was to bring 10 boxes of spaghetti noodles. Yesterday, Daddy and Jacob took a little outing while Jonathan had speech therapy and got the noodles (and some ice cream incidentally...) from Kroger. Well, Daddy must have explained the project to him and he must have been working the details out in his sweet little 3 year old brain for several hours. Later in the day, we were driving to some friends' house to watch the CATS (YEAH!!!), Jacob said, "mommy, where does Leonardo live?" (Leonardo is our little boy we sponsor through Compassion International and we pray every night that he has enough food and that he is healthy). I told him that Leonardo lives in Peru and then he said, "Well, I want to go to Kroger and buy some more spaghetti noodles and then go to Peru and give them to Leonardo so he's not hungry." Oh what a compassionate heart he has. I pray that that never ever goes away and he continues to think about people in need. A good reminder to me that NOW is the perfect time for teachable moments. Moments that will hopefully guide my kiddos to be kind, gentle and compassionate for others. Much more than me, in fact!

Favorites

Okay, so I typically write a monthly letter to each of my boys...I'm going to do something a little different and jot down some of their favorite things (more for me so I never ever forget this time in my life!)

JONATHAN'S FAVS (21 months)

Favorite snack: pretzel sticks

Favorite cartoon character: PETE (hands down!), but Barney is a close second

Favorite book: Thomas the Train - it's so cute...there's a page where Thomas has a sad face and every time Jonathan gets to that page, he tilts his head and gives a pout face - PRECIOUS!!!!!

Favorite song: "Thank You Jesus" (a little song we made up, but he loves it so much!) and "The Wheels on the Bus." Oh and the Veggie Tales song. So cute. One day, Andy McDonald was coming to our house and we call him Andy-Tales (no idea why, but we do....) and Jonathan started singing the veggie tales song when we told him Andy-Tales was coming over.

Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch Berries

Favorite fruit: blueberries

Favorite veggie: peas

Favorite toy: the pretend kitchen and food

Favorite parent: daddy - no contest. :-)

Favorite friend: Jacob (aka BATMAN)

Favorite object: pacis - only for bedtime and naptime now though

Favorite time of day: right before nite nite time - he's become quite the snuggler. We walk him in his room and say " you want me to rock you and sing songs?" He says "mmm, hmmm." It is a wonderful time for us. Daddy and I have to take turns because we both love it so much.

JACOB (3 years, 4 months)

Favorite cartoon: Batman

Favorite toy: Batman stuff

Favorite activity: Playing Batman... (sense a theme here?) Jacob is really into the superhero stuff. He's Batman, Jonathan is Superman, Daddy is Robin and Mommy is Wonderwoman. Not really sure what all that means, but he is so funny right now!

Favorite accomplishment: POTTY TRAINING -Jacob makes sure to call us into the bathroom to "see my pee drops and look how much I pooped."

Favorite food: Macaroni and butter and salt

Favorite treat: Peanut M&Ms (used as treats when he potties!), oreos - which he almost always gets from his Mamaw and Papaw and sprite - which he almost always gets from Grammy and Pa.

Favorite Song: "My God is so Big, So Strong and So Mighty..." a sweet little song he learned at Mrs. Maureen's house.

Favorite friend: Jonathan (aka Superman) - they really get along so well. It's pretty cute. Jacob will even share his treats with Jonathan. He also really enjoys spending time with Ashley, his babysitter's daughter. He even said one day that he was going to marry Ashley when he get big. (oh wait just a minute, young man...you're not getting married until you're 50!) :-) He has lots of other friends too - one of his special friends is is big cousin Taylor. They just love each other.

A very FUN day!

Today was the first annual Valentine's Extravaganza at the Stover house... and it was OH.SO.FUN. I say first annual, because it was so much fun, I hope to make it an annual event! Our house was filled with twelve kiddos 4 and under and lots of heart stickers, crayons, heart animals and glitter. Yes, I said glitter. Oh my goodness, what was I thinking? I'll be finding little pieces of glitter forever. But it was so totally worth it. The kiddos made "heart" mice, and decorated little envelopes to hold their Valentines and then we ate lunch. I even made heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (okay - so that's not totally true...my mom and dad were here and I couldn't have survived without them!!!!!) My boys had a great time and I had a lot of fun catching up with some super fantastic mommies. It is so great to see all the little kiddos hanging out and being social. It's so good for all of them. It's also a little nostalgic to think that I'll get to watch all these little guys and a few girls grow up together. I pray that they will all love the Lord with all their hearts and will help keep each other out of trouble when they get older! I feel so grateful today - grateful for my boys, grateful for my hubby, grateful for my friends and family...what a blessed woman I am. I thank God for all these blessings and that I can somehow figure out a way to be home more with my boys (part time job where are you???).

the most pitiful little snowman in history!!!

Jacob and Jonathan have so wanted to build a snowman since they were introduced to the beloved Frosty video this holiday season. We've had a few snowy days, but most of it has been that powdery dusty snow that won't make a snow ball. Well, today, it snowed a little bit and it was sticky snow. So.we.tried. We merely got a dusting of snow, so there was little to pick from. But we tried. That's what's important. Mommy did most of the work - Jacob and Jonathan just kept falling and eating the snow. I kept saying - bring me lots of snow, and they just didn't get it. So, with very thin cloth gloves, I got busy. My hands were freezing and I was trying to snap some pics along the way. So, all those excuses=pitiful little snowman, but it made the boys happy. They both gave him a hug (and oops - made his head fall off a few times). Fun times. Here's to no more snow and bring on SPRING!!!!

why I haven't had time to post on my bloggy page...

Well, we've been busy little beavers in this crazy house... between working FULL (yuck!) time, trying to keep up with house work, keeping up with all the great TV right now - seriously, we're into way too many shows - yikes!, stomach bugs all around, exercising (for real), running all over the place chasing my fun and silly boys and potty training. WHAT DID THAT JUST SAY???? Yep, that's right folks, we are 100% knee deep into the whole potty training business. As I've posted before, Jacob has really not been into the whole potty thing. He has said many times that he would never ever go potty or that he'll potty when he's 11... BUT last Saturday we had a major breakthrough! I nonchalantly told him I wanted to give him a treat. He of course was intrigued and asked what it was. I told him I couldn't tell him unless he peed on the potty. Well, son of a gun, it worked! He went pee on the potty!!! It was pretty funny that day - he kept saying he needed to go and would sit on the potty and maybe a drop would come out and he'd say "can I have another M&M??? Well, 7 days later and he's still doing AWESOME!!!!! He's even telling me when he needs to potty. He is so proud. We've done lots of treats and praise and he just beams from ear to ear. We even made a huge deal out of getting him some super hero undies. Jonathan's even gotten in on the action - he sits on his potty too, but he hasn't actually gone pee yet. What about #2 you ask? Some success there too! HOORAY! I think we're finally on our way to having a civilized 3 year old who potties like everyone else in his class at church. What a relief! But I do have to say - it's exhausting - to keep reminding him. Cleaning up the "accidents," keeping lysol handy for the #2 mishaps - sometimes he gets off the potty before the deed is done if you know what I mean. I am soooooooo proud of my very big boy. A little bitter sweet for this momma - I can't believe how big my boys are. They make my world complete. I triple heart each of them so very much.

* since I'm not really down with posting action shots of the whole potty business, I'll leave you with a few shots of the evidence. Where we've been camping out lately (bonus I love my kiddos PB kids bathroom!!!!!) and the sticker chart and several of his big boy underpants.