Here's TWO of the many reasons I'm grateful today and everyday!

my day started off with a BANG thank you very much...

So, this is what Jacob would describe happened to him today... that a shot as big as Kentucky came after his leg. In reality, it wasn't that big, but oh my word, he had to get SIX crazy shots. Yes, you saw that right.. SIX shots. And a finger prick, which may have been more traumatic than the six shots. I've never heard him scream like that. He was screaming at the top of his lungs "WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT TO ME?????" "IT HURTS." And he screamed loud for what seemed like 30 minutes. It probably wasn't that long, but it seemed like forever. I had to endure the screaming two separate times - the finger prick at the beginning of the visit, and the six shots at the end of his 4 year check up... Poor baby. And tonight, he's walking around like an old old man with arthritis. It's kind of funny - I hate to laugh at him because I'm sure his legs really are sore, but I have had to turn my face several times. You see, my Jacob is somewhat of a wimp. God love his heart. Seriously - a paper cut puts him on the "disabled list" for at least 2 days. And blood? Oh my goodness. Don't get me started. :-)

Can't believe my baby is already big enough for his 4 year check up at the doctor. My how time flies. I love my little man so much - I really do hate that he was hurt today.

(oh and our pediatrician says my hubby owes me big time for having to do THIS check up all by myself. I agree, don't you????)

My new normal...

It occurred to me at one of my many "random thought times" that I hadn't yet blogged about my new schedule and what is now my new normal - whatever the heck normal is! My life has changed a ton in the last 6 months and I couldn't be happier about it. Here's a breakdown of key moments that led to my new schedule. I had a baby - yes 4 years ago. I was blessed to have my first sweet baby boy. At the time, I was working full time and went back to work when he was 12 weeks old and while I loved my job at the time, I felt like a piece of me was being broken every single morning I had to leave my little man. So, after about 6 months and lots of praying, I left my job and went to work for the AOC doing a part time gig. I worked 3 days a week and it was pretty cool. I helped plan a major conference and was still somewhat flexible with my little guy. Then, 4 short months after my part time gig started, my bosses talked me into (tricked, bribed???) working full time as a supervisor. Now, mind you, I was flattered that they respected my work ethic and wanted me in a full time capacity. They even said "you can work from home 2 days a week." Well, I accepted and then... GOT preggo again. So, I worked from home during the whole pregnancy with Jonathan and even when he was a newborn. Let me just tell you - working from home DID NOT WORK for me or my office. I was miserable and wasn't a very happy mommy either. I was getting up at 5 every morning and working before the boys got up and then after they went to bed, I was working until midnight most nights so I could get all my hours in for the week. After several months of this, Billy and I decided it needed to stop. So, we proposed a "new" plan for our employer. We would both work 4 days a week and Billy would be off on Mondays and I would be off on Fridays. So, that's what we did. I went from happily part time to working 4 long days and we made it work. I still felt like I was missing out on some of the most memorable times in my boys' lives. And we had fantastic child care, so no worries there either. We did this schedule for a little more than a year and I had this overwhelming tugging at my heart telling me I needed to be home more. I know now that this was God's voice telling me that my children need me. That my children will only be this small once. So, last January, I made a serious proposal to my boss to reduce my hours to part time. He accepted my proposal, but said he couldn't make it happen right away. So I waited. and waited. And waited. I approached him again several times over the course of 6 months with no news. Then, on April 29, I found out I was losing my job thanks to the state budget crisis. Now, don't get me wrong, I was devastated...but amidst it all, I heard God say to me, "see, I told you to be home more. Now, go. Obey me." So, without hesitation, I began to search for a job that would allow me some flexibility. And I found just that.

On July 19, I started a new path - I'm now a therapist at a place called Square One Specialists in Child and Adolescent Development and I LOVE IT!!!!! Great atmosphere, great people, great challenges and decent income. And I'm back in the saddle of helping others, which is my passion! Here's the best part..... (drumroll!) I'm home with the boys 5 out of 7 days! YEEEEEHAW! I work Wednesdays and Thursdays and I really do love it. The other days I'm hangin' out at home with my two favorite fellas.

Now, my new normal took a little bit to become adjusted to, I must admit. I suppose my expectations of being a stay-at-home-mom were of glamorous days with smooches and happy boys all the time. Being a SAHM (most of the time) isn't quite as glamorous as I imagined. Here' s a glimmer into my new normal: * sweeping the kitchen floor at least 5 times a day * acting as a referee for two boys who seem to wrestle all the time * transporting to and from preschool * stepping over toys, I mean tripping over toys * eating left over chicken nuggets (yuck!) * looking at the clock and thinking seriously - how much longer til daddy gets home? * Playing hide and seek for hours on end * going on long walks looking for wildlife * setting up playdates (thank the Lord for playdates!) * trying to maintain some type of structure and schedule * and playing playing playing.

Being a SAHM might not be so glamorous, BUT I LOVE IT SO!! I love reading books up on the bunkbeds, and teaching the boys games like Ring Around The Rosey and Mother May I, and using our mornings for creative learning time. We've gone through all the letters and are now focusing on numbers. I love sleepy hugs after nap time and I love wild hair in the morning. I love being outside with my boys and I love taking them on adventures and I am getting used to the fact that my house is never perfectly straight and my floors are sometimes sticky and the toys aren't always in their proper place. One day, I hope my boys know just how much time and energy I put into being their mommy. I am far from perfect. I yell at them (that's another post), get frustrated sometimes and for a brief second, wish for some peace and quiet. But I promise that I would not trade my life with anyone on the planet. I am a most blessed mommy and wife and am perfectly content. Thank you Jesus for all the small blessings that make up a day in my life!

Big Bad Jon

Jonathan… you constantly do or say things that I think are so cute. So, just so I never ever forget them, here's a few things that you do at 2 1/2. I love you more than you'll ever know!

• You say "Don’t" when you mean won’t or can’t.. (like if we say Don’t jump on the couch… you say “I don’t.” Or if you can’t see the tv, you say “I don’t see” if we say “don’t touch… you say “I don’t I just wooking.”)
• Whenever someone asks you your name, you say, "I'm Bad." (we call you Big Bad...after the old song "big bad Jon.") Such a bad habit for us, but oh well...


• You say thank you very well and use please most of the time, but we are still really working on that one!


• You follow every move Jacob makes – good or bad!


• You respond pretty well to timeout


• You call Jacob “bubup”


• “Don’t wash my hair “– we hear this every night at bath time.


• You love gogo(yogurt) but it must be PEACH gogo…..or you may give it back.


• You like Batman almost as much as your brother; and when you see the joker or penguin you say “bad guys.”


• You Sing the sweetest prayer at meal time with Bubup that goes something like this while opening and closing your hands – “Open shut them, open shut them, give a little clap; open shut them, open shut them, fold them in your lap. Thank you Father, thank you Father, for our food, for our food, many many blessings, many many blessings, amen amen. Dear God, thank you for our food and nourishment in Jesus Name Amen.” It is so cute, but honestly when you do it all by yourself, it goes on and on and on... :-)


• You say “Wait a Minute” many times a day.


• You took your first drink of coke (unless we didn’t know otherwise thanks to his Aunt Amy, or grandparents :) ) after we bribed you to eat all your food and then you looked at us and said “Me like Coke”


• You are sleeping fairly well in the bunk bed and say “bunk bed” whenever someone mentions sleep. However, you still gets up probably every other night and I hear you say “where my pacis go?” and then you run to the gate and cry for mommy. Not cool, little guy. NOT cool!


• You say “hep me” – A LOT.


• When we go to Ms. Maureen’s every time, you say “Omi’s street (Naomi is one of the boys’ sweet friends from church), Amy’s street, and Ms. Piggy’s street (one of Mamaw’s friends – Ms. Peggy.) So cute!


• At least 117 times a day, we hear, “ Bubup poosh me or Bubup hit me.”


• When we say, what are the rules, you say “no hit, no poosh, no poke eyeball, no sceam”


• You buckle Jacob’s car seat nearly every time we exit the van. It makes Jacob crazy!


• You always wants to go “pierce’s way” home – to see the big ghost (at Halloween) and now, the Turkey in one of our neighbor’s yard and you are very worried about where the ghost has gone.


• Calls your Mamaw and Papaw “Moomaw and Poopaw” - I think it’s so cute I never correct you!


• You love the songs Saving the World and Sweetly Broken on our iPod.


• Your nite nite routine includes the following songs and you know every word! How Great is Our God, Oh How I love Jesus, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, Up on the Housetop and the I love you song from Barney.

You make us so happy and keep us laughing! Love you like crazy!

Mommy