Introducing...

We'd like everyone to meet Baby Grace. She doesn't have a middle name yet but we're confident we'll think of one before she makes her official debut in about 9 weeks.

Facebook killed the Blogger star...

My friend Aimee (I didn't link her blog b/c I'm not sure she'd like a world of strangers traipsing through pictures of her kiddos) once posted that facebook is killing her blog. After an unfortunate case of insomnia last night I can't help but say that's true -- about my blog...not hers. It seems the facebook status box has been a convenient way to get out the ideas without worrying about their development. Since I'm into posterity I decided I'd post some more of the memorable statuses here -- more for my memory than for your entertainment -- I'm just cool like that. Any italics are my thoughts now -- today -- after the fact.

8/26 is thinking bubble wrap is the only way to keep two little boys from engaging in "brotherly love" (wrestling) when they are both supposed to take it easy and protect stitches and such...

8/23 just caught the boys giving each other showers using the nasty standing water from yesterday's rain that was caught in a toy outside. GROSS!!! Really -- I was worried Sam would get another parasite...that's how he caught the last one.

8/17 best part of jacks surgery? watching him "fly over the sea" (his words) while hiccuping so hard he almost fell over!! Oh my! Wish I woulda gotten this on video!!

8/10 you know it's going to be a good day when your toddler walks into the kitchen saying, "YUCK!" You turn around assuming a rogue booger must be stuck to his hand only to discover he is in fact using his own poo as hand lotion. Good way to start the week, son!

8/3 house is beginning to resemble the UFC. Sam fish-hooked Jack and gouged him in the eye as Jack body-slammed him to the ground and then sat on him while he "squeezed his guts." Both giggled through the entire episode. I love my little boys!!

would like to thank her youngest son for losing her bank card somewhere in Target. That makes shopping easy for the next 10 days while I wait for a new one since I had to cancel the lost one.

7/23 is hungry...and cravin' breakfast food. too bad shipley's isn't open...blame it on CT (the hunger not the lack of donuts) maybe this habit would explain the recent weight gain...

7/14 wondering if the "b" in crumb is silent then why don't we pronounce "crumble" as "crummel"? Deep thoughts from Valerie while folding the mound of laundry taller than Jack.

7/6 oh terrible two's, you are my nemesis; you arrived earlier than I was expecting you sneaky devil and it seems I've forgotten all the tricks from the last time...

7/1 woke up to a kid with blue lips and vomit. Who said being a stay-at-home mom was dull???

6/29 Jack just asked Luke what he was going to watch on tv and before Luke could respond Jack answered "your mother." My thoughts? BURN; how proper of him; ooopppsss -- maybe I should lay off the "your mom" responses...

6/12 has decided to fire the maid. seriously -- the laundry is piling up and the kitchen is a disaster. OH WAIT...those are my jobs...dang it!

6/10 9AM dermatology appointment for your toddler -- eleventy billion dollars; watching medical professionals attempt to keep a straight face while said toddler picks nose and eats findings -- HILARIOUS!!! (I know, I know...I should work on the nose picking part...we're a work-in-progress around here)

5/22 never fear, Jack slayed Goliath and the Philistines this morning. It was quite the battle.

5/14 is watching Jack attempt to baptize his brother in the kiddie pool. He's holding Sam's nose with one hand while trying to force his head back with the other, all the while saying, "I baptize you in the name of the Lord."

5/10 forgot to wear make-up to church this morning. Proof positive that pregnancy kills brain cells.

5/5 shouldn't be allowed to speak to other people. I just left a message for Jack's cardiologist that ended with, "the sooner the report is faxed the better it will be for everyone." What exactly does that mean? Am I gunnin' for her???

4/20 is thinking that instead of cleaning the kitchen, all the dishes should be thrown away and new ones purchased.

4/2 Jack came home from school talking about his blood eyes behind his white eyes. Should I be concerned??

3/27 my 16 month laughs hysterically at his older brother's flatulence. Anyone know how I can pump a little estrogen in my house to even things out a bit?? we found out we were expecting chicken tart 2 days later...

3/23 Sam is walking around the house carrying a fire-poker. Think it's time I parent and leave fb alone??

3/22 finally got poor sicky Sam-o to rest a little. Oh and in case you are wondering - Jack didn't want a "waterbooger" for dinner. Not that I blame him...

3/20 is exhausted. Hauled the boys around shopping with my mom and sis. Jack sang "Let's Play Bite My Brother" the entire time we were in Hobby Lobby...

3/19 wishes Jack didn't get carsick...ever...and especially not as I pull him from the truck for baseball practice.

3/18 is so glad Sam needed up in the middle of the night so he could roar for an hour....I was telling Sam "night night", so he would pat my head and say, "night night mama rooooooarrrrr". we too are not friends today...

3/17 is takin' the boys to the mall. must run off some energy before I bury someone under the swingset...It's funny everyone assumes this is a joke

3/13 tally for today -- one bite from youngest almost ended in blood, oldest son using pile of laundry as cushion for jumping off couch. And it's not even lunch..

1/19 Jack just ran in my room, asking for the water on to brush his teeth...in nothing but a belt with a screwdriver tucked in the waistband...

1/17 thinks fort-building days turn her house into a Lord of the Flies experiment - after the store found Jack asleep on the couch with a half-eaten bag of dorito's

That's all...I'm sure there are more but I'm getting bored copying and pasting...

some new things

1. I found new stretch marks this weekend while on vacation. I assumed, stupidly I guess, that since this was my 3rd baby I'd be in the clear on the "new"stretch marks...at least until we get closer to the end. I was wrong...

2. I now think it is entirely possible that a baby can explode from your belly button. There was more than one time this weekend, while waddling around the French Quarter like a live public health advertisement for birth control, that I was convinced little miss would burst right out onto the pavement. This probably explains the new stretch marks. I kept trying to convince her that if she moved down just a teeny tiny bit there would be more room for her -- her brothers have already stretched that part of my abdomen beyond repair. Apparently she wants to be a little trailblazer...

3. We have a name? I say that with uncertainty more than declaration because we aren't 100% positive. Right now we are unpacking the name, trying on all the variations, seeing if it fits. After we've had time to wear the new off a little and to make sure it's perfect then we'll tell.

4. We have chosen a nursery. Declaration! It's from babiesrus...the first one we looked at.

5. I'm nesting? Back to questions... I never did this with the boys and I "think" it's too early to do with LM but I'm there nonetheless. So either it's nesting or I'm crazy. Don't vote on which you think it is...

6. I can't clean the bathtub any more. I can't tie shoes any more. I can barely get things off the floor any more. I still have 10 weeks to go. It's gonna be a long 10 weeks.

7. Jack told me this morning, "Mom, I wanna be one of Jesus's Christians. What's a Christian?" After my first try at explaining this (Jesus comes into your heart), Jack said, "Jesus is in my heart. He came down from Heaven and we had a sleepover...except he was in my body." I had to try that explanation again... Apparently I didn't do a satisfactory job -- he then told me "I'll just tell dad when he gets home." Fail...

8. Sam and I are still at odds with the diaper situation. On the upside, I'm considering opening my own carpet cleaning business. I have experience now...and most of my house is tile. He can't help it that he has his favorite "spots" if you know what I mean...

Sometimes I do not feel capable to raise my childeren

First of all, this is Luke writing---which should explain the poor grammar---I just had to share an interesting experience.

So I finished up reading Jack his bedtime story and told him that tomorrow we would be reading "Jesus feeds 5,000." Jack, being is typical inquisitive self, asked 5,000. I proceeded to explain that it meant 5,000 men and that if our family had been there only I would have been counted--even though Jesus would have also fed Mommy, Sam and him. Jack then added "and Ginger (our dog), too".

I paused and said "I dunno...I guess he would have fed Ginger."

To which Jack responded, "DAADDD, 'even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table'."

That is right my 4 year old son, just corrected me---citing scripture (Mathew 4:27).

Toilets, tushies, and timing

**** WARNING!!! THIS POST TALKS ABOUT POOP. DON'T WANNA READ ABOUT POOP? SKIP THIS POST!!****




(I love how I mention "poop" twice in the warning...hope you weren't trying to actually avoid it!) Tonight I've cleaned urine and poop (two different times) leading me to wonder if in this circumstance people would still think it's abuse to staple my son's diaper to his boo-heiney. (disclaimer -- not actually considering this, crazy fools...) Here is where we stand. I do NOT want to potty-train Sam, at least not yet. He is young by any standard and especially young for a boy at only 21 months. Sam however HAS decided that diapers are yesterday's garbage (pun totally intended). This morning he quietly ducked into the downstairs bathroom, removed his poopie diaper, wiped himself spotlessly clean (amazingly clean actually), pulled his pajama bottoms up and continued on about his morning. Only when I gave him a hug while preparing breakfast did I realize he was sans-diaper. After a fretful search of the house I discovered he had delicately placed the diaper, wrapped up, in the trash can. WHAT??!!!??? Who does that? Having kept the training potty out I pulled out the potty book today thinking if Sam understands enough of the act to accomplish this morning's stunt perhaps a reading or two while on the new seat would encourage more. Throughout the day Sam would pull off his diaper, run to the bathroom and...do absolutely nothing. Not disappointed I let the act continue hoping to preempt the next attempt or at least catch him in the act. NOPE. After dinner today, he let 'er rip...quite literally, leaving me to clean the carpet not once, not twice but thrice (love using thrice...). Add to this his latest fad of stripping his diaper from his bum, running around au naturale only to bring me a diaper when it's "time". I'm stumped. I can't keep a diaper on the kid; he can pull his own pants down, remove his diaper and clean himself. I obviously can't let him run around the house bare-booty leaving Sammy-piles in his wake. I also can't imagine it's a good idea to continue the habit of bringing mom a diaper when the mood strikes, so to speak -- that can't instill good habits. I have no idea what to do. Ideas? Suggestions? Funny stories to make me feel better???

Some words to make a picture

This past Sunday our pastor and a small group of his colleagues engaged in a round-table type discussion on the modern day slave trade/sex trafficking. For those not familiar with Alex or who might like to hear the discussion I am sure you can catch a podcast of Sunday's talk on Kingsland's website. Discussions on world issues often leave me feeling a bit like I'm drowning; faced with problems of such enormous scale I struggle to wrap my very finite brain around them much less am able to work toward any sort of viable action on my part. In particular Alex and his cohorts did an excellent job of identifying the problem and then very specifically outlining potential action steps for us "regular" folk (my words, certainly not theirs). It is, however, far too easy for me when faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of even understanding world tragedies such as slave trade to dismiss them after a few days time -- often because it's too much for me to grasp.

If pictures are worth thousands of words how do we communicate dire needs if no pictures exist? This conundrum sprang to life on Sunday -- how do you adequately describe the idea of a modern day slave trade to an audience full of suburbanites?? There simply aren't pictures to show -- not really -- especially none that the average church-goer would deem "appropriate" for Sunday morning. The only option is then to provide words, thousands upon thousands of them. That's where this post comes in...

Two years ago (almost three now...) a bright student named Katherine laid a book on my desk; it was a gift, something she thought I might enjoy. The book is entitled Escape from Slavery by Francis Bok. Like any overworked, underpaid English teacher with stacks upon stacks of essays to read/grade, I set the book aside with no real intention of ever picking it up again except to move it into my storage cabinet at the end of the year. Oddly enough not long after receiving the book I actually found myseld with time to spare (only at work...) and nothing to do; I decided to pick up the book. I was mesmerized and horrified by what I read -- by the pictures created in my mind's eye. Escape from Slavery is a memoir so to speak, of Francis Bok's 10 years in captivity as a modern day slave and then his overly difficult struggle to make his way to America -- and to freedom.

Rather than struggle with the concept of modern day slavery I felt as if I had witnessed it all and began to struggle with the necessary actions. I have spent the past two years finding myself never able to "let this one go" -- and was therefore thrilled to see some suggested steps laid before me on Sunday. But I have to say I'm not certain if I would have been so keen on action if I hadn't first read the book -- I don't know if I would have been able to take quite as seriously the situation (despite learning that I10 is THE corridor for human trafficking in the US -- and it's only a short 2 miles -- maybe -- from my front door) if I hadn't seen the situation through a freed man's words.

I know we're busy; it is so easy to get wrapped up in pre-school and doctor's appointments, in church functions and family gatherings, to get lost in the immediacy and the NOW of our daily lives. BUT...pick up the book -- you may have to dig for a copy, if you can't find one let me know and I'll loan you mine -- read the struggle and let Bok's words create a picture for you -- a real, honest, gruesome picture of what the modern day slave trade looks like. And then decide to do something, anything for the millions, literally, of people trapped in a world that is more horrific than anything we could ever imagine.

I like what Alex said as he ended his talk...(paraphrased) surely the body of Christ isn't too busy to devote a passionate and earnest prayer for these...they deserve this at least

Posts in Progress

Is it obvious from my lack of posts that this third pregnancy is pushing my brain to its limits?? Actually between running after two very active little boys, growing one little girl and trying to remember to occasionally take a shower I've been terrible about even remembering this blog-thing exists. BUT...I forced myself to sit down today and began working on two different posts -- one with a book recommendation after Sunday's sermon on the modern day slave trade/sex trafficking and one on thorns. Neither is complete but at least you know there is more coming. And if I don't make a decision soon I may have to ask for opinions on baby bedding...