My Little Men

I have the best little babies! I'm looking at them & I am just amazed that these wonderful little boys are mine. They are all so unique. They all look very similar but their personalities are so different. They have all been super babies. Now as they grow older their own personalities are coming out more & more.
Eli is kind & gentle. He is strong & protective. He knows just how to take care of his brothers. He's never mean to Joshua & he knows exactly how careful he has to be with Jacob. He remembers everything & always knows the best way to do what he's doing. He is also somewhat headstrong & definately a first born. He is so smart & very inquisitive.
Joshua is thoughtful & very smart. He loves to work with tools & figure things out. He loves to help me with any number of things. He's extremely headstrong & relentless & he forgets nothing, especially if it has to do with him getting to do something. He has an angel smile & when he's up to something he curls his nose.
Jacob is still so young but he has a wonderful personality. He loves to be talked to & cooed at. He loves being held & cuddled. He doesn't mind laying in the floor on a blanket & playing with his rattle. He adores his brothers. They are the funniest things in the world to him. He is a chubby little butterball & he sleeps best when he's next to me.



Anyway, that is what I've been thinking about today. I am an extremely lucky mommy. I have been blessed beyond words 3 times. They take my breath away every single day & I love them with all my heart!

Getting Ready

Well, now is the time of year that Kevin starts saying stuff like "If we don't get started with Christmas shopping we'll have it all to do at the last minute". For some reason, this year I have NO IDEA what anyone is getting for Christmas! Usually I at least have an idea. I am so unprepared and I have so much to do! We are going on a short vacation in 4 weeks so I may save some shopping for Gatlinburg. That's a nice place to get gifts! For the boys, I'm at a loss because they couldn't possibly need anything less than they need toys but what fun is Christmas morning without toys?? I don't know, I'm sure something will come up, hopefully soon!

I love this time of year though. It's starting to be crisp outside. I would much rather be cold than hot. None of my boys sleep with blankets. I, on the other hand love to be cuddled down under a couple blankets in a cool room. It's hard to have a cool room when all the boys are either in undies or diapers...yes this includes Jacob. He is the worst cover kicker that I have! He's so funny. He will squirm & kick until he gets the covers completely off but he just continues to snooze!






We took the boys to the fall festival at church Saturday night. Eli dressed as Indiana Jones, complete with "snap" or whip to you that don't know the lingo. Joshua was Woody from Toy Story complete with a horse to "ride". His legs were the horse's back legs. Jacob was dressed as a dalmation. He was less than thrilled with the evening but Eli & Joshua had the time of their lives. They had a huge slide & they both loved it. Then they did the whole Trunk or Treat thing. We have been juiced up on sugar all week. They had a great time & it was so fun to watch them. Joshua isn't in the least bit shy but Eli is painfully, but now at church he's starting to loosen up a little & be more outgoing. He's alot like me, kind of quiet & reserved.

Anyway, that's what's been going on. Getting ready for Christmas & vacation & all of that.....

Patience

I always thought that I was a relatively patient sort of person. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't love waiting or anything like that but patient as in with people. I know that I should have the most patience with my boys. After all, I adore them. Some days though, it seems like I am constantly griping at them, either to pick up their toys or don't wake up the baby, don't climb up there or get out of that stuff!Of course, the griping does nothing but make me more nervous. It sure doesn't get them to listen.

I watch the Duggar's. They are a family from Arkansas that have 17 children & 1 on the way & the mother is so calm & collected all the time. Of course, it's edited for TV but I really can't imagine her raising her voice. The funny thing is that her children listen to her even when she DOESN'T yell at them. She doesn't follow them around begging them to help clean up a mess they made because they automatically clean up the mess. That's what they've been raised to do.

I wonder, sometimes, how I got so very far away from the calm person that I used to be. I am not a loud or boisterous person by any stretch of the imagination. I am reserved, quiet & pretty shy to be honest. I think that my boys have found me to be a fairly easy mark as far as getting their way. They seem to have decided (probably together) that if they push me just enough I will give in. I think that if I were more calm & more firm maybe, just maybe they would listen. I realize that we train our children to mind & cooperate. I'm not saying that my boys don't ever listen or don't ever mind because they do. I'm actually very fortunate to have really kind little boys that love to please me & do what I ask. The problem is with me. I have to learn to be calm & firm at the same time. I sure don't want to turn into some tyrant of a parent that they don't respect & don't want to be around. I'm not really the tyrant type & I want nothing more than to be with my family!

Anyway, that is what I have been thinking about for a couple of days & I like being able to get it out! Maybe this will encourage me to work on myself!!

Mommyhood

Hmm, what can I say about motherhood? It is the best thing I've ever done. It is also the hardest thing I've ever done.

I knew my whole life that I wanted babies. As a small child up until I was probably too old I had baby dolls. These baby dolls were my children. My sister & I took trips with our babies without ever leaving our room. We pretended to have homes & husbands & countless children. These are wonderful memories that I have.

As I got older I had little brothers & they became my babies & I adored them then as much as I do now. I was 9 when David was born & almost 12 when Jesse was born. I thought I was completely grown up.

Then came years of babysitting. I babysat all the time. I babysat babies, toddlers, little boys & girls & some that weren't so little. I loved that, too. I loved these kids, usually.

Years went by and I always longed for babies of my own. I was 27 when Eli was born. Wow! What an amazing time in my life. He was a perfect baby. He didn't fuss or fight. He was just my little angel. He still is, he's just more opinionated now! Joshua was next, when Eli was 18 months old. He was much the same as Eli as a baby. He was sweet & content. He is now rather "strong willed" or hardheaded. He forgets nothing & in turn I don't either, because he won't let me. Then came Jacob. Eli was almost 4 & Joshua was 2 1/2. Jacob is precious. It's still early but he doesn't fuss & he is extremely content! He smiles & "talks" to me all the time!

All of that being said, this is also such a tough job. It is so hard to see them sick or unhappy. It's frustrating when they don't listen & it is maddening when they destroy a room for no other reason than "I wanted to"!

Nothing on earth could have prepared me for this journey but there is nothing I'd rather be doing. I love my boys with all my heart, even when I'm frustrated.