Happy 6th birthday, Nick

The birthday party

We had Nick's 6th birthday party at a health club.  Nick invited 4 boys and they went swimming.  I rented the party room and fed the boys lunch and then they were off to swim.  Nick had a really good time.  The picture above is of Nick getting ready to blow out his candles and big brother making sure he didn't until we were done singing Happy Birthday.  

Oh wait Nick........maybe big broher will get to blow them out before you do.

Whew......Nick got to blow them out.

Did you notice the adorable Turtle cake Nick had?  My mom made it for him.  We loved it. 

Grandpa John made Nick a dump truck. 

Kisses from Aunt Mimi

The group.  Don't you just love Lauren down in front?  She could have cared less that she was the only girl at Nick's party.  She can hang with the boys just like the boys! 

More pictures to follow tomorrow......it's hard to believe Nick will be 6!

14 years

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary.  I look at the above picture and I think......Wow, Mike and I were so young.  I was 23 (almost 24) and Mike was 25.  Fast forward 14 years and we have two boys, a morgage, full time jobs and sometimes the stress level in our house can get really high but as lame and mushy as it sounds Mike is still that 25 year old boy I married back in 1998!  And I'm still that 23 year old girl.  We have some extra poundage, hair loss (that's all Mike, ha) and wrinkles but one thing that has remained constant amongst the weight gains, hair loss, stress levels and wrinkles is our love for each other and the laughter in our house.  My mom has always said she thinks we bring the best out in each other (thanks Mom) and I believe that is true.  So what have I learned in 14 years?  Compromise is huge, keep talking and make lots of time for.........Okay, I'll end right there but hey, I'm just saying. 

Fishing Derby

In thinking about the fishing derby this year I believe this was Jay's 4th derby and the biggest one yet.....literally.  Check out his huge catch!  I did not bring my camera to the derby this year because the boys never catch anything.  Well this year they caught the mother load.  Figures!  Even Nick caught a little blue gill.  And Mike caught several fish too.  Jay brought his big fish home and we had it for supper.  It was quite delightful. 

Mike getting ready to fillet Jay's fish. 

The boys getting the fryer ready.

Mike preparing the fish batter.  It was entire process from the filleting to the fryer to the batter!  But that fish was good!  We all enjoyed eating the fish Jay caught.  It was such a fun day!

The girl

Remember a few weeks ago when I blogged that Jay wouldn't tell me the name of his friend that just happens to be a girl because he said I would blog about it?  Does my son know me or what?  But seriously how could I resist?  This blog is no different from the blog I posted yesterday with Jay and his friends.  It's just that this particular blog includes a girl.   Jay and this girl are nothing more than friends.  They are in 4th grade for pete sakes!  As his mother it has warmed my heart to see him spend time with this girl because it has shown me he can make friends with other people who aren't just boys!  Ha.  It does help that she likes the same things as Jay - hence the picture of the turtle and fish they caught together.  They take bike rides together and walk their dogs.  And little does Jay know but it's only just begun.

Fun at froggie island

The Lord knew I needed a day like I had yesterday.  The weather was beautiful, my boys were happy and there was no major fire I had to put out.  While the boys are at school I work like a crazy woman to get all my work done so when they get home from school we can relax.  Because I am home with them after school our house has started to become a good "stomping ground" for friends - especially Jay's since he's older.  This is a good thing!  I enjoy getting to know Jay and Nick's friends (along with their parents) and when they are at my house I know exactly what they are up to.  Hee, hee!   On nice days the boys like to go to froggie island.  It's an area around our lake that is filled with........Yup, you guessed it, FROGS.  They have also been known to catch turtles, fish and check out the big find below, craw-dad! 

Check out Jay's shirt.  Somehow I get his clothes clean every night.  I have a high efficiency washer that has a sanitize cycle.  It is a 2 hour cycle and it does wonders to mud! 

Here's my Copper girl!  She is just one of the boys!

This might be my favorite picture.  The boys all headed home with their fishing nets and buckets.......happy from playing in the water and mud!

The big find........a craw-dad!  Nick found it and Jay's friend caught it.

All the boys & Copper putting their "finds" in a bucket.  Jay likes to admire them for 24 hours and then he puts them back in the lake.

The crew!

A glimpse of froggie island. 

How life is funny like that

Lately I have felt like I'm drowning as a parent.  The best way I can describe it is like a person lost at sea.  They think they see someone coming to rescue them and they get a burst of energy only to realize it wasn't a rescuer but a shark who has come to make their journey more challenging.  It's just been down right hard lately and just when I think things have calmed down and resolved another issue pops up.  Parenting is an all consuming 24/7 job and I gotta tell ya........it really pissed me of the other day when that crazy woman acted like Ann Romney had no voice about finances because she had never worked a day in her life.  Really - what do you call raising 5 sons?  I work a full time job and since I started working out of my home my presence here is more constant and I've realized how important that is, especially as my boys age.  That being said..........I worked in an office for 16 years and made a 35 minute commute one way each and every day and I certainly don't think I was less of a parent or that my kids suffered because of it.  What am I trying to get it?  Can't all of us mothers just get along and realize we are all trying to do the best jobs we can do, whether we work outside the home or not? 
On a funny note.  My boys got covered in head to toe mud today from four wheeling - big surprise.  My mom came out,  laughed and said........did you ever think, Amy?  We had a laugh together and I told her that if you would have told me when I was a senior in high school I would one day live out in the boonies with two boys - covered in head to toe mud on nearly a daily basis - I would have told you, you were crazy.  After all when I was a senior I was sure I'd be a city girl for life and have two little girls to raise.  Now that is how life is funny like that and I am sure glad things worked out the way they did for me.

Got Dirt

Look closely.  Does Copper look a bit lighter?  It's because the boys played chase with her in their trails and because it's been so dry here lately it's a big dusty, dirty mess.  Notice how dirt is even coming out of Nick's nose.  Welcome to my life with two boys and their dog.  I wouldn't trade them but I'd trade the dirt.  Ha. 

The four wheeling truth

Mike and I had set some school goals for Jay back in August.  Jay struggles in school and despite that, he tries really hard and his hard work has paid off.  But we knew fourth grade would be hard so we wanted to keep him motivated.  As long as he kept up with his work, continued to read nightly, along with some other goals we set out to get him a new four wheeler.  We set up an account and Jay watched the money grow.  Financially it was a good lesson for him because he learned you don't just go out and buy something like that.  Despite all those positive things I was still a little let's say embarassed my 10 year old had such an expensive "toy."  I mean really.  Sure he earned it but again he's only 10.  It just made me a bit uncomfortable.  However, I've softened towards the four wheeler in the last week for several reasons but the biggest reason I've grown to love the four wheeler is the time I spend on it with Jay.  He's so preteen right now and sharing information (with me anyway) has never been one of Jay's strong points.  But I get on that four wheeler with him and he actually chats with me.  He can get me to laugh and I can get him to laugh.  I can actually relax, not lecture him or worry about keeping track of him.  Tonight he took me on a ride through a gorgeous wooded area in our subdivision.  A few times I even got him to smile.  Now that is priceless. 

Happy Easter

We had a delightful Easter this year.  My family went to church together on a beautiful, glorious morning.  Later Mike's parents, my mom, Kim and her family and her in-laws came over for lunch.  It was so nice to spend the day with family and enjoy the weather and celebrate the reason for Easter - Christ has Risen!

My boys are becoming quite the photographers.  Jay took the picture of Nick and I and Nick took the picture of Jay and I.

The four munchkins!  They loved hunting for eggs this year and we discovered Lukie loves the trampoline - static hair and all!

Another photo shot by Nick!  Thanks Buddy!

 

The cutest bunny of them all - Lauren!

This was a rare photo op of Lauren and Mike.  Bless my niece's heart.  She cuddled right up to Mike so of course I had to take a picture. 

The Laundry situation

Many days I feel that when I speak Jay only hears nonsense words.  You know like Charlie Brown's teacher?  Jay's laundry is a perfect example.  Here's I work the laundry in my house.  I wash it and fold it and even take it to Jay's room.  All that is required of both boys is to put their laundry away.  Since Nick is 5 (almost 6) I do give him a gentle reminder to put his clothes away and he does.  But since Jay is 10 I'm kind of done giving him reminders.  To me it's simple........see clean laundry on your bed = put it away!  What I've starting doing in the last month is stopped talking and started taking action.  When I put laundry on Jay's bed and if he hasn't put it away by the next day he loses it.  He can earn it back by simply putting his laundry away the next time.  But guess what, he loses it every time. See the laundry I've collected (above)?  The sad thing is he hasn't even noticed.  The other day I took laundry right from his room and walked right by him as I did it.  He was completely oblivious to it.  I always say that Jay is so much like Mike and he is except in this regard.  He has so many characteristics of me at his age.  My mom would walk into my room and my closet and nearly gasp!  I simply didn't care about how I treated my clothes but I sure cared about how I looked so my battle with Jay may be more difficult to win.  He'd run around in a loin cloth, if needed.  Being that Jay usually has to learn things the hard way there is one piece of clothing that would really "wake him up."  It's a 4-H shirt with a big chicken on it!  And trust me folks.............if Jay doesn't start putting away his laundry the only thing that is going to be left in his closet is his 4-H chicken shirt! 

Deep thoughts....according to Nick

I am loving it that Nick has so many questions about God!  He is loving it because his latest question has everyone stumped..............If God made Jesus, who made God?  Good one, Nick, good one!
Then tonight he was running the water and quickly shut it off and remarked............I'm saving the earth!  Then he immediately remembered that not only could he save the earth by shutting off the water but shutting off the lights as well.  Needless to say that instead of reading, we made up stories in the dark tonight. 
Way to do your part Nicholas John.

Broken

I have two very active boys and things just happen but lately they have been happening more and more.  Things are getting broken all the time.  Let me start with just a short list.  The boys were bouncing a ball in the foyer (which they aren't suppose to do) when they chipped the light in the foyer.  We have hanging lights above our dining room table that again got subjected to a bouncing ball.  Instead of having 5 hanging lights, we now have 4.  Our living room furniture is completely trashed.  It is torn and the stuffing is coming out it.  And that is the short list. 
Mike and I are constantly tripping over shoes, toys, and yes balls too.  You literally can't walk 20 feet in my house without tripping over something my kidshave just left laying around or finding something they have broken.  It's funny how as a family you come full circle.  I find that things are going nicely........for awhile and then my kids decide to "add some flare" and suddenly things aren't running smoothly anymore so we have to meet as a family and re-establish the rules and boundries.  It's like the blog post I wrote over a year ago........The calm before the storm.  Every family goes through calmness........some less than others and Yes, I'm specifically referring to my family and then the storm hits.  The good thing is I hope we are teaching the boys good communication skills and I'm so glad I have the Lord on my side.  I am on my knees praying a lot lately, asking for forgiveness because I know I'm making a million mistakes and thanking Him for the confidence He must have in me.......after all I'm raising Jay and Nick, ya know?