I don't think that...

...I will ever get sick of taking, looking at or posting pictures of my children.

My brother and I were talking on the phone the other day. He filled me in on all the new and current events going on in his 20 year old life. He had a number of things to tell me about, updates to give me, etc. Then he asked what was new with me.

At first I just said, "Oh, not much. Just the same old stuff." I told him that as a stay at home mom my ongoings and updates might not be that exciting to him.

I then let him have it anyway.

Told him how Kellen is driving me crazy with the toilet because he wants to stand to pee now. (Yes, I encouraged this and am regretting it now. What is so wrong with boys sitting to pee?) Though he has bladder control, knows when he needs to go potty, is out of pull-ups even at nap and night time, and can get his shorts up and down mostly on his own...he Cannot get all of the pee into the toilet. I swear I have to mop 3 times a week. Teaching a barely 2 year old to lift the lid every time and "aim" into the potty....not easy. I'm starting to think it may even be impossible.

Told him that Makenna had either been growling or making high pitched "whale" noises all day long that were driving me crazy.

Kellen is constantly asking me for candy and fruit snacks for breakfast and has a melt down almost daily when I tell him no.

Conner is just cute and cuddly. He is still at the age of not being able to do any harm or drive me insane at all.

Makenna has decided she wants to drink Slim Fast shakes for breakfast in the morning like her mom, and there is NO way I am going to do that (for $ and principle reasons). I am occasionally letting her have pediasure for breakfast, but those are pricey too.

I told David how bossy Makenna is with Kellen and that I worry that he is going to grow up to be a man that wants a bossy, overbearing wife since that is what he is used to dealing with now. I told him how Makenna TOTALLY manipulates Kellen. Sometimes he catches on and resists it. Sometimes I interfere. Sometime it is just funny and you just have to sit back and laugh.

Ex: We were at lunch the other day and the kids each got their own kids quesadilla. Each quesadilla came with a small strawberry. Makenna quickly scarfed her strawberry down and then started eyeing Kellen's strawberry. She asked him if he was going to eat it and he responded "I don't know." She waited a minute and asked again. He still told her "I don't know." She tried a third time "Bud bud, are you going to eat your strawberry?" Still, "I Don't Know!"

So then she says "Kellen, that's a little bit spicy. Those are spicy, huh bud bud?"

Kellen: "Yeah?"

Makenna: "Yeah. Do you want me to eat that for you bud bud?" (almost as if she is doing him a favor by being willing to eat is spicy strawberry for him)

Kellen: handing over his strawberry "yeah sissy"

Makenna: "Okay Kellen, I will eat it for you."

My life can sometime be a bit of a broken record. Wake up, feed, cloth, errands, clean, play, feed again, clean more, play, feed again, play, bathe, clothe, books, teeth, songs, bed...wake up and do it all over again. I may not have "new" and "exciting" big moments or things to share and give update on. My blog posts may seem like I am just posting the same things over and over again. But what I do have are days full of love, smiles, lots of laughter, cute faces, little chubby fingers and cheeks, silly games, innocence, sweetness and more love. Yes, of course this is all intermingled with screaming, fighting children, time-outs, cleaning up pee covered toilets and floors, counting to 3, repeating myself more times than I can count, asking people to stop singing like whales or I might go crazy, tantrums, complaining, messes, etc. But at the end of the night, when my kids are tucked snuggly in bed, when I know that they are happy and loved and are looking peaceful with their mouths agape and all tucked under their covers, what I remember are the laughs, the smiles, the love. My hands may be full. My life may be "uneventful", but I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING in this world!

I'm so glad my children know how to not take themselves too seriously :)

This is hands down one of the highlights of every day...that big smile you get when you walk in to greet a baby that has just woken up from his nap. Makes you feel so special to see how happy they are to see you!

Mine!

Makenna may no longer be the lone thumb sucker. I am actually grateful in a way to see this right now. It makes life easier and it is Soooo darn cute. But I know I will be complaining 2 years from now. Oh well, what can you do?