Last Christmas, Reed got a 4 wheeler for Christmas (I know- very dangerous…) and he has thoroughly enjoyed using it. He will ride in down the logging trail by my house and just have fun going really fast. He always wears a helmet and I trust him completely on it.

Friday night during that rain storm we had a big (50 foot long) limb fall out of one of the pine trees in our yard. Tim decided that the best way to get it out of our yard was to enlist the help of my two boys. I had to take a picture because only boys could have this much fun removing sticks out of the yard. Ryan started whining when we were out of big sticks to take into the woods. How many of you have had that problem while trying to get your kids to clean up the yard? I have included pictures for all of you to see!

  Ryan pulling his sticks behind him, isn’t that cute?

 Reed pulling his log behind him, he would go all around the yard pulling the stick behind him. Was it safe, I don’t know. Did he have fun- YES!! Did we get the yard cleaned up, yes.

(2:42pm) Well, the two little ones are napping and I have a few minutes alone to sit- it is a good feeling. I often check my email and blogs while standing at the kitchen counter while the kids are eating or playing, but today I am sitting on the couch, in the living room- just sitting. VERY STRANGE for me to do. I know that many working men and women that have never been stay-at-home moms think that stay-at -home moms sit around all day and do nothing, but that is far from the truth. Even if we are home and I am not accomplishing something (cleaning toilets, doing laundry, etc.) I am always standing up, going shopping or doing something- it is not a quiet, peaceful job. I have not wanted to go to work since I have had children- I love being with them and I don’t want to miss a single milestone, but quiet, alone time does not happen very often. Well, it is over- the fun has begun again! (2:45 pm)

Yesterday, October 17th, was Ryan’s third birthday. I can’t believe that he is three years old- I no longer have a baby in my house. He has had a great year- he has gotten to go to Disney World, the beach, Wild Water and Wheels and see Thomas the Train, not bad for a three year old. He is completely potty trained- doesn’t even wear a pull up to bed. He sleeps in a big boy bed and is starting to talk pretty well. He will be starting Speech Classes next week to help improve his speech, but at least he is trying to talk now. He loves his big sister Addie- he calls her pee-pee, trying to say sissy. He can kind of say Addie, but he prefers pee-pee. He calls Reed, bubby, and wants to be like him. He has started calling their room the “boy room” and when I asked him how old he was yesterday day, he said “high like bubby”, which I translated as “I am a big boy like bubby.” Ryan is a sweet child and gives the best kisses of anyone I know. He is quite stingy with his kisses, but if you get his loving- you are in for a treat. His kisses are very tender and soft, I cherish each and everyone I get. He has gotten some Thomas the Train stuff for his birthday and got to go to the park yesterday with some friends and have cupcakes. Happy Birthday, Ryan- I love you! 

Our family had great weekend. Friday night we had a soccer game which was fun, even though we lost again. Saturday morning we had two soccer games, which of course we lost, but we had fun. Then we went to lynches River State Park for the Fall Frenzy. The kids had a blast. The got to hold snakes, walk on a suspended bridge high up in the trees, jump on inflatables and play on the playground. We also got to build things out of recycled materials and watch a backhoe dig a huge hole in the softball field. It was a lot of fun. Then Sunday we woke up and went to see Thomas the Train in Spencer NC. That is a really nice train museum. We saw Thomas in Maggie Valley when Reed was three, but this place was great. They had Bob the Builder singing, tattoos, bubbles, a Thomas the Train inflatable, slides, and of course- THOMAS THE TRAIN!! Ryan loved it. He kept saying “Big Tom-a,” and compared to his little 3 inch Thomas, it was a big train. He loved it. Reed and Addie were to old to really like it themselves- but they liked going to see Ryan so happy. They kept hugging him, telling him Happy Birthday,asking him “Do you see Thomas?” and just catering to a thing that he really loves. The temperature was great- it was 80 degree’s and sunny. I loved that Gina, JD and Michael could go with us. The cutest thing was JD looking at “awesome Tom” and wanting Ryan to see it. Every tattoo or flyer that JD got about Thomas he wanted to get one for Ryan. Ryan and JD are best buddies- it is so cool that they have cousins that are so close in age and live nearby.  It was a great weekend!

Throwing a question out for anyone- I got a Fisher Price ride on Truck for Ryan for his birthday. I got it at the Salvation Army. It runs- but it only runs very slowly, even with a charged battery. Does anyone know how to fix little trucks or tell me what I can do to fix it?

My son, Ryan, loves to watch Max and Ruby or “Ma and OOO-EE” as he calls it. That is an improvement, at least I know what he is saying now. The funny thing about this show is that from the time that Ryan was little, maybe 6 months old, people have said that he gives that devilish green like Max does and what is funnier, is that Max doesn’t talk much and neither does Ryan. Max would say about 3 words the whole show- just like Ryan has about 3 words a day that you might understand. We don’t know when Ryan will start his speech therapy, but I really don’t know how they are going to get him to cooperate and teach him anything because if he doesn’t want to do something- he won’t. I can’t wait for him to talk. I have been watching him and JD develop and JD is 11 months younger than Ryan and he says and communicates very clearly. Ryan will get his point across- but not by talking. Maybe it is MY fault because he is my youngest and I have talked for him. Or maybe it is Reed and Addie’s fault because they talk for him (even though I am sure it isn’t because they are perfect- HAHA). But, I can’t wait for him to start having discussions so I can’t figure out what he is thinking all the time. He is a smart boy- but talking is not coming easy for him. He just started saying he was “2 and half”  about a month ago and he will turn 3 in 2 weeks. Hopefully, he can start saying that. When I find out about his speech, I will let you know.

Okay, so after the doctors visit yesterday, Dr. Ed recommended that Addie and Reed get there tonsils taken out because of the reoccurring strep and the super red and swollen throats. My question for all of you out there- should I do it? What are the pros and cons of getting their throats cut up? How long will it take for them to get better? Will they never get another sore throat or just not strep? How dangerous is the surgery? Anybody have any answers?

The first day of fall was last week and along with that comes sickness. For years we have dealt with Reeds asthma flaring up this time of year which would lead to Bronchitis and Pneumonia- this year seems to be Strep Throat. Addie got sick Thursday night and last night Reed got the fever. I keep taking Ryan’s fever because I just keep waiting for him to get sick as well. I wish they would all get sick around the same time. Dr. Ed said we probably need to get their tonsils out since it is the fourth time in 4 months that Addie has gotten Strep. Watch the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor make me get them done at different times. I just love spending days on end stuck at home. Addie was even going crazy yesterday, she kept saying “Dr. Ed said two days, two days staying home- this is the third day.” It reminded me of when she was a baby and she hung on the door knob saying “leave mommy, go… friends.”  It is funny that I have kids that like to go as much as I do. I guess it is good they like it, since we will be going places. Ryan went to a Halloween party when he was 10 days old, and after Addie had stayed home for 48 hours, we left yesterday and went to the park. Of course, after we drove all the way to Lynches River State Park is when Reed started getting a fever- I hope that we didn’t get anyone else sick. So anyway, if you get bored today, drop me an email or a comment on my blog- since I won’t have any adult contact today- unless you count going crazy at the doctors office with all the germs and sick people.

Being a mom has many taught me many things, such as patience and love like I never knew existed. I never thought that It would take 20 minutes to get inside a store or school or church from a parking spot right outside the door- but it does. At times, it is frustrating, but today, it was nice to stop and look at the earthworm with the kids and help to rescue the worm. Another thing that I am so grateful for is my daughter. I remember in college my mom calling me and asking me where stuff was in the house and telling me that I was a go-getter as a little kid and I did not really understand what she was talking about. I so do know. My Addie is my right hand, she helps me all the time without asking and just “does” stuff to help, it really must be in the female blood. Guys (boys) will do anything that you ask and really don’t mind helping, but they can’t multi-task and have to be told. Addie- does not. She will help clean off the table if I am doing it, she just “jumps” in whenever a need arises. Yesterday, I was hammering in the garage and really hit my finger hard. She asked if I was alright, ran inside and made me some ice and told to “just cry mommy, just cry.” My boys have never done that and probably never will. Today at Schlotsky’s she made all of our drinks, got the food, got us napkins, caught the napkins as they flew away, got our to-go box, and was such a help.  Then when it was time to go she cleared off the table, got Ryan into the car and never stopped talking the whole time- 100% female! Then to top it off, Thursday Addie has a hair appointment to get her hair cut, washed and styled. Her beautician has been out sick so she is overdue a hair cut and has been asking for about a month when she will get another one. She sits up there and lets Paula cut her hair and wash it- she loves it. I was a never a girly’girl growing up- but I love having my daughter who is and wears her “pretty” dresses everyday. Her teacher even commented to me the other day that her and Mrs. Cox always look forward to seeing Addie walk in to see what she will wear and wonder how a 4 year keeps her clothes so clean. Anyway, I will end with this, I love my Addie and am thankful that the Lord gave her to me to raise- I just hope that I don’t mess up.

P.S. I love my boys as well, nobody gives a hug as good as a boy gives to his mommy and at the rate my boys are growing, they will be able to pick me up in a couple of years.

Okay, so Erika told me a snake had been spotted near her house in the middle of the city; and a couple of weeks ago Mr. Huntley (my neighbor) found a diamond back snake in his yard, but I haven’t been lucky enough to find one in my yard yet. That was until last night. I got home around 7pm and decided I would finish cutting the grass and let the two little kids ride their bikes in the yard. I go and close the front gate, walk through the garage and on the floor of the garage is a snake. I scream, look down and this snake is about 6 inches long and no more that 3 centimeters in diameter- it was a big worm. The only reason I knew it was a snake and not a worm was because it had a triangle shaped head. So I yell for Addie to go get Mr. Huntley but they didn’t hear the door bell, so I called my dad to come down and “save the day”. I don’t know why I didn’t kill it myself, I guess I was scared it would bite me and there was a bigger one sliding around in the garage that could eat me whole. So we searched the garage, didn’t find a bigger one and called it a day. I feel like a big wimp, but they give me the heeby-jeebies. I literally stood outside the garage and watched it until my dad got there. If I had been a good mom, I would have captured it and allowed the kids to keep it- but I am not, and they are not having a snake- YUCK! EEEEK! NO WAY! So needless to say, the grass did not get finished, the kids did not get a bath and they only got two books before bed. Hopefully, I have now met my quota for snakes this year and I won’t see another one. I have seen one a year since we have moved in, so I hope that I am done for a while. If it had been any bigger, I would be wanting a dog again, but worm-sized snakes don’t make me want a dog.