Things That Make Me Smile....

This is just a simple little post of some recent pics that make me smile.  Most of them are just from our normal everyday life......

I LOVE this picture of my sweet, mischievous, independent Joseph.  He asked me to take this picture.

1 very happy, exhausted, jet lagged Daddy, 2 very excited little boys.  Matt seriously gets attacked and has 2 (okay, 3) little shadows for a few days when he returns from long work trips. 

Snuggle time.  

I never know what this kid is going to do next......  He makes me laugh everyday!  

I went to check on the boys before going to bed a couple nights ago, and this is what I saw......

...... How he managed to stay asleep like that, I don't know. 

These 2 brothers have such a deep love for each other, and want to be together all the time - even when sleeping.... 

The boys dumped out a glass of water, and laughed about making footprints and had a blast jumping in their "puddle!"   

Darren INSISTED he wasn't tired, but didn't even last 10 minutes into his movie!   

Of course, this handsome man won me over with his smile a long time ago, and I smile because I am the lucky girl that gets to spend forever with him! 

I should add that there are many other things that make me smile too, so this is just a small little sample.  :)

Introducing......

The debut performance of Darren Coleman:

Conducting and singing an excerpt from:

Beethoven's 9th Symphony, movement 4 (Ode to Joy)

Latest Project

Our kitchen chairs are gradually breaking.  So, in an effort to conserve money, we found some on Craigslist for a good deal.  However, the seats were in desperate need of being re-upholstered.  They were hideous, and covered in cat hair.  GROSS!  I've never done anything like this before, so I was a little nervous about my attempt.  I went to the fabric store and picked out some upholstery I liked (plus it was on sale for 50% off - definitely a bonus!), and some clear plastic to put over top - a necessity when small children are in the home!  Anyway, I love the new fabric, but I think it looks a bit tacky with the plastic over it.  But, I'll live with it, because I don't want to redo the seats again in a couple months!  Maybe we'll end up restaining them, too.  Who knows.  They don't match our table color, but we've talked about refinishing that, too.  We'll see what happens.  For now, here's what the "new" chairs look like:

Before....

After.....

I've also been attempting to master the art of making homemade whole wheat bread - sometimes made by milling my own flour.  Here's my latest batch (which just has regular store bought wheat flour).......

Silly Boyz!

Yesterday evening, my silly boys thought it would be funny to swap clothes.  So they did - all by themselves.  I thought it was too funny to not grab a picture.... or three! 

All proud of themselves!  If D moved at ALL, we could see his belly button.

J actually walks on his toes like that.  It makes me hurt just watching him.  And, classic D - with a car in hand.  Mid-air works for a road when you have a 4 year old imagination!  

Classic J!  Thumb in the mouth, with hand down his shirt. 

I love my boys!

A Young Patriot

I have a little patriot!  Since he's been in school, he has learned the Pledge of Allegiance, and takes every opportunity to say it.  To the degree that we will be driving somewhere, and all of a sudden he starts saying it.  Sometimes I have to look around to find the flag he's looking at.  While walking, he stops, puts his hand in the general vicinity of his heart (sometimes closer to his tummy or shoulder), and has to say it.  On 9-11, he asked why all the flags were broken and not all the way up.  I had to explain in very brief, watered down terms what happened that day.  Too many details would have been too traumatic for his imaginitive, sensitive mind.  He already seems to have a great love for our country and our planet.  I'm proud of my little boy, and the patriotism he demonstrates already.  Here's a little video clip of him saying the pledge: 

What Happened To My Baby?!

This picture was just taken yesterday - the day he was born....

......And this is how I still picture him in my mind.

 

However, today when I woke up, he suddenly looked like this.....

What happened to my baby?!  He is growing sooo fast, and learning so many new things.  At the end of August, we celebrated his 2nd birthday.  He is officially 2 in EVERY. SENSE. OF. THE. WORD.  From the tantrums and the great quest for independence in EVERYTHING, to the super fun, full of life, starting to understand things, and developing his own personality.  His vocabulary is exploding and he'll periodically say a full, complete sentence.  Some of his most frequent phrases are:  "No! By Self!"  "Hiiiiiii, Mommy!"   (to Matt) "Where's Daddy, Daddy?!"  "Where's Darren?"  "Night night (or bye bye)!  I love you!"  "I try it?!"  Some of his words are much more clear than his older brother, too.  He is a master of gross motor skills.  Anything involving running, jumping, throwing, or climbing is right up his alley!  I love this kid, and he ADORES his big brother.  In his eyes, Darren can do no wrong.  I love watching them interact with each other.

For his birthday, we went on a little family outing to the zoo.  Some good friends joined us there, and the kids all had a good time.  Later that evening, we had cake and opened presents (of course).  This time it was extra special, because Grandma Deeben was able to join us via Skype.  Here are some pics from the day's festivities.......
 

Had to get a little nap in before going to the zoo!

When we got to the zoo, some random lady approached us, and gave us some giraffe food.  They weren't out when she went there, but we had much better luck.  We saw at least 7!  Joseph ate his cracker to feed the giraffe, so Daddy got a turn. 

Darren did a great job feeding him! 

Trying to kiss a bird.  These birds were so tame, we could pet them. 

Reading his new book from G&G Downing.  He loves it! 

Here is his birthday cake.  He wanted a rocket on it, and this is what I came up with.  It is not exactly my most impressive cake, but he was fascinated with it, and that's what matters.

His very favorite gift - a Toy Story book that has buttons to push.  (I've already had to hide this book a few times in order to preserve sanity). 

Couldn't decide what to play with, so why not 3 things at once?!

Enjoying some birthday bubbles from Grandma!  Both boys LOVED how much bubbles it made at a time! 

I think my little guy had a good day.  I'm so glad that he is part of our family!  I can't believe it's already been 2 years since he was born.  Happy Birthday, my sweet little Joseph!  I love you! 

Frankentoe

WARNING:  This post contains a graphic photo.  If you are EASILY squeemish, proceed with caution!

As most moms with small children know, grocery shopping with your children can easily turn into an adventure.  My last grocery trip (3 days ago) was certainly no exception - and I only had 1 child with me!  While reading labels on spaghetti sauce, Joseph must have grabbed and dropped one, because all of a sudden my toe was in pain, and there was a jar of spaghetti sauce on it.  The top corner of the lid is what hit my foot, and my toe spared the jar.  It was undamaged.  My toe, on the otherhand, was quickly turning black.  IT HURT SOOOO BAD!!  Had it not been a crowded isle, I probably would have cried.  I quickly hobbled  to grab the remaining items on my list so I could go.  By this time, my toe was THROBBING!!  I just assumed that this would be like most other times when things get dropped on my foot.  Ya know, painful for an hour or so, and then just be done and over.  No big deal.  WRONG!!  The pain got progressively worse throughout the day, Motrin wasn't touching it, and I eventually gave in and called the doctor.  He had me go to Urgent Care, and they took xrays to ensure it wasn't broken (it's not), and then drilled 2 holes in my toenail to try and relieve the pressure.  He didn't get enough drainage to really get any relief though, so I continued to suffer.  The pain was a throbbing pain with sharp twinges of pain that shot throughout my whole body every couple of minutes or so.  There is definitely some sort of nerve damage - I no longer have sharp, shooting pains, but now half of my toe is numb.  I hope it's not permanent!! 

Now, the pain is much better (though it's still VERY tender), but it looks worse.  Yesterday, a friend commented that with how ugly/creepy it looks, I should call it Frankentoe.  It stuck.  I'm back to doing most of my daily activities (very carefully) but you can bet I will only be wearing flip flops for the next while!  Who knew that a simple, not very heavy, jar of spaghetti sauce could be such a pain?!  For anyone who may be curious, here is what Frankentoe looks like: