I'm So Proud

I'm so proud of JP. This week at school, they celebrated summer and Sept. birtthdays. JP got to make a poster of his family/favorite things to share with the class. He had fun making the poster the night before and then, the day of, he FREAKED out. He's my shy boy and he absolutely did not want to take the poster to school or have to talk in front of the class. So he went to school sobbing with serious tears running down his face, dragging the poster on the ground. So, I went to the school for the presentation and he got right up there, and gave his presentation without skipping a beat. He was also the only kid to make his poster by himself. The others were all done professionally by the moms. I was so proud of him for facing his fear. In other news, today on the way into church, B asked me, "Did you lock the car?" and without skipping a beat, JP aks, "Dad you found a hornet?" Where does he come up with the things he thinks he hears? :)

Peanut is doing so-so with potty training. He went poop today on the toilet without telling anyone all by himself. However, he also pooped in his underwear this week as well and it was so bad that I just threw out the underwear. He didn't wet his pants at church like last week. So far today, so good. It's a work in progress. I guess one of them had to be hard since the other two did it so easily.

It's been fabulous having my husband home again. But he'll be leaving again like next weekend for another conference in Vegas. Oh yippee!

Update

So, the boys were supposed to be up taking a shower and instead decided to run around my bathroom and play a game. Peanut peed in my closet!!! Potty training sucks!

Single Mom

Okay, so B had a business trip to Chicago. He left yesterday morning before the butt crack of dawn. So I had to get the kids off to school, make lunches, etc. So yesterday was fine. Today is a completely different story. I ended up grounding Bubba for the whole week before he even went off to school today. I think baby fat-fat is teething so he didn't sleep well last night. I ended up having to hold him in my bed the entire night. If I so much as went near his crib to lay him down, he would wake up and cry. So, I got no sleep. Then I heard Bubba get up at 6:30 this morning. Apparently he played the Wii, even though, we have a no Wii before school rule. I figured it was fine since he was up so early. Well, JP came in my room around 7:20 annoyed that Bubba got to play so he wanted to play before school. I made him a deal and said he could play one super fast game if he got all dressed complete with socks (since usually they forget socks). Anywho, he goes in his room to get dressed and Bubba starts arguing with him saying he's not allowed to play the Wii. I went in because JP was crying (of course), only to discover Bubba beating him up. So I said no Wii for him after school. He proceeded to throw a tanturum, which got him another day of no Wii. Then he decided to stomp around upstairs looking for socks. That got no friends, either. Then he decided to start yelling at me because I didn't wash enough of his socks (I washed all the ones in the closet; I am not responsible for finding them outside or hiding under beds). He couldn't wear long socks because he would look "dorky" and only had one clean short sock. So I told him to find a dirty one to go with it. He continued to yell at me about the stupid socks so I told him if he kept going, it was going to be the whole week. So what does he do? He looks right at me and burps! I said, "That's it, no friends, Wii, or tv for the whole week." He was still grumpy after school because he "hates" homework. He wishes school was never invented. But then we had scouts and he loves that, so he was fine. Now that he's home doing his reading and his brothers are playing Wii, he asked if he could at least play one game, and I said no, so he said, "You're mean. Dad's nicer than you." Which isn't true because he doesn't go back on his punishment either.
So the other one giving me problems today was Peanut. He wore underwear all day today. He did really well going to the store and at home this morning. Then we came home for an hour before picking the boys up from school and he went in my bathroom to play cars and decided to poop in his pants. So I cleaned him up and put clean ones on and we went and got the boys. We pull in the garage, he gets out of his carseat, stands up and pees on the floor. I cleaned him up again and the boys did homework before scouts. Then, at scouts, (I'm a leader and it was my day to conduct), he pees on the stage in the cultural hall, which is carpet by the way. So I have no clean pants for him until scouts is over and we go home.
Meanwhile, B calls me from a Cubs game because the clients they're meeting with tomorrow gave them free tickets! Must be nice. The boys are ticked because he went to a football game last Saturday without them and now he's at a Cubs game. JP played on the Cubs this year for t-ball, so they're extra annoyed. So I decided I would eat my feelings and have a king size box of Milk Duds.
I love my life!

Remembering

So we just got home from pack meeting and we watched some video clips from 9/11. They talked about freedom tonight. Still, 7 years later, it makes me a little veclempt to watch that footage. I remember where we were and all the emotions. Bubba had questions when we got home about it. I had to explain about terrorists to him. He didn't get why we were all freaked out when it was on the other side of the U.S. I had to explain how it affected the whole nation.

So in other news, JP has serious hearing issues. I'll say something and he'll repeat the most random thing back to me that he thought I said. For example, today I told him, "Think about what you want to eat." Because it was mix and match dinner night. So without skipping a beat he says, "No, I don't have to do P.E." What?!? He passed the hearing test for getting into Kindergarten last year, but I swear he's partially deaf in at least one ear. Maybe he just can't hear certain frequencies like Daddio. Although, B is deaf in his right ear for the most part from all his hunting growing up. He repeats random things to me sometimes to, but not as bad as JP.

I figured I should include some photos even though they have nothing to do with this post. There is a cute one of Cart-man in his spinny saucer thingy. One of Bubba with a wok on his head because today was his day to do dishes and we had stir-fry the other night. He said it looked like on the Indiana Jones movie #2 when they wear those hats. The other picture is a little blurry, but it's of JP with chocolate on his cheek. I don't remember why he was mad at me in the picture, but he had no idea he had food on his face. He seriously has dirt or food permanently on one cheek. It's been that way since he was 2. In all the recent camping pictures of him, he has dirt stuck to the marshmallow on his face from when they made smores the very first night! I LOVE my dirty boys.

One more fun thing. Peanut is my boy all the way. We went to Staples yesterday and normally when he goes to the store with me and it's just him, Cart-man and I, he sits in the cart the whole time. But yesterday he insisted on getting out and ran through the store shouting, "Look at this" about everything. I have an obsession with office supplies for some reason. I think it's because I like to organize stuff. He totally organizes all his cars in rows when he plays in his room and has his things just so. I guess he likes office supplies too.

Picture Day and Poopy Pants

So, unfortunately Peanut didn't start pre-school this week like we had hoped. He still won't go on the toilet 100% of the time, especially #2. Can I tell you how inconvienent and gross it is to change the poopy pull-up of a 3 1/2 yr. old?!? Baby Cart-man is rolling around and sitting up on his own now, though, he's still a little wobbly. So my sister is getting married in Feb. I'm thrilled to be helping plan things, though, they're doing the event in Utah. But I think I'm more excited to plan things than her! Tonight we're going ring shopping. Today was picture day at school and it was like the worst day of JP's life. He absolutely HATES shirts with collars. So he had a screaming fit this morning and shuffled his feet and screamed all the way down the stairs and out the door to the car. He woke up both of his younger brothers, much to my dismay. Then when he came home, I asked them how it went and he said, "I felt better after my picture." What a turkey! I swear he's the girl I never had with all his emotions and whining!

Yay for School!!

So hooray for school starting! Can I tell you how much simpler my life has gotten this week since school started? It is so easy to run errands with just two kids-especially since they are the mild mannered ones. Peanut only gets out of control when his big brothers are around, so he's been so chill this week just hanging out by himself playing legos and cars and doing puzzles. So Bubba has entered the world of 3rd grade. He came home the first day and said that they're motto is, "3rd graders rule the school." He also has taken to carrying a messenger bag instead of his backpack because it's "cooler." JP is in 1st grade this year. He seemed a little worried that he wouldn't get in the heart at school. The teacher has a big heart drawn on the board and if she catches you doing something nice or working hard, she puts your name in there and gives you a skittle at the end of the day. So he didn't get in on the first day and was convinced he would never get in there. Poor kid got my low self-esteem issues. Anyway, he ended up in the heart by the third day! He was very excited and proud of himself. Bubba also got a character counts award already for offering his teacher some help with opening a water bottle. We also finally found Mario Cart Race for the Wii that we've been searching hi and low for for the last 3 months or so. So that has been the after school activity of choice this week. I've been pulling my hair out today because they already had their first day off for teacher inservice. Luckily, they're going to the farm later today to help out for the weekend and I'll be by myself with Cart-man until late tomorrow night. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but sometimes they make me want to bash my head into a wall repeatedly. In better news, my youngest brother just got his mission call to Cebu, Philippines! He is so excited. He really wanted to go somewhere that he could learn an Asian language. I also noticed in my brief online research that a temple will be completed ther sometime in 2010 during his mission. How exciting!

Vacation Pictures

Okay, so I decided I should probably at least post a few more pictures of our trip so this wouldn't be so plain of a blog. Also, I really want my playlist that I made to be included on my blog, but somehow it's still not working when I try to copy my code. Any suggestions?

So some highlights from our trip-

• Bubba-Tall enough to ride the Desperado roller coaster at the state line in Nevada/CA (which he keeps telling everyone is in the Guiness Book of Records for the tallest and fastest roller coaster with a 225 ft. drop and 85 mph). He absolutely loved it! I went on it with him and it was hysterical as we were climbing up the tall drop, he said, "Mom, I'm scared. Hold me," but he said it in such a funny voice. He also loves the roller coaster at CA Adventure called California Screamin' that goes upside down. He has also decided he will be a builder at Legoland when he grows up.
• JP-Finally tall enough for Indiana Jones and CA Screamin'. His two new favorite rides, though Splash Mtn. is a close 2nd. Also, insisted we visit the beach on the way home so he could collect seashells. Also, discovered that In and Out burgers are really good even though he "hates" hamburgers.
• Peanut-Tall enough to go on all the big coasters at D-land at least once this year. Some workers said he was too short the 2nd day. He loved Splash Mtn. and Thunder Mtn. the best. Bought a pirate gun with his own money as his souvenir. Also, did pretty good at going potty at D-land.
• Cart-man-Loved putting his tootsies in the sand and water at the beach. Also prefered to be held as much as possible. Loved the Winnie the Pooh ride.
• Mama-Space Mtn. and Splash Mtn. my favorites. Did not enjoy whiny kids the first day at D-land. Loved Laguna Beach and never wanted to leave. Took 4 kids by myself to Legoland for a whole day! Of course In and Out was a highlight-especially since last year on our trip I was pregnant and sick the whole time and couldn't eat there. I also loved having my mom and brother come to Disneyland with us one day!
• Daddio-Loves the Desperado coaster at state line and CA Screamin'. Was an awesome trooper doing almost all of the driving! I would also venture to say that In and Out was one of his favorite things!