Best of ... decorating blogs

Check out this post on my favorite decorating blog (her name is Jenny!:) These curtains were made out of a king sized sheet! I know they would be really light weight..... but especially in a kids room, what an awesomely cheap and stylish window solution

p.s. we have all recovered from yesterdays incident. And to tell you the truth, that kind of thing doesn't bother me at all. It come with the territory. It's just one of those "you won't believe this" kind of stories that I just had to share

A first

I just experienced a new first as a mom.

Potty trainee with diarrhea.

Awesome.

Andy tends to take his undies off just before he gets to the bathroom. It's more of a progression really. He decides he needs to go potty- which means he needs to go NOW and then starts running for the potty while working his undies down. Usually they are off just by the time he gets to the potty, but tonight he was particularly efficient and got them off in the carpeted hall before the bathroom. A trail of poop from my hallway all the way up the toilet, all over the seat and from Andy's ankles to his knees. He greeted me by saying, " mom, I need to go poop poop."

Yep. Got that. Thanks.

Chris was had to work tonight (again) and was feeling pretty down about it. I called him and told him about the party he was missing over here.

He immediately felt better.

Happy trails.

Proof

PROOF

noun

1.

evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to producebelief in its truth.

2.

anything serving as such evidence: What proof do you have?

3.

the act of testing or making trial of anything; test; trial: toput a thing to the proof.

4.

the establishment of the truth of anything; demonstration.

5.

Law . (in judicial proceedings) evidence having probativeweight.

6.

the effect of evidence in convincing the mind.

Proof that everything I said last post is true. I know some day they will not feel this way about each other, so I am going to spend years gathering my proof.

....

post published thoughts:

I completely believe in the power of advertising, so why not "advertise" to my kids what good friends they are, that they love each other, that they are best friends?

One of my greatest challenges as a mom is to bond these boys together so solidly that when they go out in to the world alone, without me, that they will stay together and look out for one another- from the playground in 1st and 3rd grade to the lunch room in high school. I can't be with them all the time, but they can be with each other. And after, when I am old and gray, I want them to go on adventures together. To continue to explore and be curious and mischevious. That's one of my greatest hopes.

Snowflake musing: one of a kind

The last few months more than one person has commented about Nate having a lot of energy, but it's always said as an insult rather than a compliment.

Immediately,

I feel a rush of embarrassment.

For what? What should I be embarrassed about?

I have a bright, energetic, interactive, curious 4 year old! He's wonderful!

and

He loves his brother fiercely. I am so proud of him for this.

I often joke I only have to parent one of them

Because Andy follows his every lead.

Yes, he's taught him to climb on the counter and where mom hides candy.

Yes, he's taught him how to grunt when he's angry.

And beg and whine when he doesn't get what he wants.

But

BUT

He's also taught him to love books

and Legos

and "scooby dooby"

and to say things like "isn't that crazy?"

or "let's go 'sploring" and "shoooweee go on a 'venture?"

and to say "thank you for my family" in prayer

and to collect rocks

and sticks

and seedpods

and leaves

and... well you get the idea

and that dad is the coolest and you always have to give him 10 kisses before he leaves for work and run the the door when you hear his key unlocking it each night and then jump up and down screaming "daddy!daddy!daddy!" over and over, and sit next to him (or on his lap) at any given opportunity

and to be curious.

Sure, I could have taught Andy all of that.

But I love that Nate did.

This reminds me of the end of the book Clifford:The Big Red Dog

"I don't care.

You can keep all your small dogs.

You can Keep all your black,

white, brown and spotted dogs.

I'll keep Clifford. Wouldn't you?"

Yes, my son is Clifford.

He is larger than life.

sometimes his energy and excitement makes a mess of things

but he has a (great big huge!) good heart.

And he's one of a kind.

And he's all mine.