Foto Finish Friday!!

Caught red handed!! "No mom, I wasn't in the cake mix."

Go visit Carrie and join in the Foto Fiesta!!

Have you filled a bucket today?

Since the big one has started kindergarten he has been exposed to all kinds of new things. Some good, some bad and some annoying as all heck. But my favorite thing he's learned so far is the bucket fillers program.

The bucket fillers program teaches kids to be more mindful of the people around them and how their actions might affect them. Seems kinda like a long stretch for a kindergartner, right? I mean they live in the here and now and don't always think things through. This program is so simple though, and even my three and two year old are benefiting from it.

Basically the jest of it is this. We all carry an imaginary bucket in our hearts. When people do nice things to or for us it fills our bucket. When people say hurtful things or do things that hurt us they dip in our buckets. Basically, by making us more aware of how we are feeling it makes us more aware of how we make others feel. It's been instilled in the kids minds that making others feel good makes them feel good as well. So that a double whammy of filling! And it's such an easy concept, the kids catch on quickly.

If you're interested in learning more, visit bucket filling 101. I attended one of the adult seminars given by the author, Carol McCloud, and honestly? It was life changing. It made me more aware of how I was parenting and how I could do better.

Oh, and one last little thing..... it makes my kids behave so much better. If they are acting up or fighting, all I have to do is mention someone dipping in someone else bucket, and boom! The situation has been diffused!!

They're ooky and they're spooky.....

but I think they are kind kooky too. On Monday, as I drove the big one to school I passed a house. It was a cute, well kept house. Nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for the fact that it was decked out for Halloween already. I was tempted to stop the car and knock on their door. You know, just to make sure they knew what the date was.

I've noticed every year there is a competition with a few houses on my street as to who can get their Halloween decorations up first. I guess if you aren't first you just have no spirit? Well. pffffft on all of them! I love Halloween. It is, by far, my favorite holiday. And when October first rolls around I'll be up bright and early decorating. But until then my cobwebs and skeletons will remain packed neatly away.

I guess the reason this bothers me is that it seems like we are all just rushing through our lives. Instead of focusing on and enjoying the here and now, we're concerned with the happenings of a month from now. If there is one thing I've learned over the past 9 months, it's this. Don't take things for granted. Life can and does change in the blink of an eye. We need to immerse ourselves in all we can today, cause who knows what tomorrow holds for us?

It started out innocent enough....

As I entered the living room with a load (or three) of laundry in my arms the big one sweetly asked "Mom, will you get me a crayon?". I look over to see him lounging on the sofa, a pillow propping him up and a blanket over his legs. Boy did he look comfy. And yet I had to tell him to get it himself as I was to lazy busy. Then I hear "Servant boy. Get me my crayons." WHAT?!?!? Could I possibly have heard that right??? So rather than throw myself in the middle, I sit back and wait it out. Then he says "Servant Boy! I told you to get my crayons." At this point I interject that the middle one is in fact NOT his servant boy and he needs to get his own stuff.

I don't know what was worse. The fact that the big one felt it was OK to say this to his brother, or the fact that his brother actually got up from what he was doing and got him his crayons.

I wonder where he learned that one. Oh wait. I've got a pretty darn good idea. Just one of the finer points of kindergarten - all the bizarre things they bring home.

Guess who's back!!

Yes, I know it's been a while. So much has been going on and I've just been so wiped out that I just let this blog slide.

Any way....... here's a little bit of what's been happening!

On the 24th we celebrated out 6 year anniversary! Hard to believe it's been six years already. Time sure has flown. Together we've celebrated the the most joyful times in our lives and mourned the worst loss imaginable. We've changed and grown (mentally, emotionally and physically) and through it all we've come to settle in our roles as husband and wife, mom and dad and the best of friends. There's no one on earth I'd rather share my life with.

We spent a week camping at the end of August. What an amazing week it was. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. Mid to high 70's, just warm enough to swim at the beach but not to warm that we were ever uncomfortable. We cooked most of our meals over an open fire and just relaxed. It had been a long time since we were able to just let everything go and focus on us as a family.

The big one started kindergarten. What an adjustment it's been. For me anyway. He absolutely loves it. He goes all day, five days a week and this definitely puts a damper on all our fun. Now all our fun has to be scheduled into the weekend. Where as before we would do all kinds of stuff during the week when crowds were at a minimum and spend the weekends just chilling out with family. He also gets pretty upset when he hears we did something during the day that he likes to do. So this darn school thing had put me in a damned if I do damned if I don't predicament. I feel guilty if we do things with out him, but I feel guilty for not doing enough with the other two.

Motormouth started preschool as well. He's happy to have somewhere to go a couple days a week. He was a little upset that his brother wasn't in his class again this year, but got over it pretty quickly.


As for Captain Crazy Pants, well, he's just as crazy as ever. He loves having me all to himself two mornings a week. We'll be starting a mom and me play class tomorrow. That should be fun.

A lot of other junk has been going on too. But nothing too exciting!

Friday Foto Fiesta Finish

We took a camping trip the last week of August and this is just one of my favs!!

Come play along with the Friday Foto Fiesta Finish by visiting Candid Carrie.

On a side note - I know I've been scarce. Things have been busy busy here and a nasty cold has been kickin my butt! I'm hoping to catch up soon!

MTHFR....

No - I didn't just decide to pound on the keys instead of writing an actual title. Those lovely letters stand for MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase Gene Mutation. And that my friends is what I have. I am officially mutated. Well at least two of my genes are. Both the C677T and A1298C. So if I recall all the info the nurse rattled off to my over the phone I am double heterozygous because both genes are affected and I only recieved the mutation from one of my parents.

So with all the medical mumble jumble aside it boils down to this. If we do decide to get pregnant again I will be put on a regimen of folate with B6 and B12. MTHFR apparently reduces my ability to absorb the folate so the B vitamins will help with the absorption. Then if I do get pregnant I will be placed on daily heparin injections. The MTHFR can also cause blood clots. So although they can't promise me one way or another that this was the issue with Leah, the Dr wants to take all precautions and assume it may be a factor.

So that's the latest update in this saga. I still have to see a Rheumatologist and Neurologist but at least we're heading in the right direction.