Just Another Smith

Boy, Girl,

2010-07-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

BOY!!! We are having another boy! We are SO excited!

I have to admit I was nervous (maybe terrified is more accurate) when I thought about the idea of having 2 girls less than 2 years apart. Our little Alexis makes me smile till my cheeks hurt and laugh till my stomach hurts and I am beyond thankful and blessed to have her, but boy is she a sassy little thing. I think she may just be all the girl I am able to handle and apparently God thought so too!

Now we are thinking of names. I wanted another boy, but I was way more prepared to name another girl. Erik and I seem to agree easier on girl names. Thankfully we have plenty of time to decide. Matthew is still on a major Mario kick, so his name suggestion is Luigi. I told him if his baby brother came out wearing green overalls, speaking with an Italian accent, and carrying a Nintendo controller we will most definitely name him Luigi, so now you know what Matthew is praying for these days.

3 is.......

2010-05-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

The amount of times Matthew asks me per minute if he can pretend to be some fictional character from a book, movie, or video game.

The number of times I tell Matthew per minute he can be whichever character he asked to be.

The number of times I have been to Walmart in the last week.

The number of months since I have last posted, haha..... I don't think it has quite been that long, but close enough.

The number of printers we have sitting around in our office/scrapbooking room/toy room/"there is no other place to put this thing" room.

The number of times Alexis has smiled at a complete stranger in her whole entire life thus far.

The amount of times each hour Alexis is tackled and a treasured object (belonging to her brother) is ripped from her hand.

The number of times each hour Alexis finds her brother tackling her absolutely hillarious.

The number of children we will have in our family by Thanksgiving 2010.

Hello again....

2010-02-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile. As you may have discovered my New Year's resolution was not to blog more, or maybe you thought it was and I am just really terrible with resolutions which probably isn't that far from the truth. I wonder if there is like a "worst blogger of the year" award because if there is I am definitely on pace to bring home that trophy.
So there is a whole lot of normal going on here mixed in with some new stuff every once in awhile. Alexis turned 1 nearly 2 weeks ago. She just lived the fastest year ever! I hate that it seems like she is growing up so fast but at the same time it is so fun to see all the new things she can do. She is taking lots of steps. She is VERY independent. She is talking lots. She screams like she is mortally wounded whenever she doesn't get exactly what she wants. She eats just about anything (including lady bugs). She thinks her brother is absolutely hilarious. She does not talk (or smile) at strangers. And I just love her to pieces.
Matthew has discovered video games. I got out the old Nintendo a few months ago and he is completely in love with Mario! At first he called it the "Wii gaming system" which was great since it is pretty near the oldest video game system on the planet. Then we got a Wii from my parents for Christmas, so video game name confusion set in. Just recently he discovered the systems were made by the same company, so now he calls the Nintendo the "Wiitendo". It is great having the old Nintendo out. There are lots of good old Nintendo memories. I did nearly pass out the day we hooked it up though because of all the blowing necessary-Nintendo owners past and present you know what I mean (Rachel and Angela I was SO close to calling that help line number located just inside the flap). So Matthew is in love and asks 7,567 times a day if he can play some kind of video game. He has gotten pretty good and I can't help but love that he thinks I am the coolest person alive when I beat a level for him that he can't beat.

I am watching a little baby friend of ours three days a week now. She just turned 7 months old. I thought Alexis would be ridiculously jealous but she isn't really at all. She loves her baby friend. Alexis and her baby friend are only 5 months apart so that is nice most of the time mixed with some crazy at feeding time since both girls hate to see anyone eating if they are not, regardless of their actual hunger. Matthew does pretty well with the girls. He actually acknowledges they exist and on the rarest of occasions, if he doesn't think anyone is watching he tries to keep one or both of them from crying with some dancing, singing, or crazy faces.

I wanted to put on more pictures but it is taking forever and being crazy so I will put up more later, maybe even before Alexis turns 2.

Matthew's First (possibly last) Christmas Musical Performance

2009-12-14T20:39:00.001-08:00

So Sunday was the big day. Matthew participated in the Christmas musical at church. I have always enjoyed productions including small children because you know there is no way it will go off without a hitch. I have always enjoyed the "hitches"..... that is until Sunday when my son was the "hitch".

I really wasn't nervous about this performance. Matthew had zero scripted lines. He was a sheep. His job was to sing with everyone else. I knew he wouldn't really sing all of the songs. After witnessing a practice I figured the worst thing that would happen is that he would replace all the words of the songs with "baa" since he seemed to be taking his sheep role very seriously.

When the children first entered on Sunday I was a little nervous because Matthew looked like he had been crying and was the only sheep without ears. I worried that maybe he didn't want to be a part of the show at the last minute and he would just stand and not sing at all. Well if I knew then what I know now I definitely would not have wasted my worry on that.

The children got on the stage and took their positions. There were 3 microphones and the children were a couple of steps back from them. Before the music started Matthew stepped up to the microphone and tapped it a bit just to test it out. He was obviously concerned with the sound quality so after the tapping he did a few crazy sounds with his mouth. I ensure you those mics were working and everyone heard and there was lots of laughter. If only he had stopped there. But no, my son had tasted victory, he had made people laugh so he felt the show, his show must go on.

In the end I believe the sheep who was originally scripted zero lines somehow had spoken the most. He told jokes. He did tricks. He was definitely under the impression that this was an "open mic" event. Mercifully, some very smart people turned the mic off closest to him after some time.

Many people mentioned afterward that their favorite part was in between songs when he stepped up to the mic lifted up his shirt pointed to his midsection and sang a little number which I would guess, was titled "belly button", since those were the only words. My personal favorite was when he decided to make a nest out of the hay on the stage. That was the only part in which I could breathe. That however was short lived. After the nest building he felt the need to tidy up the stage, so he collected the hay off the floor and returned it to the haystack nearly knocking over Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the huge backdrop.

He did sing a few words. The few words that he did sing were so loud you wouldn't have known any other children were singing at all.

Poor Erik's heart couldn't take the stress so he was in and out and completely missed the belly button part. Thankfully, my parents were there. I was torn between running to the stage and herding my little sheep off of it or hiding under my seat. My dad and I are alot alike so I assumed I would find him hiding under the seats too and we could talk about our best exit route, but he was too busy laughing himself to tears to join me.

Maize and Blue

2009-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Even when you are a baby girl and you are at the age when people only know your gender based on your clothing and you will clearly be better recognized as a girl in Ohio State red.....

you still wear your maize and blue.

Even when no one is expecting a Michigan win (except the true fans, of course)......

you still wear your maize and blue

Even when the closest Michigan gear to your size at your house is 10 times too big for you......

you still wear your maize and blue.

Even when you must give up your mobility due to the enormity of the hand me down Michigan outfit......you still wear your maize and blue.

Why you ask?

Because that is what the truest, bluest Michigan fans do to help bring their team to victory on game day (oh and in this case she can't dress herself).

Again

2009-11-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hey if you missed the Kodak $15 thing last week that I posted about below, have no fear I hear it is going on again.

Free Pictures

2009-10-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I know alot of people already know about this, but I thought I would just share anyway. Kodak is giving away $15 worth of pictures or their picture gifts to the first ___ people (I forget how many people). So go here and sign up. They did this last week as well and I took advantage of it then and I think they are going to offer it again in the next couple of weeks but sign up now in case I am wrong :)

The Truth About Preschool

2009-09-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ever since we attended the orientation night for preschool Erik has been worried that the school we (I) chose might not be academic enough. I, chose the only school in the area that had a curriculum and I am not so concerned with how much Matthew learns academically as much as I am concerned with him learning to sit and listen when needed and to play with other kids.

So every Tuesday and Thursday Erik asks Matthew about school. This is how it went down last night.....

Erik: So Matthew what did you do in school today? And don't say it was too long. (That is always Matthew's response because he thinks we want him to tell us every little thing he did all morning)

Matthew: Well it is too long to tell you.

Erik: You don't have to tell me everything you did. What did you learn today at school?

Matthew: Daddy, my preschool isn't really a learning kind of school. We play outside and today we watched the trucks fix the parking lot, but we don't learn anything.

Erik shoots me a glance that silently says "I told you he wasn't going to learn anything at that school".

Me, reminding the boy that he doesn't just play outside at school: Matthew tell Daddy what you did with your letters of the month today.

Erik: Oh yeah buddy, tell me about your letters.

Matthew: Oh yeah, we still use letters.

Erik is obviously totally convinced of preschool's awesome academicness now.

Better Than You Could Ever Imagine

2009-09-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am SO very excited for my friend Rachel!!! She is my best girl from college. She and her husband have had a desire to be parents for a few years. Just yesterday, after years of waiting, crying, praying and trusting God with the desires of their hearts they met their beautiful baby boy from Korea.

I have been thinking about them and this meeting constantly. This morning I was able to see some pictures that were taken at this precious meeting and I can honestly say they are some of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen.

This got me thinking about life and about how God works in our lives. In our minds we picture how things are going to be. For Rachel, years ago she probably never imagined she would be meeting her son for the first time in an airport. But I would bet her meeting moment yesterday was better than she ever imagined. Some things go the way we always planned they would and then sometimes we get blessed with moments that are so very different than we planned, and surprisingly those are some of the most amazing moments we will ever experience.

So if you feel like bawling like a baby (not that I did or anything), go check out Rachel's best day ever!

Matthew Says--September Edition

2009-09-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

When talking about his church "buddy barrel" that we collect money in each month.....

Matthew says "I am going to put this money in my buddy barrel because we need to get lots of money. We need to buy 2 meats and 2 loafs for 2 boys in Haiti that don't have any food."

When talking about those "tough times" in life....

Matthew says "Sometimes when life gets confusing you just need to snuggle with a mama."

Matthew says "TV can really lift kids spirits when they are sad mama."

When he saw this.....

Matthew says "Mama how could you let THIS happen to her???"

When walking through the door which is being held open by a lady with blue hair at Taco Bell....

Matthew says "Thank you and nice blue hair!"

When playing football with Daddy I suggest turning off the TV so he can give his full attention to playing.....

Matthew says "That's ok mama, God gave me 2 ears. One to listen to Daddy and the other one to listen to the TV."

When seeing the cats (Mac and Emma) fighting....

Matthew says "Go Emma! You're my mammal!"

When a cashier asks about his baby sister.....

Matthew says "I'm Matthew and she is Alexis. I'm the experienced one."

When pretending to be my repair man, pushing that button on the dryer that turns the light on and off (which I always have to tell him to quit playing with)......

Matthew says "I see your problem. I bet your child plays with this button all the time."

When the waitress at Chili's leaves the table laughing at something he has said and tells him to come visit her again soon....

Matthew says "I just made that girl's day."

When discussing dental hygiene.....

Matthew says "Mama, could I have some floss? I need to floss my canines."

When playing with me....

Matthew says "Pretend I'm unconscious."

When talking to a dog walking around the neighborhood without a person. My mom says she is going to check the tag to see if there is a name on it. After looking at the collar for a tag she tells Matthew it is missin'.......

Matthew says "Oh hi Missin'"

The Girl

2009-09-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

The girl is now 7 months old (but let's not talk too much about that). I don't know if I have mentioned before that I dread the 5th of every month because it means I must accept the fact that my baby girl is one month older.
She is a solid food eater now (well ok she has been for a few months already I just have neglected to write about it). I have been making her food which is quite fun. She loves rolling around on the floor trying to grab whatever treasures her big brother has left behind. He is always concerned she might ruin something and when I tell him she is fine he says "But I think she has a plan", that I do not doubt.

Alexis is still a big girl. At her 6 month appointment she weighed in at 19lbs 6oz and was nearly 28 inches. I think she wore 6-9 month sized clothing for a week.

She is kind of a serious gal (I have no idea how that happened). Matthew smiled constantly as a baby and you've got to work hard most of the time to get Alexis to smile (well I don't so much, but most people do). She is loud and does not hide her emotions. When she is happy she is happy and when she is upset plug your ears to prevent hearing loss. My mom doesn't think she has ever encountered such a sassy baby before in her life. I will tell you though at this point she just makes me laugh. I have a feeling she is going to be a tough gal because everytime Matthew is doing something with her and I am about to say "Oh please be more gentle with her", she starts cracking up about whatever her brother is doing to her.

Yesterday at church we took part in the baby dedication with Alexis. She did great and even let the pastor hold her without screaming, very impressive. We are so very thankful that God chose to bless us with our sweet and sassy baby girl!

Matthew: The Preschooler

2009-08-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Matthew started preschool on Tuesday. He has been SO excited to start school. I, on the other hand have not been as excited, but I know he is ready to go so I am happy for him.

I picked this preschool out a couple of months ago and I took Matthew with me to tour the place. I told him we were going to be meeting the director of the preschool. So when we walked in Matthew walked right up to the first woman he saw, stuck his hand out and said "Hello director, my name is Matthew." Thankfully it was indeed the director and from there I barely got a word in because those 2 were deep in conversation. During the tour, the director would show him different rooms and Matthew would always say something like "This room is awesome (or amazing), director". In the drama room, there was a stage and a piano. Matthew offered to play his "Red Eye of Danger" song, the director said that would be wonderful and it was indeed a great number that I had never heard before.

Matthew definitely likes to be prepared. That is why his lunch bag was packed 2 weeks prior to his first day. What does a boy need in his lunch bag for a first day of preschool, you ask? According to Matthew, it is important to pack fruit snacks, hand sanitizer, and an electric pencil sharpener. That is what he had packed. Finally, Tuesday morning I was able to talk him into packing more food items, reassuring him that his school would indeed have hand sanitizer (or water and soap) and a pencil sharpener.

Once we got to school he tried to get rid of me in the parking lot. He felt like he could take it from there, but since I had a few questions for his teacher he allowed me to accompany him inside. Once inside, a staff person walked by and said hello, the boy says "Hello, I am a newcomer". So she kindly showed him to his room. He was in his room having fun before I could even get a goodbye hug! (Don't worry I didn't cry or anything, aren't I such a big girl??)

Later that afternoon I went to pick him up. There is a line of kids waiting to be picked up all holding books. As I am looking down the line searching for my little man I see kids holding books like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Berenstains Bears Go To School. Then I spot my boy.....carrying this.....

Yep, he picked the 15 pound dictionary. The director is laughing and says "Um, we got to chose books from the library today and Matthew chose the dictionary". He says "Mama, I got this dictionary because I love information". He really does. He was upset when I told him we would have to take it back to school next week to trade it in for another one because he said it was the only information book they had. Hopefully, next week they will have another information book that is a bit lighter (and a few less words would be ok too).

So he really enjoyed school. He couldn't remember a single classmate's name, but he could remember what everyone ate for lunch. He made a picture and told me it was "a dangerous shark attack with a snake and a worm with super powers". He learned a hello song that they sing when they first get there. I asked to hear it on the way home but he informed me that song can only be sung in the morning and "we were losing daylight", so I was unable to hear it (there are obviously alot of preschool rules I am not aware of).

Some Kids REALLY Like Coupons

2009-07-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Matthew really enjoys picking up sales ads and such when we are shopping. They really make his day (some make his week). Recently at Target, I found these Transformer coupons. I don't know how Matthew even knows about Transformers, but wouldn't you know he LOVES them! He was so excited when I showed him these he said

"Can we really get these Mama?"
I said "Sure honey they are free."

Him "I am so excited, I can't believe you are getting me Transformers."

At the register "Mama make sure to get those Transformers. Cashier, my Mama is getting me some Transformers."

I showed the cashier the coupons so she didn't think I was stealing my son some toys.

We play with these like they are real action figures. We lost one once and boy was there drama. I think we have had them for a month now. I may need to laminate them.

This week Matthew picked this up at CVS.....

It is their "clip free coupon book". He looked at this "cbs newspaper" as he called it in the car, then took it into Food Lion, then into Publix and looked while we shopped. He made sure to tell a few Publix shoppers about some great foot cream deals available at CVS. He asked if he could take the "newspaper" with him for his rest time, I obliged. It also went with him to bed. He alerted Erik of several deals when he came to tell him goodnight. The next day it went everywhere with us, even into Walgreens and we didn't even get kicked out for perusing the competition's ads will shopping in their store. Matthew has had this "newspaper" since Monday and I don't think he has gone anywhere (including the restroom) without it.

Last week, I got him a lunch bag since he is going to be going to preschool in a month or so. He opened it when we got home and said "Oh it is my lucky day, there are money saving coupons inside".

Who needs toys when you can have money saving coupons? I know, I know our house is going to be the place for playdates once word gets out.

Anna this is for you! Matthew is loving the stickers. I think we will play with these like the Transformer coupons above. You have provided endless hours of fun, thank you!

Miraculous Moments

2009-06-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

I did not stage these photos. No one is crying. No one was bribed with candy. I did not even suggest the boy do any of these things or even ask him to pretend just for a moment his sister existed. I merely observed these miraculous moments and photographed them.

Oh and yes Matthew does have a severe Crystal Light mustache. But when you are photographing miraculous moments, you do not ask the subjects first to wash their face, you just shoot.

A Few Questions for Today

2009-06-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

This morning while getting ready to take Matthew to VBS
I Wonder........

How many times I have heard "Hey, Mama" this hour?

If our ears are only able to hear a certain amount of words in a lifetime before shutting down completely? (I may be nearing my quota)

When I see a young man park in the "new and expectant mother" spot at CVS
I Wonder......

When is he due?

If I should take a photo of him? (he will likely be famous soon, since pregnancy in males is kind of rare, that photo could make me rich)

When walking out to the van to go pick Matthew up from VBS
I Wonder.....

How in the world could I have left the side door open for 2 hours?

Will the van start? (It did by the way)

While eating lunch
I Wonder......

Would Matthew be ok eating pb&j for lunch for the rest of his life?

What did I eat?

Really why can't I remember what I ate? (maybe I should ask Matthew, he probably remembers)

When getting Matthew up from a little rest time
I Wonder.....

How can he possibly stand to be covered up in a fleece blanket when the thermostat right outside his door reads 84 degrees?

Was he wearing that outfit when I last saw him?

Moments ago while passing by the bathroom mirror
I Wonder......

Has my hair ever been this long before?

Why is it so knotty?

What is that thing in my hair?

How long have I been toting this baby booger around in my hair?

Update: VBS Gets an "A" Today

2009-06-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Meet "Gator School" 's biggest fan......

Sweat + Dirt + a Gator Puppet = A Smile on this Boy's Face

The VBS Report

2009-06-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Matthew is going to VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the first time ever this week. I was a little nervous because sitting still is not his specialty. The church we are going to right now is small and does not have VBS so he is going to a different church where we do not know a soul. This does not at all bother my boy (he is so much braver than me).

He chose this particular VBS because it had a gator on the sign. Although, he almost changed his mind when he saw another church was having "Kangaroo school". I have been talking with him about it the last couple of days and he has been pumped for "Gator school".

I felt maybe he been slightly misled by the sign (and maybe me) when he kept asking me these questions on the way this morning:

"Do you think they will have an alligator statue, Mama?"

"Mama, will they tell me all the gator information there?"

"I wonder if they will have a baby cayman for me to touch?"

Yikes! I was pretty worried that his first day of VBS could very well be his last, if he wasn't sufficiently chucked full of alligator info by noon.

When I picked him up I, of course, asked how it went.

I got this response "I didn't know they were going to sing such long songs at gator school."

Strike One!

Then came off the necklace he had made (that appeared to have nothing to do with alligators). I cheerfully say "Oh wow, what a cool necklace you made."

His response "No, my teacher made this for you because I told her I only like to make cool gator things." (In reality, the child does not like to make ANYTHING. I do not think he has a crafty bone in his body. You are probably thinking, how could he possibly be MY child when I am so crafty and all??? I know, I know it is a mystery).

Strike Two!

I then see a bracelet he got that looked gatory and say "Well you did get this neat bracelet that looks like an alligator."

He says "Yeah, but it doesn't have a head."

(I normally don't expect bracelets to come with heads, but then again I am not a 4 year old boy, so I guess our expectations could differ slightly.)

Strike Three!

Next, he says "I am starving because I don't like salad and cherry tomatoes." I am kinda having a hard time envisioning 4 year olds being given a salad and cherry tomato snack. I don't really think that was the snack, but just in case I might stick around for snack time tomorrow because I would love a salad.

Strike Four! (Yeah, yeah I know there is no such thing as four strikes, but what can I say I am generous)

So at this point I am pretty much thinking it is going to be torture to get him to go to the not-as-gatory-as-he-had-hoped school tomorrow when all of the sudden the clouds parted and the sun appeared.

Matthew says, "There were so many kids there. I didn't know who to meet first. At first, I thought it was a school, but then they talked about God, so I think maybe it is a church. And I get to go back for 56 days!"

Apparently, he is the kind of kid who likes to share the "bad news" first.

*Oh and on a completely unrelated note, for those of you wondering about the beefy baby's poundage, here are Alexis' 4 month stats: 17 lbs. 6 oz. and the height is somewhere in the 26's near 27 in (I don't remember exactly).

Alexis Meets Grandma and Grandpa

2009-06-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week Erik's parents came from MI for a visit! They got to meet the girl and play with the boy. We had a great time and I sure do wish we didn't live so far apart.
Fun times! The kids are still trying to get adjusted back to real life where the adult to child ratio is 1:2 most of the time rather than the 4:2 they were enjoying last week!

4 Months Old

2009-06-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Alexis turned 4 months old yesterday. She is a happy, smiley girl who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to squeal until she gets it. She rolled over once. She hates to be on her tummy. She loves to pull my hair and have a fist full of hair in each hand (she would definitely cry if I got my hair cut). Alexis LOVES her Daddy. She can be in the crankiest mood and as soon as her Daddy talks to her, she is all smiles and happy chatter. She is really starting to take an interest in watching her big brother and what he is up to, so now she should never be bored ever again.

Her legs and arms are always moving and she must always be sitting straight up unless she is being rocked. She has slept through the night the last 3 nights (woohoo!!!).

We have her 4 month appointment this week so I don't have her stats yet, maybe I will post them later this week. (But, come on, this is my SECOND post of the day, what is the likelihood I will post 3 times in one week! Ha..no really I will try.)

I Think A License Should Be Required To Operate These....

2009-06-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Of course, if a license were in fact required mine would most certainly be revoked due to reckless clipping.

It seems that I am TERRIBLE at clipping baby finger nails. Erik used to clip Matthew's when he was a baby. I am completely capable of clipping his now, but poor Alexis on the other hand would have some horrible stories to tell you if she could talk.

The first time the clipping went completely wrong was Sunday February 8, 2009. That's right folks, Alexis was just three tiny days old and it was our very first day home. Her nails were incredibly long and her face looked like a painful line graph with all the scratches. So while Erik was showering, I decided I was completely capable of cutting my baby girl's finger nails and decided to put an end to her self inflicted pain. I was thinking "Don't worry tiny baby, Mama is coming to the rescue!". I was picturing myself in a cape, standing tall with wind whipping through my hair and cape all while heroic music played. Her finger was bleeding 4.7 seconds later.

Maybe I can sell my cape on ebay.

I felt horrible. She was bleeding. I cut her teeny tiny finger on her first day home. She was probably contemplating going back to the hospital hoping that she had been switched at birth and that her "real" mom was a proficient baby nail clipper.

Matthew just so happens to hate getting his nails clipped. He always tells me it hurts and then I laugh and laugh, and say "No it doesn't, silly". So he walks on to the nail clipping scene and sees Alexis' teeny tiny bleeding finger and me with the nail clippers in my hand and says "What happened to Awexis?". "Um........she hurt her finger", I say. That isn't a lie right? She did in fact have a hurt finger. For once in his life he didn't ask for specifics.

That was the first time and unfortunately, not the last.

So, is anyone looking for a very part time (so part-time, let's call it part-of-a-part-time) baby nail clipping job? The job doesn't pay much (actually it doesn't pay anything at all), but you can have all the ice water you can drink while you are here! Qualified applicants only, please. This child's fingers can't take anymore rookie clipping.

Matthew Says

2009-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

When asked why he was crying for me in the middle of the night by Daddy....

Matthew says "I just love Mama so much, I can't take off my love for her."

When playing construction with Papine (grandpa)....

Matthew says "My guys left a note for your guys it says, Dear Construction Workers, I'm afraid I have to work somewhere else. Sincerely, Don't forget to blink"

When asked to clean up his toys....

Matthew says "I only clean for candy"

When asked about craft time at church....

Matthew says "Oh man, I missed it again!"

When talking about Alexis' time at church....

Matthew says "Did Alexis learn to crawl in her class today?"

I laughingly say "No."

Matthew says "Well what did she do then?"

When trying Frosted Flakes this morning...

Matthew says "Mama I do like this cereal you were wrong, wrong, wrong."

When talking about something I don't really remember....

Matthew says "Now I am concerned on a number of levels."

When being a little bit of a stinker and getting in trouble with Daddy...

Matthew says "You really should be nicer to me."

When telling Daddy about his day and how he got to play at the park, Daddy mentions how nice it was for me to take him there.....

Matthew says "Well it was MY idea."

The Monsters Have Arrived

2009-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, we now have monsters in the Smith home. We do try to be hospitable as a rule here in our home, but I must say the monsters were completely uninvited and most definitely have worn out their welcome.

I have not seen one myself and as a matter of fact, I don't think anyone has really spotted one, so a visual description is not available at this time. However, someone in our family deeply feels their presence, thus making nearly all of us well aware that monsters are in deed here.

Like most monsters, ours are nocturnal. They reside exclusively in Matthew's room. I really wish they would have chosen mine and Erik's room because I feel we are better equipped to coexist with them.

Our monsters may seem like other monsters, they are nocturnal, choose to live in a young child's room and have never actually been spotted, but our monsters are unique in this; they love to be read to. Their love of books, keep Matthew up nearly all night reading with his room light, closet light and 2 night lights on. Even though Erik and I have made it very clear that those big lights should not be on, Matthew feels the need to be obedient to the monsters and the obvious monster wrath that would ensue if he chose to turn out the lights and stop reading.

While having uninvited monsters live in your son's room is not at all ideal, I am happy that our monsters are book loving monsters. I just wish they would learn to read for themselves so that they wouldn't keep the boy up (also, if they are going to require so much electricity, it wouldn't hurt if they contributed some cash for the electric bill as well).

Easter pics and other stuff

2009-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter and I hope everybody else did too!

On Friday morning my Mom brought over eggs for Matthew to color. He had a great time dropping every egg in every color so that by the time he was through no one was able to identify the color of any of them. My personal favorite is one he named "the eye of danger". On Friday afternoon, there were some really severe storms throughout the whole state. I decided it might be a good time to clean out our severe storm safety bunker (a.k.a. our teeny tiny coat closet). We had a tornado warning and very strong winds and rain. We lost power for only about 20 minutes. Matthew thought it would be fun to hang out in the closet, so we did for awhile. He was making shadow creatures with the light from my cell phone and taking pics in the dark. Alexis was not nearly as fond of closet time.

Easter Sunday we went to church and then over to my parents to eat and have an egg hunt. Erik was asked to play the drums for a song on Sunday and it was awesome. Alexis was crowned best behaved baby in the nursery on Easter! I did not expect a nomination in that category let alone a win. She often snags the cranky pants of the day award here at home. The last few days have been good though so maybe she is growing out of the crankies.

You can tell by this picture that Alexis is obviously a huge fan of dressing up. This was her first time wearing a dress.

Matthew got the Bolt movie (a new Disney movie starring a dog) in his Easter basket so he was, of course, Bolt most of the day. Erik said to him at one point "I love you, buddy." Matthew says "Ok, I am still Bolt, but I appreciate your love for dogs."

Yesterday was Erik's birthday. We got to go to a grown up dinner all on our own where people serve you. It was awesome. On a side note, I ate ALL of my dinner and Erik had to box his up and bring it home (due to some bread and appetizer eating and yes Josh if you are reading this that totally makes me the papa bear). Also, Alexis was actually a good girl while we were gone, despite the fact that her favorite evening pastime is screaming. She did start crying though as soon as she heard my voice just to make me feel missed..what a sweetie! And Matthew was all weepy saying "I weally missed you" and kissed me on the head. I adore my job of caring for these precious little people and my Erik!

2 Month Stats

2009-04-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

At the doctor's yesterday Alexis weighed in at 13lbs 7oz and she is a little over 24in long putting her in the 97th percentile in weight and height. We left the big brother at home with my mom because he is a little under the weather and desperately needed a rest time, so there are no funny Matthew sayings to add. Alexis screamed during her shots and continued for many minutes after so I would not forget how unhappy she was about that experience. Poor girl doesn't even know this is only the begining of the shots. Please nobody tell her or she will refuse to go to her 4 month appointment.

Check Out These Cheeks

2009-04-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Alexis has been very busy chubbing up. Her cheeks are just the chubbiest things ever. Sometimes I am just not sure she could get those things any chubbier. Of course, I can't say too much because I am well aware where she got them, haha. I must say that it is true the camera does add at least 10 pounds too, so keep that in mind. She is 2 months old (and 2 days, in case you like to be very specific) now. Time is flying, which makes me just a tad bit sad.Sometimes she likes to wear her brother's old sleepers (Shhh..don't tell my mom).

Alexis was wearing these super cute overalls on Friday and I really wanted to get a good picture of her. I took about 20. I moved her all over trying to find a less chubby angle, it seems as though that angle does not exist at this time. But there is no shame in baby chunk.

This is my favorite pic right now. It is really hard to capture a smile.

Oh and here is a picture of Alexis and I, taken by Matthew of course. He laughed afterwards and said "I think I forgot to get Alexis in the picture". Alexis has her 2 month appointment tomorrow. Matthew likes to go to provide entertainment for the nurses. Last time as we were walking to the exam room and there were nurses and doctors rapidly walking from room to room Matthew throws his arms up and says in a booming voice "Listen, this is not MY appointment." During our visit nearly every nurse came by to talk to him about how the appointment that wasn't his was going. He does however gladly choose something from the treasure box when given the option, regardless of whose appointment it is.

And in other news...

Matthew has been creating his own unique ensembles alot lately. Erik was cracking up when he got home last week and found Matthew dressed in his sweater vest and "sweating" pants, I forgot to warn him of the interesting selection before he arrived.

A Little Freedom

2009-03-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

A really great thing happened last week! Since my parents got a new vehicle they graciously offered to allow us to borrow the PT Crusier that my Dad used to drive. This means I can go to Walmart, the libary, the playground or even Target whenever I want!!!

My dear Mother has been driving Matthew and I around these last few months to Dr. appointments and wherever else we absolutely had to go while Erik was at work (thanks Mom, I don't know what we would do without you). It has been nearly 5 months that we have been without a second car. That sounds like a long time, but I can happily report that it doesn't feel like it has been that long. I have not minded being at home and only felt "stuck" once or twice. I generally like being at home and I can even say there were many times it felt like a relief to have an excuse to not be out and about.

With that being said, we are all very excited to have another vehicle. Erik is excited about not driving the "Mom-mobile", Matthew is super excited about getting to go to the library and playground, surely Alexis must be excited too because she loves to ride in the car and seems to also approve of the shopping cart and I am actually excited about getting back to grocery shopping on a weekday!

A big thanks to my parents for their generosity!

Also, a funny thing happened when my parent's brought the car last weekend. My Dad went out to the car to get something and as he was closing the car door the alarm started going off. Dad got back in the car and tried to turn it off. All was quiet for a moment and just as he was walking back to the house, the alarm sounded again. He got back into the car and was pushing buttons, even starting the vehicle to turn it off. As the alarm continues blaring my Dad is just baffled, quickly trying to find the solution and Erik is at the door throwing out suggestions. Matthew is looking out the window saying "Papine, what are you doing?" and giggling. I notice he is holding something. I get closer for a better look and discover he is holding the car remote and pressing the red button clearly labeled "PANIC".

Friends

2009-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of friends I am praying for lots lately and I thought I would share a little so that you guys would keep them in your prayers as well.

My good friend from high school Jenney has a precious baby boy who is sick. Baby J is in the hospital and they are doing some testing to see what is going on inside his little body. He is eight months old, just as adorable as can be and is having a hard time putting on weight. I have a link to Jenney's blog on the side.

A dear family friend of ours needs prayer also. She really is practically family. She has been like a 2nd mom to me as long as I can remember. We will call her Sweet Miss G on here because she is just one of the sweetest people in the world! Well Sweet Miss G's body needs some healing. I cannot even begin to explain the whats, whys and hows, but there are some very important and tricky procedures to be done in the near future.

Thanks!

Happy One Month (yesterday) Baby

2009-03-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Boy's Best Day Ever

2009-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Matthew has been in love with monster trucks for the last few months. It all started when there was some sort of Monster Jam marathon on Christmas day and he watched some at my parent's house. He was immediately hooked. He started running around the house like "Blue Thunder" and telling people at Walmart about "Grave Digger". Recently, he received a few of these trucks from the grandmas and baby sister Alexis bought him one when she arrived. These trucks go EVERYWHERE with him. They even sleep in his bed (yeah, yeah I am a sucker like that).

A few weeks ago we heard Monster Jam was coming to town. We knew Matthew would love it if he could get over the the loud noise. Matthew is not good with loud sounds. Of course, Erik got him the ear muff things, which Matthew calls his Ipods. Matthew and Erik went yesterday to see the show with Papine (my dad) and Uncle Chip. He did good with the noise and enjoyed himself for the first hour. Then Uncle Chip reported reading Matthew's lips saying this to Erik "I am ready to go home now Daddy." It is a long time to sit for a little guy. So in order to help the little dude last through the show Erik got suckered into purchasing some over-priced snacks in souvenir Monster Jam packaging.

I did forget to mention Matthew also received a huge monster truck from Amber and Chip before the show, so it was a day full of monster truck fun.

Erik was kind enough to tote around the camera and take pictures to make his picture crazy wife happy. Matthew also took his camera to document the all important event. I love that he just had to take his camera too! I also love that before he left he (without prompting) kissed his sister goodbye because it was the first time he has gone somewhere without her.

That big truck that Uncle Chip has is his new one. Excuse Matthew's grumpy face this was after the show when he was beyond tired. Thank you Uncle Amber and Aunt Chip (haha) for the new truck and for putting up with cranky Matthew.
The famous "Grave Digger"

The over-priced souvenirs (a little fuzzy).

Some things Matthew has said today about his monster truck experience:

"My Ipods saved the day"

Matthew: "Is it ok if I call Papine, Alan?"

Me: "No"

Matthew: "Well is it ok if I call him Alan, just when I tell you a story about the monster trucks from yesterday?"

Also, it turns out that Matthew's "Ipods" not only can block out loud monster truck sounds, but also screaming baby sister sounds. These have actually "saved the day" at home as well!

Hospital Favorites

2009-02-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

I got some pretty cool things from the hospital. I thought I would share my top four (ok so there are only four). Some of you may know that when you are in the hospital and you are packing to go home, you take home everything that isn't bolted to the floor. You will pay for every tissue that was provided whether you use it or not, so you might as well take it home (even if the tissues are so rough they make you look like Rudolph after the first blow). Erik was pretty excited when I told him about the "take everything that isn't bolted to the floor rule". He was already mentally placing the tv cabinet in our living room. Unfortunately, the cabinet wouldn't fit in the van so we had to leave that behind.

1. New Accessories

I did receive 4 new beautiful bracelets, custom made and personalized just for me. My personal favorite is the orange "FALL PREVENTION" one. At first I was a bit skeptical that a bracelet boasting of prevention would keep me from falling, but I have to tell you I didn't fall the whole time I wore it, so it must really work. With my falling history, it probably would have been wise to keep that one on forever.

2. New Apparel

The nurses put Alexis' little footprints on this shirt for Erik. I thought that was a really cute idea. For some reason it looks like her left foot is alot smaller than her right, now that I look at this. I will have to look into that.

3. New Cup

I am absolutely crazy about what I drink my water in. When we were first taken to our room I saw this beautiful cup on the tray. As soon as the nurse left, I said to Erik "Look at that cup. I get to keep that! Take a picture of it." I absolutely could not wait until they decided I was well enough after the surgery to have some ice water in that thing! I think I may have to check on the hospital's website to see if they sell these because having 2 would not be too many. Or maybe, I will just have to keep having babies to get more, I don't know, we'll see.

4. New Baby

Last, but most certainly not the least, Alexis is my most favorite thing we brought home from the hospital.

First Weeks With Our Girl

2009-02-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Alexis has already been with us for almost 2 weeks! Everyone here is doing well. I was pretty nervous about having another c-section. It went so much better this time than the first. In my experience, a scheduled c-section is a million times better than an emergency one. I felt better the second day this time than I did the fifth day with Matthew.
My nurses and doctor were great. One of the nurses found out that Matthew weighed 9lbs 10oz when he was born and she told everyone in the operating room. They were all so excited to see how much Alexis would weigh, I thought they were going to start a pool right then and there guessing her weight. This time I was completely with it and I got to see her pouty little face right after they pulled her out. I also got to hear her scream and scream as they cleaned her up. I thought for sure she was going to be a feisty one with the way she was wailing. Matthew also is doing so much better with all of the change then I anticipated. He did so well at my parent's house. I was so afraid he would be upset leaving the hospital, that he would feel left out when Erik and I stayed there with the baby, but he didn't mind at all. It could have been because he got a few happy meals and monster trucks (monster trucks have an amazing power over our boy these days). The day Alexis was born he went to Build a Bear and made her a pink monkey, which he named Missy (that was his second choice after homeboy I have been told). He picked out a satin nightgown and robe for her to wear, the monkey that is not Alexis.

So far Matthew has not paid too much attention to Alexis. He has held her twice. The first day we were home he asked to hold her and yesterday I bribed him with candy so I could get a picture. Last week, he was upstairs for awhile in her room. He came out asking me to carry something down. It turns out he had found the legs to his old music table and attached them for his baby sister. Then he, of course, played some music for her. That was pretty sweet! Oh and he would wear his big brother shirt everyday if I let him.

So far, Alexis has been an amazingly good baby. The last couple of nights she has been a little fussy at bed time. Before that she just would let out these little cries every few hours to be fed. She sleeps ALOT! Which is a complete turn around from my boy when he was a baby, he never slept. Matthew hates when she cries (and I'm pretty sure it is not because he can't stand to see his little sister upset), but I think she probably only cries about 10 minutes a day and he plugs his ears for every one of those minutes. I seriously have been working on this post for too long! I have had to change the title to weeks instead of week!

She's here!

2009-02-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

While many of you get to indulge in Megan's witty and humorous writings, for this post you will be forced to suffer through more of a mundane message from me (Erik he husband). Alexis Mikaela Smith arrived on February 5, 2009 weighing 8 lbs, 8 oz and was 21 1/4 inches in length. Baby and momma are doing well. Megan being her stubborn self refuses to rest, already brushing her teeth and trying to clean up the hospital room a little not even 24 hours after the c-section. She also is back at it feeding her Fox News addiction even though she knows it is so important to maintain a healthy blood pressure level. She says not to worry though, she doesn't get worked up. Do not believe that statement as I assure you it is false. I am sure a strong rebuttal will come against these comments though as soon as she is able...or can steal the laptop from me.

Any ways, thank you for attempting to be interested in my musings. We all know what you really want though so here she is...Alexis! Hope you enjoy these pictures and look for updates from Megan in the very near future.

Almost Time

2009-02-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the day we meet our baby girl! I am very excited, a little nervous, but I think mostly I am not going to believe it is really happening until I see her precious little face.

Erik was off today and will be off until Monday so that it is also very exciting. Today we took Matthew to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. He had a blast! We played games, ate pizza and won some tickets. It was great, I must say the amount of tickets they were asking for certain things was crazy, but Matthew didn't seem to mind. Then Erik thought maybe we should stop at Walmart and get Matthew something a little special. Matthew is really in to monster trucks right now so he was beyond delighted to pick one out to actually take home. Matthew said "Daddy is really (s)poiling me today". It was a super fun day.

Mom came this evening to take Matthew to her house. We have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 5:30, so she was nice enough to take him this evening. Matthew knows his baby sister is coming soon, but he does not know it is going to be tomorrow. I am really praying he will do well at Mom and Dad's. He has spent the night with them plenty of times before but just one night at a time. I must say me and my boy are tight and I am going to miss not being with him as much the next couple of days. One a side night, he has been SO good, near angelic the last few days and he keeps referring to me as "my sweet little cupcake". How cute is that? Boy, do I love that kid.

I will post pictures just as soon as I possibly can! Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

H

2009-01-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

On my friend Rachel's blog she wrote about 10 things she loved starting with the letter "C". I thought it might be fun, so I decided to join her and she assigned me the letter "H".

So here it goes, things I love:

Husband: I love my husband! He takes such good care of our family and he always makes me laugh. There are a million other reasons, but I will try to keep this thing short.

Home: It is a good thing I enjoy being home because I am here quite a bit these days. It is not that I love my house so much, just the comfort of it being our home.

Holidays: I absolutely love when there is something to celebrate and lots of family comes to town. Of course, that normally means there is lots of good food too and mostly food I didn't make.

H2O: I love ice water! Especially right now I get really thirsty and feel like I will die if I don't get cold water. I even have to have a drink in the night when I get up to use the bathroom, which of course just makes me need to use the bathroom again in a little while. It is a vicious cycle.

History: I actually majored in history in college (minored in elementary ed). This does not mean I remember important dates in history, but I really enjoy reading about things that happened long ago.

Humor: I love to laugh. I love to watch funny things on TV and movies. I am not really into dramatic stuff. My husband would say it is because I don't "like to feel". All I know is I would much rather laugh.

Hearing my boy talk on the monitor: Matthew still has a baby monitor in his room because he sleeps upstairs and we sleep downstairs. It feels like he is very far away so I will probably keep a monitor in his room until he is 17 or so. I really enjoy hearing his cute little voice sing and tell crazy stories (the whining because his blankets aren't perfectly flat with no wrinkles, I could live without).

Happy people: Happy people are great. Obviously, all people can't be happy all the time, but I like when people are able to see the good in things and not be pessimistic all the time.

Handwritten notes and Homemade gifts: It is awesome when someone takes the time to actually write a note or make a gift. Don't get me wrong I like e-mails and store bought things too, but I just find the handwritten and homemade things more meaningful. Does this mean I write lots of meaningful letters and make lots of wonderful gifts? Absolutely not.

Hotels: I think it is a ton of fun to stay in a hotel although I haven't stayed in one in a really long time. Of course I am talking about nice hotels. You can swim and get free breakfast in the morning.

That is all. If you want to love a letter you can too, just let me know and I guess I will give you a letter to love. I will probably pick really great letters too like U and X, so if you love unicorns and x-rays you will definitely have a good time.

My Dad, the Super Cool Guy

2009-01-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

My Dad has wanted a Mustang FOREVER. He has been talking about getting a new car for months now and looking around. On Saturday he went and test drove a few Mustangs. He also brought a few by our house since we live near the dealership. Matthew LOVES Mustangs, so he kept telling my dad which color to bring over next. I never really thought my dad would actually buy one because he is such a practical dude, but he did.

Matthew thinks this car is the coolest thing ever. It, of course, leads him to say "Oh yeah baby".

After Matthew sat in the driver's seat and pressed all the buttons, he then said "Papine, will you open the hood, so we can check out the engine?". Everything seemed to be as it should.

My dad told me on Sunday that if I happen to go into labor before the scheduled date and I need to get to the hospital quickly I should call him. He and the Mustang are kinda looking for an excuse to speed.

Honesty is the best policy, but.....

2009-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

honestly you don't have to share your EVERY thought with the world, kiddo.

Matthew is very honest, always. I think it may be a blessing in disguise that we have only one vehicle and Matthew and I don't get out as much as we used to. To say that I am nervous when he speaks out in public is probably an understatement. Here are a few of his honest comments from the last few months.

On Matthew's birthday a neighbor boy stopped by to give him a gift. I had just gotten Matthew up from his nap when they arrived and he said "Oh (neighbor boy's name) it is you again" Now that one kind of made me laugh (inside) because these neighbors had been stopping by ALOT.
After Matthew opens the present he says to the boy, "Wow, you are really great at giving me presents. I am glad I invited you to my birthday. I think I will invite you to my Christmas too."

When my sister and her girls were visiting, all the girls (my sister, nieces, mom and I) and Matthew went shopping. As we were getting ready to go, Matthew looks around at all of us and says, "I am going shopping with all these girls today. I love all you girls, but I love Katy the most."

At Walmart there is a certain cashier I avoid. She is very sweet, but her voice sounds like she has been smoking a pack a day since birth, and I know that my son will have something to say about this that will turn my face crimson before the first item is scanned. Erik did not know about this, so we ended up in her lane a few weeks ago. She is so nice to talk to Matthew, but of course he notices her voice and says "Oh your voice sounds REALLY old". Luckily, she didn't hear him and I whisper to him "Matthew that is not a very kind thing to say". He gets as close as he can to her and gestures toward her face, "It's ok, Mama. Look it didn't hurt her feelings."

Last week, I was helping Matthew get dressed. He says to me, "Mama, I smell something stinky. I think you are stinky."
I say, "Matthew you should not say that people stink. That could really hurt someone's feelings."
He says, "Oh sorry Mama, I was just using my sense of smell."

Might As Well Laugh

2009-01-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

So ever since Erik lost his job in late October things have been pretty interesting around here. We have never really had anything go wrong with the house or car in the past, which has obviously been a major blessing. However, in the last few months it seems we can't go a week without something breaking. I had a dream last night that our microwave broke. Thank goodness that hasn't happened, then we would REALLY be in trouble. It is however missing the door handle, luckily that has no bearing on it's ability to heat.

Last week we had some interesting health insurance happenings. Did anyone know that there isn't an insurance company out there who wants to cover an expectant father???? Erik and Matthew have been on a separate insurance policy from me because I am on the expensive COBRA (due to pregnancy). We happened to be reading that my insurance wouldn't cover the baby bills once she is born since she would be born 60 days after his employment ended at his last job, so Erik called to see if she could be put on with he and Matthew. They told him that not only could she not be added but they would have to cancel the policy altogether because he was an expectant father. Very long story short Matthew has new insurance, Erik has nothing, and we think baby girl will in fact be able to be added to my policy after all.

Also, last week we realized we must in fact fix the breaks on the van and not put that off any longer.

Last Monday, Erik was supposed to be getting off early because he was over in hours. He called me 15 minutes after he was supposed to be off to tell me he had been in a car accident. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt. The other driver ran a red light and hit the driver's side door on our van. The door is dented, but it really isn't that bad. The other driver however, has no insurance and her tags were expired, plus she got a ticket for the accident since it was her fault. I would say that the incident was definitely worse for her. Erik took the van in this morning to be repaired and got a rental car since the van is our only mode of transportation these days.

The theme of the last few months has definitely been change. New job, new schedule, one car, broken water heater, new car brakes, car accident, crazy health insurance, and preparing for our new addition (a.k.a.baby girl, which is definitely a good change). I definitely am not saying all this to complain, but to say the Lord provides. We are beyond blessed! I am so thankful that we can go through seasons with so much uncertainty and be completely certain that we will be taken care of, whether it be the way we expect or not.

Baby News

2009-01-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

I realize now that it was completely mean of me to tell you I had news and then not share it. We have been having some crazy insurance stuff going on lately, so I didn't want to share my news and then have to tell you it was all wrong.

I went to the the doctor Tuesday and I got to pick baby girl's birthdate. She will be born Feb 5th ! It was pretty much the wierdest thing ever to pick out my baby's birthday.

I had to have an emergency c-section with Matthew because after much pushing (and of course the use of those horrible giant doctor prong things, otherwise known as forceps) he didn't even budge. It probably had something to do with the fact that he was 9lbs. 10oz. with a gigantic head. I used to think that I would still try to have our second child without the c-section, but I changed my mind. My doctor is willing to let me try having her on my own if I really wanted to but doesn't suggest it (especially since most people have bigger babies the second time around) and Erik feels alot better scheduling it rather than having an emergency c-section again. I have to admit I don't really want to recreate that birth experience of being in labor all day and night, pushing and then having a c-section.

We are very excited to be so close to meeting our baby girl. But I am really hoping she sticks to the schedule because Erik isn't allowed any paid personal days until he has been with the company 90 days and Feb 5th will be his 91st day. Praise the Lord for that timing!

Christmas Pics

2009-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

I obviously have not been on top of this blog thing lately. We had a wonderful Christmas. We were home for Christmas and spent the morning opening a few gifts then headed over to my parents for the rest of the day.
I got Matthew a few animal info books and put them in his stocking. I knew that he would love them, but that he probably would be more interested in toys on Christmas morning. He, however, felt it was necessary to look at each and every page in every book telling us about every animal he saw, making up the names he didn't know along the way. By the time he was on the third book, even Erik and I were ready to move on to some toys, but Matthew insisted we finish all 4 books.

Matthew got a digital camera of his own from Grandma and Grandpa. He was so excited because as you may remember he loves taking pictures. He took pictures of everything Christmas morning, even the cat throw up he found on the floor. I guess it is good to document everything.

He told me right after he opened his gifts that he was having the best Christmas ever and that this green bouncy ball was his favorite. I was so happy because this kid wanted EVERYTHING he saw a commercial for before Christmas (that wasn't pink or girly) and we didn't have much to spend so we didn't end up buying a thing that he had said he wanted.

My parent's got Matthew this cool keyboard that is loads of fun. You can actually make your own music and record it on to an Ipod looking thing and then listen to your music. There are several different types of music that you can chose from and Matthew has decided techno is his favorite. We rarely get to hear any other type of music these days.

The three boys each got a gun that shoots little balls. After opening these, we took about an hour break to try them out. Matthew was not really able to shoot his on his own so I HAD to help him. I didn't really get hit too many times either because I am pretty sure the guys felt bad hitting a pregnant lady. I can tell we are going to have alot of fun with these. Matthew's has already come in handy. When our tree was still up the cat kept eating it, which of course made him sick, so I used the gun to shoot at him when he was underneath the tree. (Animal lovers don't worry he was not hurt in any way, I just used it to scare him)

Matthew made ornaments which were just made from flour, salt, and water then painted. Zoe, the dog thought they smelled good enough to eat, but luckily the ornaments were saved.

Well that concludes the Christmas summary. I will try to blog again soon because I have some baby news.

My Neighbors will Surely Thank Me Later for the Entertainment

2008-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

We are dog sitting this weekend. We have my parent's dog, Zoe. She is a good dog and we have lots of fun with her. The one thing with Zoe is that she is very social and completely unafraid of cars, so when she goes out a leash is absolutely necessary.

Earlier today, I tried to get her leash on her and she wasn't really into that and while I was trying to convince her otherwise she tinkled a little on the floor. So the second time, I think I am going to be alot wiser about this whole thing and try to get her to keep her dribbles inside until we reach the great outdoors. That is where the story begins......

Picture a dog. Picture this dog.

Picture a boy. Picture this boy.

Picture that boy wearing these on his feet.

The same boy that absolutely refused to wear sandals all this long, hot, summer. He decided that today, December 12 would be a much better time to have his naked little toes sticking out of his sandals. Sandals that are probably too small.

Now picture a woman. A woman with this belly.

Picture the boy opening up the door while the woman with the belly is waiting till the last minute to swoop the leash on the dog right as she hops out the door. Picture that not working at all and the dog that should never go outside without a leash is outside without a leash.

Now the dog is running around all over the yard, the neighbors' yard and the street. The woman with the belly is chasing the dog and calling for her to come back. Now the boy in the sandals comes out of the house, forgets to close the door and chases the dog too.

Since the door is open, the cat, the indoor cat, decides to make a break for it. The boy in the sandals sees the cat and starts chasing him instead all while screaming to the woman with the belly "Mama, Mac is out. Mama get Mac".

So around and around the dog runs while the lady with the big belly tries to catch her. In another area the cat is running around and around while the boy wearing the sandals in 30 degree weather tries to catch him.

The lady with the belly may have fallen, but she was definitely not hurt, nor was the belly, only her pride and her knees. Finally the dog was cornered and decided to run inside. The boy with the sandals followed. The lady with the belly came to close the door and then went to the neighbors porch to collect her cat.

Once inside the woman with the belly realizes that the dog never even peed outside.

Thankful for These Thursday

2008-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

This last week I have been so thankful for many people and things. So I thought I would share a few...

This is a castle that Matthew got as a birthday present from my sister and her family (Thanks guys!). I must admit I am pretty sure I wanted this more than Matthew did (I have been wanting it for months), but now he likes it more than me. This toy has kept him busy for hours (Am I a bad mom if that makes me love the castle even more than I anticipated?). I will also admit that Matthew's cars spend more time in the castle than the knights that came with it do. But that makes sense, cars always drive around medieval castles. The boy loves his cars and they get to play in everything, in fact right now there are a couple parked beside the Christmas houses.

Second thing I am thankful for are all these clothes. My grandma sent these for the kids. I was completely shocked to get a box from my grandma. She does love to buy baby and kid's clothing, but she never sends it in the mail. I haven't bought a thing for the baby girl (her grandmas have though, which I am also VERY thankful for) and I have been thinking lately she will need some clothes (since some people (MOM)strongly feel that she shouldn't wear all blue boy hand-me-downs from her brother that I have stuffed in every closet). Matthew got a super handsome dress shirt from Gap, some football pjs, and a super duper cool coat. The coat also came equipped with an Ipod pocket with a little opening for the headphones, which EVERY 4 year old needs. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have said "Matthew I just wish your coat had a place for your Ipod".

The third thing I am so thankful for is gift cards and those that give them. My sisters and their families came for Thanksgiving and we celebrated Christmas then with them. My nieces got Erik and I gift cards for dinner and a movie (they weren't supposed to get us anything by the way, but thanks girls). So Erik and I had a date night this week. We went to dinner AND a movie. I am not even sure of the last time that happened. It was awesome!

The fourth thing goes with the third. I am so thankful for grandparents that enjoy taking their grandson overnight so that his parents can have a great, free date night (Thanks Mine and Papine).

The last thing that I am thankful for is getting our health insurance all taken care of. Because I am pregnant I have had to get the cobra insurance from Erik's last job because nobody, of course wants to cover a pregnant lady part way through. Thankfully, we were able to just have me covered on that while getting Erik and Matthew on a seperate independent policy because as some of you might know cobra is very expensive. To have that taken care of is such a relief.

Oh and I am also really thankful for bananas and Fudge Rounds too.

I Am Pretty Sure I Didn't Explain It This Way...

2008-11-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Matthew was looking through a book.
He points to a picture and says:
"This is a statue of Jesus. Some people made a statue of Him because He is so great. Jesus takes away all of our sins and gives them to the T-Rex dinosaurs."

Four Years Ago Today....

2008-11-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

... my 9lb 10oz chub of love baby boy came into this world.

I cannot believe he is 4! But yet I can't really seem to remember life without my little love. 4 seems likes such a big jump from 3. We celebrated on Sunday with my parents. Matthew called it "the best day ever of my life", so I would say he had fun. I actually bought a birthday cake, which I have never done before, but Matthew is completely in love with those cakes he sees in the store so it was kinda like another present for him. I must say though I will probably not buy another one again because it didn't taste very good. Matthew did love it though so I guess that is all that really matters!

We are having fun playing with some new toys today. New toys are great. And Whac-a-mole is loads of fun, even if you are much older than 4! There may have been a time or 2 on Sunday when the 4 adults were playing the game without the birthday boy.

The Fat Has Landed

2008-11-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

Alright, I know some people really enjoy seeing a fat pregnant lady, so I have decided to post a pic for you crazy people that like that sort of thing.

For those of you who never saw me during my first pregnancy, first of all consider yourselves lucky and second of all you should know I was HUGE. I know every pregnant woman thinks they are the size of a humpback whale, but I didn't just think it, it was real. Every part of me was large. My ankles had the same circumference of that of a 30 year old oak tree and I swear even my nose tripled in size. Of course, people were polite and didn't tell me I was ginormous. Instead they said things like, "When are you due again?" and then when I would tell them my due date they would snicker and say "I don't think there is any way you will make it that long." Others would guess my due date and would be about 60 days off.

Now this time around I was starting to get a little cocky. Until about a month ago, I would tell people that I was pregnant and they were shocked at how far along I was, saying I didn't even look pregnant. Then the belly came all of the sudden, bringing with it the fat face that I thought I might be avoiding this time. Matthew always has funny things to say like "Whoa your belly is HUGE" and "Your baby's bubble is getting bigger and bigger, soon it is going to pop". I just hope he doesn't start saying things like that to other people, especially people who aren't pregnant, but he does enjoy talking to strangers so I am sure it is just a matter of time.

Words to Laugh By

2008-11-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Matthew has been saying alot of things lately to crack us up and make us ask ourselves "Where in the world did he get that?". Here are a few.

My Mom was over the other day and we were getting ready to eat lunch. I was fixing a very complex and tasty culinary treat, also known as peanut butter and jelly.

Matthew says: "May I have some peanut butter on my thumb?"

I say: "Sure"

My Mom: "Matthew I can give you some peanut butter."

Matthew: "No thank you, Mama can do it." He then sticks out his finger turns to my Mom and says "Watch and learn."

As I was cleaning the bathroom Matthew enters with his Lightning McQueen phone up to his ear chatting away.

I ask: "Who are you talking to?"

Matthew puts his hand over the phone and says "Daddy". He then continues to talk on the phone. A moment later he sticks out his pointer finger toward me and says "I will play with you in just one minute."

He then continues his conversation with Daddy, which among many things including the following, "Do you want to come over to my place at 6?....Ok. Love you. Bye."

He then snaps his phone shut and says to me "Sorry that took so long."

While Erik was home on his unemployed impromptu vacation, he and Matthew played alot of baseball. Matthew somehow knows a few baseball terms (I think I can thank the Berenstain Bear's baseball book for that).

As they were playing, Matthew takes a few practice swings before Erik pitches and then he swings and completely misses the pitch once it is thrown. Erik is just cracking up that Matthew takes practice swings when we have never suggested for him to do such a thing. Matthew thinks Erik is laughing because he missed the pitch so he turns to him and says with as much attitude as a 3 year old can possess "What? Better than your Mama's sister!".

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

2008-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

I am a bit behind and haven't had a chance to post pictures from Erik's parents visit yet. We only get to see them a couple of times a year so we always look forward to spending time with them. We did alot of playing outside, we went to the zoo, Erik's Mom and I did a little shopping, and of course the guys played beans. Matthew did his best to keep Grandma busy snuggling, crashing cars, and making her laugh. I think Grandma's favorite Matthew line was after he woke up from a nap and we were all talking about what a great long nap he took and he said, while pointing to a few spots on his pants "Yeah, and I even slept with these annoying stains on my pants". I am so lucky to have a child who can sleep during extreme stain situations.

Job Update

2008-11-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

My hubby is employed! Today is his first day. Woohoo! Praise the Lord!

We are so blessed that he was able to get a job so quickly. Matthew and I really enjoyed having him home though for 2 weeks. It was a great little vacation at home! I can honestly say that I was able to thoroughly enjoy our extra time together without being worried about the future, job and money stuff.

I thought Matthew would be absolutely rotten today because he has been so used to Daddy being home to play with him, but he has been great. He was pretty sure Daddy was going to be, in his words "taying home forever", but he did fine when Erik left. He just had a tiny fussing time about Erik taking the van, he said "Now Mama we can't drive anywhere". We are down to one car since Erik used to have a company car. This has been the most traumatic thing for Matthew. He LOVED Erik's Jeep and I think he is a little worried that if Erik takes the van to work he won't bring it back. He is a little worrier. I have NO idea where he gets that from, haha!

Thanks everybody for your thoughts and prayers!

Crazy Week

2008-10-24T04:58:00.000-07:00

So as the title suggests we have had a crazy week. On Monday, Erik came home from work with some pretty stinky news. He no longer had a job. The reason given was that his boss was eliminating his position. I am not going to get into into alot of details, but I will just tell you this was a HUGE shock. Erik just got some very large accounts for the auction, so to eliminate his position seems strange and unfair (ok and dumb too). The situation seems fishy and I will admit I think my man has been wronged.

My husband is awesome though. As soon as he got home he made some calls to anyone he knows who may have a job for him and sent his resume to everyone hiring within a 30 mile radius. On Tuesday, he went to a job fair, had an interview, and got a few more scheduled for next week. Erik is really the best job finder.

We are also very blessed. Through working at the auction Erik knows every car dealer in the area, as well as, many other dudes from businesses that send cars to the auction. Erik has received many calls from these people once they find out about him being let go, offering any connections they may have to finding him a new job. One even said he would have a job for Erik by the end of the week. Now I am not holding my breath, but it is just such a blessing that people are so willing to help.

The really great part about this week is that Erik's parents are here visiting us from Michigan. We have been looking forward to their visit and we are so happy to have them!

I am beyond confident that the Lord will provide, He always has. I am not completely freaking out, so that is certainly evidence that He has already provided me peace that we all know I do not possess during financial trials.
Thank you to our family and friends who I know are already on their knees on our behalf!

The Lighter Side of the Debate

2008-10-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Debates make me really nervous. I get pretty tense before I watch a debate. I am not sure why because I am just watching and I really don't even have to do that.

But I found 2 things kind of funny during the debates last night to settle my nerves.

First off, talk of Joe the Plumber. That might as well be his name now, with the as his middle name and Plumber as his last. I bet this man had no idea that by speaking to Obama over the weekend he would be mentioned in the final debate. Not was he just mentioned once, but I heard a count today that he was referred to 25 times! Joe the Plumber was made a celebrity last night. Both candidates wanted to have the best plan for Joe.

The other thing I really enjoyed was McCain using the word cockamamie. This has been one of my favorite words for the longest time. If I were sitting on the fence that definitely would have sealed the deal for me (please know I am kidding, although my feelings for the word are strong election decisions should not be made because of great vocabulary choices by the candidates). Try using the word cockamamie, it will surely brighten your day and also brighten the day of those around you.

On an unrelated note, have you noticed all this blogging going on??? I think that is 4 posts in 3 days! Definitely a record here. Apparently it is either feast or famine with me. Now I probably won't post till spring 2009, just kidding.

I Love Overalls

2008-10-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Matthew does not share these same feelings. I have always loved overalls and I put them on Matthew all the time when he was little. I got his overalls out the other day and he was pretty sure he would not wear them. So being the wonderful mother that I am, I offered him 1 piece of candy in exchange for him wearing the overalls all day. Candy is king. The overalls were worn. I had to take a few pictures (or maybe alot of them) in case, this never ever happened again.

A Very Good Day at Target

2008-10-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought some pajamas for Matthew and 3 of those Rubbermaid totes at Target. Both of those things happened to be on sale this week. So I went back and got a price adjustment. I got over $10 back! I am just amazed by that. I have always heard of stores giving price adjustments but I have never actually been able to get one. I normally buy things and then 2 weeks later they are on sale which doesn't do me any good. Last week I also bought kitty litter and got a $5 Target gift card, so I used that on my purchases today (more pjs for the boy since they were on sale). I rarely buy anything besides food (oh and kitty litter, of course) so even though I love Target I don't buy much there. Days like today make me love Target even more. I love you Target.
Also on a non-Target note, gas in $2.94! It is really just a great day.

My Name is Megan....

2008-10-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

and I am addicted to Fox News Channel. This isn't the first time either. I had this addiction 4 yrs. ago as well right before Matthew was born. As you smart readers have already put together that was also an election year. I tend to get a bit caught up in election news. Now I don't keep the TV on all day or anything, the addiction is not that severe (besides that isn't really necessary since they also have a website that is constantly updated with the latest breaking news).

Erik is interested in politics too, but he tends to get a little tired of Fox News. I also may have a bit of a problem with getting worked up about certain things so Erik tends to suggest I limit my election news intake. Matthew knows the Fox News logo and will say things like "Mama, did you see on Fox News...." or "They said on Fox News that A Rock Obama (Barack, of course) is going to Michigan".

I really can't stand to watch any other news channel because it tends to be so one sided. I like on Fox News that you hear from both sides. They ask people real significant questions and for the most part, they call people out on lies and half truths that unfortunately seem to be a part of every election.

Now if someone put me in charge of the election (this will never ever happen, but a girl can dream). I would suggest we hear less of these things that the would-be presidents would do and we be allowed to look at the candidates' records. We all know from the past that the things promised aren't always seen. Now some of this is because the candidates want to get elected, obviously, so they want to entice people to vote for them, but the reason why we don't see other things they promise is because they just don't really know what obstacles and circumstances they will face as the head of this country. I would suggest we focus on what these candidates have done in the past, like what kind of bills they have tried to pass or ideas and bills that they have voted against.

I really do feel like this is an important election. I am very much for my candidate (McCain, in case you were wondering). He is not perfect, of course, neither candidate is. Sometimes, I must confess, I get a little worried about how things will change if McCain does not win. I worry about the election. I worry about the economy and national security. I worry about who will lead our country. But after my moment of worry, I remember that I know the Creator of the world and that I really don't have anything to worry about at all.

**I know this is kind of serious stuff coming from me and I am not normally serious. For those of you completely against a serious Megan, just hold on we will surely be back to your regularly scheduled blogging in no time.

The results are in....

2008-09-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's a girl! I am honestly just in complete shock. I was really expecting it to be a boy. Don't get me wrong I am very excited, but I have just spent the last 4 years picking out blue clothes and for some reason I just wasn't expecting to see any pink in my immediate future.
Matthew went with us this morning to the ultrasound and he did very well. As soon as the ultrasound tech came out to the waiting room to fetch us Matthew decided he liked her and quickly told her so. He asked her a few questions, always with a polite "Excuse me Dr." to begin his question. He wasn't a big fan of having the lights off or hearing the heart beat which was a bit loud. After the appointment he told everyone who even looked in his general direction about seeing his baby sister jump around in his Mama's tummy. He told Erik later "I am going to tell everyone in the whole wide world about my baby sister".
So I have a video of him doing just that. Erik just got me a new camera for our anniversary and my birthday that takes video so it is all kinda new to me. I am going to try to figure out how to post it. If it doesn't work, all you smart people who know how to do that feel free to comment and instruct me on how to do so, thanks!

What's it gonna be?

2008-09-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning we will find out if I will become even more outnumbered and continue to be the lone female in our home or if things will get evened out around here. I am kinda feeling like it's a boy (but what do I know) and Erik and I think it would be fun for Matthew to have a brother. Of course a girl would be fun and different too (and we all know girl clothes are way cuter than boy's). Either way we are VERY excited to find out!
Matthew in the past weeks has been very adamant one way or the other. He was completely convinced at first that it was going to be a girl and refused to believe a baby brother could even be an option. The last few weeks he has alternated between the two, one week he is completely sure it is a brother the next week he is 100% sure it is a sister. This week when asked he says "I think it is going to just be a baby." He certainly can't go wrong with that prediction.

New Dog Walking Venture

2008-09-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of walking your dog? Does it just seem like there is not enough time in the day to properly walk your dog? Does your dog wear you out?

Look no further. We can help you with your walking woes. Let Matthew take care of all of your dog walking needs. You will never have to walk your dog again. Matthew has the energy and experience you are looking for.

Here is some photo evidence of his superior dog walking abilities. Matthew has the know how to walk any dog at any speed depending on the dog's individual needs.

Matthew will let your dog run while keeping complete control of the animal.
He will let your dog take a leisurely stroll if that is what your dog wants to do, with time to enjoy the great outdoors.
Matthew can even walk your dog while it naps. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Your dog no longer needs to lift a paw or even be awake to be walked by Matthew.

**(A note to concerned dog-lovers, don't worry, no dogs were hurt during this photo session)

So call now to schedule your first walk session. First session is free! Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not happy with Matthew's Dog Walking we will probably not refund your money and you can once again walk your dog yourself.

Matthew's Thoughts on Pregnancy

2008-09-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

To his grandma: "My Mama has a baby growing in her tummy. I have a puppy growing in my tummy. I can't wait till the puppy comes out so I can play with him."
(I am personally crossing my fingers and hoping that puppy is a Newfoundland because I have always wanted one of those. If my wish comes true though, Matthew is gonna get HUGE.)

About a week after we told Matthew about the baby I wasn't feeling so well. I had already explained to him the day before that sometimes because of the baby I wouldn't feel well. He asked me to play and I told him I needed to rest for just a minute. The sweet child ran to get me my crackers. As he hands me the crackers he says grumpily "What is taking this baby so long?".

I wanted to look up something in my pregnancy book and when I was finished I just put the book down on the end table. Matthew decided he was going to look through it. He came upon a sketch of a pregnant woman. After seeing the picture of a baby actually in the sketched woman's stomach, he looks at me very seriously and says "Um, Mama did you eat a baby?".

Lake Winnepesaukah

2008-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Erik's company provided the employees tickets and lunch at Lake Winnepesaukah (yeah that is a crazy name isn't it?). Matthew has been wanting to go there really bad because of course he has seen numerous commercials over the last year for the amusement park. The commercial goes something like this "Happy come on get happy, Lake Winnepesaukah will make you smile". So who wouldn't want to go there, right? Well, the park certainly did make Matthew smile. Unfortunately, the smile guarantee must only be for visitors because the majority of the employees were missing theirs.
So since probably none of you have ever been to this park I will tell you about it. Imagine a park that is a combination of Busch Gardens and Sea World with just a tiny bit of Disney World thrown in as well. Lake Winnie (as the locals refer to it) is nothing like that park that you are imagining, but it does have plenty of rides, funnel cakes, a lake with fish in it, and occasionally they get Spongebob or Dora to visit. More realistically it is like a permanent fair or carnival with 2 roller coasters.
Matthew rode lots of little kid rides, a roller coaster and a scary ride. We all got to ride a train and the paddle boats. They don't let pregnant ladies ride too many things, but I had plenty of fun watching Erik and Matthew.

Here Erik and Matthew are getting on the scary ride. I tried to talk him out of it. I mean he gets scared by some Veggies Tales videos, so I thought this ride would be a disaster. Matthew insisted he wanted to go. So he went plugging his ears the whole way. For some reason he always plugs his ears when he is scared, although clearly closing his eyes would be the better choice. I waited for him to come screaming out of the ride, but he did very well. He came running to me when he got off and said "I was just a yittle bit cared" (or a little bit scared).

This is the big roller coaster. Matthew's first one. You can see him putting him hands up in this picture like he is an old pro.

Matthew's first cotton candy. He later shared with my mom his feelings about this experience, "I had cotton candy. I love cotton candy. I love cotton candy like a brother."

We had a great FREE time and the park lived up to it's commercial claims!

Baby Info

2008-08-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

The baby is due February 6th. I think I am about 15 weeks right now. That picture was from my ultrasound at 11 weeks. We don't know yet if it is a boy or girl but we will find out as soon as we can and I will, of course, do a post about that. Since we lived in VA when I had Matthew this is a completely new Dr. and they do things a bit different so I have no idea when the 2nd ultrasound will be although I assume it should be soon.
Erik and I may not know the sex of the baby yet, however Matthew is quite convinced he is having a baby sister and refuses to accept the fact that it could possibly be a boy. I was actually pregnant when I wrote the baby sister post but I didn't know it until a couple of days later, so I didn't lie, I promise.
Thanks for all of the comments on the previous post!

Lots of New Stuff

2008-08-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have obviously been very neglectful when it comes to the blog. I really don't have a good excuse or I would surely share it with you.

So as the title suggests there has been alot of new stuff going on around here. Not just new stuff, but really good new stuff. Hmmm...maybe lots of new stuff is a good excuse for not blogging-I don't know, think about it and get back to me.

The first new really really great thing is, Erik's job. His job isn't new but basically everything about it is, which is wonderful. Another new thing attached to that is a company car. Getting a new car is great, but getting a new car to drive around that you don't have to pay for is awesome. This means we sold the Lancer, which was the first car Erik and I purchased together. So you might think it was a little bit sad to get rid of it, which it was for a moment, then we got the check which quickly dried my tears.

Erik's new ride

The second bit of news is that my boy is a big boy now! I thought for sure Matthew was going to be sporting Pull-Ups to his senior prom, but it turns out that will not be the case. That news probably deserves it's own post, so maybe I will do one later.

And last, but most definitely not least (in fact it is the most important piece of news).

This is a baby. Our baby! Matthew is going to be a big brother! We are all very excited and feel extremely blessed!

As Seen on TV

2008-07-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Matthew LOVES commercials. Not just the toy and kid kind of commercials, he loves all commercials. He also enjoys memorizing those commercials. In the mornings, he typically watches a show or two on NickJr and that is where he gets his sales material.
Here are a few favorites:

Aqua Globes: "Mama, you need Aqua Globes. You will never need to water your plants again."
The fact that I do not have any indoor plants seems to be irrelevant.

Swivel Sweeper: He says, "I want to play in the backyard."
I say: "The backyard is kinda yucky right now, Daddy and I will have to clean it up first." To explain our backyard is pretty much a ditch and everything from our street (water, leaves, garbage) ends up in our backyard, so we generally play in the front.
He says: "If you had a Swivel Sweeper I would clean it up for you. The Swivel Sweeper can pick up anything."
My Mom happened to purchase this sweeper. When Matthew saw it he hugged it and says "Oh I am so happy to see you Swivel Sweeper."

Green Bags: My little salesman says, "Daddy, stop throwing away your money. Air is not the enemy. With Green Bags you will never again throw away rotten fruits and vegetables."
My Mom happened to purchase these too. (I think Matthew may be selling her on these things) She happened to have bananas in the green bag and a few out. He spots the bananas and says "See the difference in these bananas, Mama. Air is not the enemy."

Band-Aid Brand Bandages: Last weekend Matthew fell in a parking lot and got a cut that was really bleeding so we had to stop at Walgreen's to buy some band aids since we weren't headed home. My Mom ran into the store and bought the first bandages see saw, which happened to be the Walgreen's brand. So, we put the bandage on and later that night Matthew went to bed with it on. The next morning I hear him crying as soon as he wakes up which is pretty odd. I hurry up to his room to see what the problem is. He is sitting on his bed looking at his bandage that got a little roughed up in the night and was no longer covering his cut, but still sticking to his arm and says in a weepy voice "This band aid doesn't stick as well as the leading brand."

His future in sales is looking pretty bright.

Michigan Trip

2008-07-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

We went to MI for a week and we, of course, had a great time. We got to spend lots of time with family. We also got to visit Ann Arbor, Erik got to do some golfing, Matthew got to play in the water park Grandma set up in her backyard with his cousins, we ate lots and lots, and I got to visit my best girl Rachel from Spring Arbor (I somehow didn't get a pic of her though, how sad). Matthew also got to go bowling for the first time which he has been begging to do.
Last year I think between Erik's mom and sisters and myself we took about 400+ pictures. This year we kept feeling like we were slacking on the picture taking but still ended up with at least 300. This is hands-down the most photographed week of our year, but we really only get to see each other once a year so we have to make up for that by taking a ton of pictures. (Don't worry I won't share them all)

My New Favorite and Zoo Pics

2008-06-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

We went to the zoo about a month ago and for some reason I am posting this now. We have this great little zoo near us. It is pretty small, but cheap and Matthew thinks it is great, so I do too.

This is my new favorite! They are both looking and smiling at the same time! Amazing!

Matthew was a bit cautious about actually touching the animals. Erik took him a few weeks prior on his own and Matthew wouldn't even step into the petting portion, he told Erik it was closed and so they couldn't go in. I think it is possible he maybe remembering a segment from America's Home Videos where there were several clips of crazy things happening to kids at petting zoos.

Matthew wild creature extraordinaire telling us all about animal paw prints.

Baby Sister

2008-06-20T12:07:00.001-07:00

According to Matthew he has a baby sister. **Before anyone starts thinking this is my way of saying I am pregnant, it's not, even though we would be absolutely delighted, there is no #2 yet.**

Just a few short months ago, Matthew was completely against siblings. I would say something like "Wouldn't you like to have a baby brother or sister someday to play with?" and he would always say something like "No thank you Mama, I am the only one."or "Please don't talk to me about babies.".

One day Matthew and a friend were playing outside and the friend was talking about his new baby brother. Matthew didn't really appear to be listening but he went immediately to the garage and got his old baby stroller out. He pushed it around the front yard for a half an hour talking about how his baby sister was in the stroller and how he was taking her to the aquarium and how she loved the fish. When it was time to go inside, Matthew asked if he could bring his baby sister inside I said no the stroller needed to stay in the garage. I thought this would probably be the last time he would speak of baby sister.

The next day we are getting in the car headed off to Walmart when Matthew spots the stroller and says "Oh there is my baby sister. Can she come to Walmart?" I say, "No, baby sister needs to stay here. She probably needs a nap anyway." Once we get to Walmart (45 seconds later...such a LONG trip) Matthew is talking to everyone in sight as he always does. For some reason he decides the subject for the day should be his baby sister. So he tells everyone..
"I have a baby sister at home."
The strangers smile and say "Well that is nice."
"Mama says she has to stay out in the garage though, she isn't allowed to come inside. I wish she could come inside. She is taking a nap in the garage right now."
The strangers' smiles fade and they look at me. I quickly explain before anyone can whip out their cell phones and dial up child protective services that his sister is not real.

Weeks later, baby sister is still a major part of our lives. He still pushes her around outside and we have taken her for several walks around the neighborhood. His old room still has the crib in it so that is baby sister's room. He found a teething fish toy and said "I need to put this in the fridge for my baby sister. She will like to chew on it." So for the past week he has put it in and taken it out of the fridge several times a day. Matthew has picked out new bedding for her in the Pottery Barn catalog (he claims she is a big fan of the fish set, sorry baby sister we don't actually ever buy anything from PB, we just like to look) and he has shopped for toys and clothes for her at Target. Baby sister is so lucky to have such a dedicated big brother.

Yikes!

2008-06-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

I HATE snakes. Let me explain, I REALLY HATE snakes. I am not scared of snakes because I think they will kill me or anything I just hate them. I think I hate the way they slither the most. I have hated snakes for as long as I can remember, even snakes on tv. I have to put my feet up when I see a snake on tv, and it isn't like sometimes I put my feet up or most of the time I put my feet up, it is EVERY time. Now I am not the kind of girl that is scared of all bugs, spiders and all things creepy and crawly. I feel that my hatred of snakes is completely Biblical. I mean it wasn't a spider that tempted Adam and Eve.
Recently, things have been a little too snakey for me. While walking with Matthew the other day I saw I snake slithering in a neighbor's yard. I was pretty proud of myself because I was very calm and thanked the Lord above that there were no snakes in my yard. I mean snakes can't come in my yard, right? This yard was clear on the other side of the subdivision from mine, my side of the sub is most definitely snake free. In fact, I thought maybe it was the neighbor's snake and they just let it out for a morning slither in their yard.
Then 2 days ago there was a story on the news about a mom who walked in to her baby's room and found a snake wrapped around her baby's leg while the child was sleeping in the crib! They think the snake was in the mattress! Yikes! I actually saw the snake on the news, so for the last few days I have been picturing that horrid thing in my bed slithering to my leg.
I wish that this were the end of the snake stories, but it only gets worse. This morning as Erik is walking out the door he points to the sidewalk and says "Megan, do you see what that is?" just as a gigantic, horrible reptile slithered into our bushes. Yes, it was a snake and it was in my yard!!!!! Ok, ok it wasn't gigantic, but it was definitely horrible and it looked exactly like the snake from the news that has been haunting my thoughts at night. I get freaked out just typing it. A snake in the yard I spend hours in. Erik said it went into the neighbor's yard, which gives me such peace because I am sure there is some invisible snake gate to keep it in the neighbor's yard and allow it never to return to ours. Then Erik reminds me that we really need to weed that section in the front where the snake was. I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. Is there such thing as snake repellent?

Runaway

2008-06-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Boy was zooming his car around the dining room table.
Mom says to Boy: "Please don't zoom your car on the dining room table. Any other table will be fine, just no cars on this table."
Boy continues zooming as though Mom had never spoken.
Mom says: "Please take your car somewhere else."
Boy walks away with an angry look on his face.
30 seconds later, the Boy returns with arms crossed and says: "I gotta get outta this house."
Mom says: "You've gotta get out of this house? Why?"
Boy says: "Because you told me about my car."
The Boy takes a few steps toward the door.
Mom says: "Where will you go?"
Boy: "I don't know, someplace."
Mom: "Who will take care of you."
Boy: "I don't know."
Mom moves toward the door and unlocks it.
Mom:"Well I don't want you to go, but I guess your mind is made up."
While opening the door for the Boy, Mom says: "Be safe. I love you."
The Boy looking confused, slowly closes the door. His whole face starts to change. With wide eyes, a gigantic smile and nervous laughter in his voice he says: "I was just betending (pretending). I am not willy (really) leaving. I am not angry, you just asked me a question nicely. I was just betending (pretending). "

Whew, that was a close one!

Matthew's Fashion Do's and Don'ts for Summer 2008

2008-06-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

DON'T wear anything with a tag.

DO buy tagless or make someone (like your mom) cut out the tags in ALL of your clothes.

If your mom forgets and leaves even one tag on you can remind her with tears and frantic words like "Oh no, it has a tag"or simply "Emergency".

DON'T ever let your feet be naked, wear socks at ALL times.

I really can't stress this one enough. Even if you are not wearing pants or underwear; socks are essential.

DON'T ever wear shorts to bed.

I know it is very tempting to wear shorts to bed, especially when nearly every pj set comes with pants and shorts to match so that you could wear either. I know it is tempting to wear shorts also when it is 105 degrees in your house and you sweat profusely all night, believe me I know. Be strong, fashion is of the up most importance, even while you sleep. Remember the socks too, no one should ever sleep without socks.

DON'T wear sandals (unless your mom threatens you with a time out).

With sandals you can't wear socks which conflicts with rule #3. Also, if you have followed this blog for awhile you will remember mom has a hard time putting those things on the right feet anyway.

The final rule for summer fashion is....

DO realize any attire is appropriate for weight lifting.

Lifting in a t-shirt, underwear, and socks only is ok. Really you can even lift while you are on the potty half naked. So this last rule is really that there are no fashion rules when it comes to exercise.

Sickness, Sunburns and Storms

2008-06-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday afternoon when Matthew woke up from his nap he was burning up and his voice was a bit raspy. He was a little cranky but when I asked him what hurt him he said "nothin". Later though he came to me completely distressed, tears streaming down his face saying "Every time I talk my mouth turns into a grandma mouth and not a Matthew mouth". The next day he had his "grandma mouth" again but no fever. Just to clarify neither one of his grandmas have a raspy voice so I am convinced this idea that grandmas have raspy voices must have come from tv or something. He kept telling me he wanted to go see his Dr. at Target and get some tasty medicine. Of course, our Dr. doesn't work at Target, he was referring to the pharmacist I think in an attempt to cut out the middle man (the Dr.) and just get straight to the medicine that makes him all better. I didn't take him to the Dr. and on Friday he seemed fine. He told me upon waking he was "just a yittle bit sick". I found that to mean he was sick enough to have his sick suckers (these really cool throat soothing suckers made for little kids, I wish I would have invented that) but well enough to resume all other normal activities.

Friday night he woke up a few times and did some crazy screaming and he would not tell me what was wrong.

Saturday we had tickets to JFest, which is this great outdoor all day Christian music event. It was lots of fun. It was however the hottest day we have had yet, which means Erik and Matthew were drenched with sweat by the time the first band reached the chorus of their first song. My dad brought his binoculars which Matthew claimed immediately and barely let go of them for the remainder of the day. Matthew liked the music but did complain to me a couple of times that "the music notes were getting inside of him", but apparently that isn't a completely horrible thing because he did some dancing, played a little air guitar, and especially liked the stuff that was "rocking out" a bit as he would say. Later that evening once we were home Matthew's eye started looking a little different and oozing some yellow goo. Erik and I also noticed we had acquired a bit more sun than we had thought. We realized that one of us may have completely forgotten to put any sunscreen whatsoever on his/her legs and due to the way this person, whose identity will be kept secret, was sitting half of his/her legs were blazing, bright red and the other half white as white can be (in case you were wondering this particular look makes people, even complete strangers, laugh). We were all ready for sleep, but sleep would be hard to come by this particular night. Matthew was up screaming a few times, his eyes were all gunked up and swollen nearly closed, he threw up in his bed and had a bloody nose. Then, of course once he finally was sleeping for a few hours there was a very loud thunderstorm that woke him. By 4:45 AM I was quite ready to just give up on that night and start our Sunday extra early.

By morning, Matthew was looking pretty piratey with his one eye nearly closed and I had read that if the eye is swollen you should seek some medical attention so since our Dr. doesn't happen to be open on Sundays we tried out one of those Minute Clinics in CVS. So Matthew has a sore throat, ear infection and pink eye and we got prescription drugs to put into every hole on his face. The eye drops are miraculous, his eye looked nearly normal by the time he went to bed that night and there was no screaming in the night so I am guessing his ear is feeling better too. I fear his throat may never feel better if better means he can no longer have his sick suckers.

I have taken so long to write this post that I now have some new news as well. Erik is sick. He went to the Dr. I made a second trip to the Target pharmacy this week. He has strep throat. I think I need a sick sucker.

Workout

2008-05-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I purchased a gigantic workout ball. I must admit that I was very excited about this purchase. The workout method looked way too fun to be painful. I felt like I had found the perfect way to get in shape. And, of course I saw Dwight on "The Office" using one ("forget everything you know about ab workouts"), so needless to say I was sold. This gigantic ball workout had everything I was looking for; something fun that I would actually look forward to and of course abs of steel.

I have yet to receive my abs of steel. It is for sure my fault though because I have not been so great at actually doing the workout. It was becoming like all my other workout videos, you know the ones where I think about doing it but then I decide I will just go for a walk instead. That I think is the gigantic ball exercise creator people's fault because it was not nearly as fun and painless as I anticipated. I mean my abs hurt the day after! So my new idea was to do the workout with Matthew because he would think it was great fun (also then I wouldn't have to do it during the precious nap, yeah that was my main goal-don't use up the precious nap hour).

So I got Matthew excited about it. He got out this big ball he has, it is not of course meant for working out, but since he is light it works. So we did it. Matthew is actually suprisingly good at following the workout lady's instructions (in fact, I think he did way better than me). I had to take a few pictures of him, which of course turned into him taking 578 pictures of me. I had to delete most of them because they were not flattering as he took most of them from behind me while I was on the ball. It was a blast. So it turns out the gigantic ball workout is fun after all, I guess I just needed the right workout partner.

The only picture of me suitable for public view. Also please notice above that Matthew's socks do not match and know that is all my doing. He complained for about 15 minutes about the socks but I finally convinced him it was ok.

Hallmark's Got Nothin' on This Kid

2008-05-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

I never know what Matthew is going to say. He is always coming up with new phrases that always lead me to ask "Where did you get that?". Don't worry it really is never anything bad, just mostly surprising and humorous especially coming out of the mouth of a 3 year old. This week he has been on a roll with the sweet words. I guess someone tipped him off that Mother's Day is coming up.

All of these comments occurred after I helped Matthew in some way:

"Thank you Mama, you are a superhero."

"I can fish now because of you, Mama. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You still got it, Mom."

Last weekend I went to woman's conference at church when I got home on Saturday afternoon he came running to me and said "You're home. I missed you. I was so worried." (yeah I don't leave that much)

Yesterday while I was helping him with his shoes he moved a piece of my hair to the side and said "There you go, now you look just like a princess." (On a side note, I would hate to not share that after he said this princess bit he touched his own hair and said "There now I look like a tackling football player")

Watch out for this face....

2008-05-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we are still fine tuning the potty skills here in the Smith house. Well let me correct that some of us are still perfecting those skills, but 2/3 of us have it down pat. I must admit when people told me that potty training boys can take "awhile", I never imagined "awhile" would be this long!

He really is doing well for the most part, however we do have a poo problem. The poo never makes it to it's desired destination (or should I say my desired destination for it). At first Matthew was oblivious to the fact he had a poo problem, he was not bothered at all by toting around a pound of poo in his pants. He appeared to be completely shocked when I would mention the contents I found in those pants. I could have said, "Oh Matthew I just found a mama dog and 7 newborn puppies in your pants." and I would get the same reaction-complete surprise and shock.

We have now reached a new era in which he is very aware of what he is carrying around and is even bothered by any and all contents. From what I read this is good news (cause knowing is half the battle, right?), we are making some kind of poo progress. So he now hides while doing his duty. He will say something like "Oh I need to go upstairs to find something".

Of course, the silence warns me that something is amiss after he has been upstairs for a few minutes because he talks CONSTANTLY, except when engaging in naughty, time-out worthy activities. Then as I walk up the stairs I hear a door close. I walk into his room to find it empty with his closet door closed and the light on...hmmm I wonder where he could be. As I apporaoch the door I hear him say to himself "She's coming, I will be safe in here". I open the door to find Matthew as pictured above with his hands on his ears, apparently talking to his hands saying "keep plugging, keep plugging....". The first few times I would say "Why are you plugging your ears?" and he would say "I don't want to hear you tell me about my stinky pants." As you have probably guessed this has now happened so many times I no longer ask any questions, I know all too well.

I'm it! I have been tagged.

2008-04-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by my best girl and old (she herself is not old, although it is kinda funny to think about a young person moving into their college dorm to find their roommate is this really old person with false teeth and gray hair, wow that is funny, but it didn't happen to me) roommate, Rachel (http://www.huntforrachel.blogspot.com/) from my college days at SAU. Thanks Rach! She even said some nice things about me on her blog like that I was cool and funny, actually, not just funny, VERY funny (yeah she really did put very in all caps check it out if you don't believe me). What a nice gal she is!

Here are the rules of the game...

1) Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog

2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4) Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My incredibly interesting facts:

1. I CANNOT dance. I know there are a alot of people out there that make this claim, but I am really serious. I do not own dancing feet. Walking feet...yes, Tapping feet...yes, Running feet...at times, Happy feet...absolutely, Dancing feet....NOOOOO.

2. I went to 4 different colleges. I switched my major a few times and I have loads of credits, but just 1 degree. My Dad still refers to me as the college gypsy.

3. I am a weeny tiny, if I may steal Matthew's adjectives, bit cheap. I see pennies leaving my pockets when the heat or air kicks on, the refrigerator door is open, or the water is unnecessarily left running. When Erik asks me where I would like to go for a nice meal out I suggest Taco Bell (free Mountain Dew refills, baby).

4. I may have been the only teenager ever to not want to get my driver's license. I was perfectly fine with the idea of my mother driving me around everywhere, FOREVER. My parents MADE me get my license. During driver's training I would be so nervous my skin would get all red and blotchy and I would ask my instructor if my driving time slot could be at a quarter to never. What a weirdo!

5. Every night before I go to sleep I must check (at least once, sometimes twice) to make sure the oven and stove top are turned off regardless of whether they had even been used that day.

6. I absolutely love consignment shops and yard sales.

7. I have been informed that I am a moment killer, especially during movies. If there is a tense, sad, or sentimental moment I must kill the mood by cracking some sort of joke. I guess I should just stick to watching comedies.

I'm tagging...
My BFF Kate, the queen http://www.heartsonthehomefront.blogspot.com/

Multiple Personalities

2008-04-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

These days Matthew is rarely Matthew. He spends most of his day pretending to be other people (or animals): Diego, Charlie, a lost puppy, Daddy, or a wild creature guy to name a few. That is great, right? I mean it shows he has a wonderful imagination. It is really great except lately I have been given the supporting actress role in every scenario. Which really in and of itself is not a huge deal if the scripts didn't come every five minutes and the director was not such a perfectionist.
His favorite at the moment is being Charlie and I play his little sister Lola. This is from the books and show appropriately named Charlie and Lola. I really do love Charlie and Lola, the show is hillarious and I have been known to watch it without Matthew. The problem is that this requires a British accent. If my accent slips a bit Matthew gives me a gentle reminder, "Um Mama, I am Charlie and you are Lola, but you are sounding like Mama. We will not be able to be Charlie and Lola if you don't talk like Lola."
When Matthew is Diego I am his older sister Alicia. When he is his Daddy I am Bob, Erik's boss. The lost puppy or kitty scenario is really best for me because it is completely unscripited. And sometimes I get to be an animal myself which requires no words at all. I am very well rounded. I must admit though, the acting can be quite draining and I have at times turned down a role or two (an hour).
It is really a win-win situation though. Matthew is entertained now and later when the time comes for me to return to the work force and if for some reason teaching doesn't work out for me, I always have my acting to fall back on.

Dot Com

2008-03-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been very interested in the internet for the last few months. His Papine (my dad) shows him speed boats, airplanes, bugs, cars, and big trucks on the internet. Recenlty, he learned that you can find information there. While we were reading "Finding Nemo" he became interested in anglerfish and was asking me questions about them (which I of course know nothing about it, except they are pretty ugly according to the Nemo movie and book). So I said "Sorry honey I don't know anything about anglerfish, but we can look on the internet tomorrow and find out more about them."
As soon as he woke up the next morning he says "Let's check on the innanet for anglerfish. Go to anglerfish.com."
That is how it all started, now he wants to seek the information highway for all of his many questions.
Outside he says, "Mama, what is this bug's name."
I say "Hmmm, I am not sure."
He says, "Oh we better check on the innanet on bugs.com"

At my parent's house while washing his hands he smells the soap and asks "What kind of soap is this, Mama."
I say, " I don't know."
He say, "I think we should check on the innanet. Can you go to soap.com?"

Our neighbors have a pool which he can see from his room. They currently have an inflatable alligator by the pool. Matthew is very intrigued by the alligator.
He says "What is that alligator doing over there?"
He didn't even give me a chance to respond. Maybe he has realized I don't always have the answers.
"Come on, let's go check on the innanet. Just click on alligator.com"

Thank you, wise "innanet" for having all the answers....so I don't have to.

My Very Own Boy Band

2008-02-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Everybody has to Answer to Somebody

2008-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Matthew was hugging Erik yesterday morning before he left for work..
Erik: "Bye, buddy. Be good for Mama today, ok?"
Matthew: "Ok, bye Daddy. Be good for Bob your boss."

New Camera Man: A Picture Essay of His Favorite Things

2008-02-11T13:21:00.001-08:00

Matthew has a new passion for photography. I thought it would be selfish of me not to share some of his recent photos. His favorite time to pursue this endeavor is during my shower when he is supposed to be staying out of trouble and watching tv. One day last week I came out to find him with the camera and 40 new pictures taken! Here are just a few....

Here is a picture of rocket.
This is me walking into the room, no doubt saying something like "What are you doing?". I later found another one of me and let's just say I deleted very quickly and will from this moment on check my pics very carefully before showing them to anyone!

What we have here is the cat's back and tail. I have several of this cat from this angle and others that are not as flattering.

The rocking chair on the front porch

This is Diego, of course, and what looks to me like the top half of a tapir.

Yet, another picture of Diego on tv. I have about 20 of these. If you have not seen this particular Diego just let me know, I pretty much have a frame by frame of it on my camera.

Pantry Fun

2008-02-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

At our house, the pantry isn't just a closet filled with food...it is a closet full of fun. It isn't just a door I open to find a snack, what's for dinner, or to make a grocery list. In fact, the door stays open pretty much all day unless Matthew is sleeping or hiding in it. I am pretty sure it is Matthew's favorite room in the house, if it were considered a room that is. So here is just a glimpse of the fun we have with our pantry and it's contents.

On this particular day, our canned goods gathered on the table (with Matthew's help, of course) for church. I am very glad that our canned goods would go to church and even more delighted that Matthew would invite and take them there. However, since they cannot walk and the one who invited them often forgets to take them back to their home, I would be ok if their church attendance were sporadic.

No, this is not a picture of Matthew competing in a "chubby bunny" contest, but by the looks of it he would be quite good at that. This contest's name is something like "stuff as many marshmallows in your mouth as fast as you can before you get caught". Matthew normally asks to eat marshmallows and I normally say no (that is probably why he took matters into his own hands). He now adds after asking "Marshmallows don't have too much sugar in them Mama." Which is true comparitively speaking...like compared to a chocolate covered donut with sprinkles on top, marshmallows don't have too much sugar.

Erik says to me a few nights ago, "Megan you might want to go to Walmart tomorrow. We are down to only one dinsaur in the pantry."

BIG Snow in the South

2008-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

It has officially been FOREVER, since I posted last. It is not that our life has been free of humor or activity I just was too lazy to write about it. Anyway, tonight here in TN we are receiving winter-like weather. In fact, we have a winter weather advisory currently in effect. It stopped snowing 3 hours ago leaving us with a light dusting of snow (possibly an accumulation of half an inch). There is absolutely no snow on the roads. EVERY school within a 25 mile radius has been cancelled for tomorrow. I saw on the local news that people were flocking to the stores at first sight of snow to stock up on essentials (milk, beer, cigarettes and bread..not necessarily in that order, but it was the order that the cashier interviewed used). Dearest family and friends do not worry about us, we have a couple of days supply of bread and milk (and we can live without the other 2 local "essentials").

The Party

2007-12-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night we attended Erik's office Christmas party. Just getting ready for the event was enough to convince me I am most definitely going to be sick all Saturday nights next December, so I will regretfully be unable to attend the joyful Christmas party of 2008. I am not one to normally worry about what to wear, but I was on Saturday. This was our first Christmas party with these people and actually the first time I had met any of them.
I asked Erik a couple of weeks ago what I would need to wear. He asked around and the women said in the past they had worn dresses some years and other years just dress pants and a nice sweater. So it was decided I would wear my dress pants and sweater. The closer the event got the more I worried about whether my attire would be nice enough. I mean Erik was going to wear his suit, the event was at a country club. So I, of course, was freaked out by Friday. I purchased a nice button up shirt that was a little extra dressy I thought. I didn't try it on because Matthew was SO ready to go. So I try it on that afternoon in the comfort of my own home and it is so very cute, so I am absolutely delighted. Only one small problem, it was a little snug in one area which would have been fine for one night, but once washed and worn it would look like those buttons were about to burst (not the look I am generally going for). That night Erik gets home from work and I show him my purchase and he doesn't think it is dressy enough. So after dinner and getting the little one off to bed I venture back out into the sea of Christmas shoppers to see if I can find anything to wear. I thought this would be a simple chore. Boy, was I wrong! I went to the big mall instead of the closer small mall. I generally remember mall layouts and what is where after visiting a mall one or two times, but this mall has the craziest set up, I have been there several times and still cannot figure the place out. That, of course, means I did numerous laps around the two story shopping area. I found NOTHING. I thought the mall closed at 10 (I later found out it was 11, can you believe it) so at 9:45 I gave up and ran into the store where I had bought the shirt earlier and got a bigger size. Yes, I know it was still the one Erik didn't think was dressy enough, but I was just relieved to be going home.
The next day Mom and I had a Christmas bazaar all day where we took Creative Memories stuff to sell, so I didn't get a chance to try on my new attire together. I decided to wear the nice sweater I had originally planned for the party to the bazaar all day. As I am about to step out the door for the bazaar Erik says "Are you sure you don't want to wear that sweater tonight, it looks good". Is there anyway I would change what I was wearing at that point? No way! So I go to the bazaar and come home, get Matthew something to eat. I wanted to give Matthew a bath too before we left, so I took him upstairs. Of course, he needed to go to the bathroom. His potty seat was downstairs so I decided to just sit him on the potty without it rather than run downstairs. I have done this numerous times before but of course this day of all days, he sends pee shooting all over the bathroom and on me. I just laughed because I was wearing the sweater and some jeans-- no problem it's not like I was going to be wearing that to the party! As our departing time is drawing near I get dressed and find the new shirt looks goofy and is too big. Mom let me borrow some other things, so I am not completely panicked until I try them on and they all look awful on me. So 30 minutes later I am walking out the door in (drum roll please) the original dress pants and sweater. That's right, I shopped and worried for hours only to attend the all important party in the old dress pants and the pee sweater that I had worn all day.

Brainy Booger

2007-12-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

Matthew comes walking toward me the other day with something tiny on his finger.
The young boy says "Look at this on my finger Mama."
I, as the mother can only wonder and ask while he is still quite a ways off "What is it?". I like to ask him before I see it for myself so I can direct him to the trash can (since he generally shows me things that belong there) before it ends up in my face.
He says "It a piece of my brain."
I say "A piece of your brain? Where did it come from?"
He answers "My brain coming out my nose."

Big 3

2007-11-27T11:15:00.001-08:00

Matthew turned 3 last week. I still can't believe he is 3! He told me for weeks that for his birthday he wanted a cake and the "shake and go track... the cars go fast and crash". Well he got what he wanted and then some. It took 3 dedicated adults, 6 AA batteries, a screwdriver, a pair of scissors, and an hour and a half to get all of his presents out of the packaging and into proper working order. My living room is still covered with toys. In fact, Matthew still thinks his party is going on. He will come and ask me "Do you want to join my party, Mama?". It is hard to say no to that and plus new toys are always fun! Who knows how long this party will last!

Death by Chocolate

2007-11-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

These pants were brand new (not consignment store or hand me down new, the real new). Unfortunately, their first time out the wearer of these pants had a chocolate shake (which was more like ice cream) and a very independent and stubborn spirit. Death by chocolate is real. I have washed these pants 4 times and some chocolate still remains.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2007-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

So Erik has a Playstation 2 and he plays football, hockey, or golf on there from time to time. Matthew has a controller too that he plays with. He has a blast playing (or pretending to play anyway). These sports games are all made by EA Sports so when they first come on you hear their slogan "EA sports, it's in the game".

So every time Matthew sees one of these games or sports on tv he repeats what he believes the slogan to be "EA sports a silly game".

Skeletons

2007-11-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

For the last month Matthew has been very interested in skeletons. I think it all started with dinosaur books, they always have the skeletons. He has a book all about skeletons that show different animal skeletons and human ones as well. He talks constantly about his skeleton. In the book at the beginning it says something to the effect of, if you did not have any bones you would be as shapeless as a jellyfish. I know this without looking because Matthew tells everyone this little fun fact. This is what he says to nearly everyone within shouting distance "Hi. My name Matthew. If I didn't have my skeleton I be a jellyfish". I am really quite proud of him for remembering everything I read him. It is however a funny thing for a nearly 3 year old to talk about, not to mention he does not say skeleton perfectly, so when he says it people look to me for a translation. Being the only known translator of Mattish, I am obligated to say "Hi. My name Matthew. If I didn't have my skeleton I be a jellyfish" in perfect adult English. Some people look at me like they think I just made up the skeleton part myself (it would be really funny if I did make things up in translation, I don't but I may start).

Matthew has been very excited seeing Halloween stuff in the stores because of all the skeletons. My Mom even found him a skeleton shirt last week that glows in the dark. This Halloween was the first year Matthew dressed up. I had gotten him a Thomas the train costume a couple of weeks ago on sale (YES!!!). So we dressed him up and took him to a couple of houses in our neighborhood. He knocked, said "trick or treat"and "thank you", went "whooo-hooo" when anyone asked him about his costume, told one lady her candle inside of her house smelled good, and kissed a couple of dogs. When we got home we sat outside and handed out candy. Matthew decided he would like to wear his skeleton shirt. I thought he would just enjoy seeing it glow in the dark and have fun seeing other kids dressed up. He decided to run around the yard saying "boo" to all the kids that entered. He made sure he said "boo" to everyone (even the parents driving by slowly watching their kids) and often added "I a skeleton, I spoooookyy". Most of the kids were older and just laughed or pretended to be scared. It was pretty funny. Our neighbors across the street always have a big spooky set up, they go all out, so it was fun being across the street having my little spooky skeleton make everyone laugh. I think I may rent him out next year!

Scary Is....

2007-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

The way your child can act at times (you know the kind of behavior that makes you want to shout "Who are you???") and then complain that their ear hurts (4 days after finishing antibiotics for an ear infection) . You think "Oh, I guess the ear infection didn't clear up, back to the doctor. This explains why he has been acting like *that* child every time we are in public and cries at least 3 times a day claiming I have hurt his feelings."

Even Scarier.....
Going to the doctor convinced you have it all figured out only to hear "His ears look great".

There goes that excuse!

** That child by definition, is any child that you saw in the grocery store, restaurant, family gathering, etc.. pre-parenthood (or even as a parent of a newborn) that behaved in such a way that everyone was sure to notice and made you think or even say aloud "When I have kids they will never act like that!".

Putting #2 in it's Place

2007-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

We have been working on this potty training stuff for a little while now. You know, low pressure a few times a day. Matthew always goes (#1) while on the potty (unfortunately he also still goes in his diaper as well). This week we have been trying more often (it seems like ALL we do). And he did the all important #2 on the potty! I was so excited and, of course, told him time and time again how proud I was.

Same day an hour later we are shopping at Target. A woman smiles at him and he says "I went poo poo on the potty", she snickers and replies "Good job!". I shoot her a "I-am-so-sorry-my-son-is-telling-you-about his-bowel-movement" glance and we move on.

We check out and the cashier is very friendly and she talks to Matthew. She says "Did you look at all the fun Halloween things?" Matthew does not reply with a yes or no but with "I went poo poo on the potty". She starts clapping and congratulating him as do the 3 other kind women waiting in line behind us. Talk of his potty achievements definitely trump Halloween talk. As soon as we leave the store Matthew says "The ladies like me, Mama".

Many hours later Daddy comes home and we decide to treat ourselves to a little dinner out (you gotta love a dinner out). The waitress asks "Can I get you guys anything?"
Matthew replies (yeah, you know his line by now) "I went poo poo on the potty."
Only the waitress didn't hear him and has taken a few steps from the table, so she says "What honey?"
Matthew, of course then belts out his line of the day "I WENT POO POO ON THE POTTY".
Well if you are ever out to eat and would like to grab the attention of ALL of your fellow restaurant patrons, then by all means use these words of Matthew's. We did indeed capture every one's attention. The young waitress, barely able to contain her laughter manages to get out some sort of congratulatory phrase and Matthew also receives smiles and nods of approval from the inhabitants of nearby tables.

Later that evening I was talking to my mom (I of course told her the big news) on the phone and she said to be sure to pass on their congrats to the little potty user. I get off the phone and tell him how proud Mine and Papine (grandma and grandpa Beachy) are of him and his recent achievement.
He looks at me and says "The whole world proud of me".

Wild Creatures

2007-10-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Matthew is very fond of "wild creatures" and has been for most of this year. He has been talking about "wild creatures" since March I think. I don't know where these words came from. I certainly didn't teach him to call any living non-human thing a wild creature (I do seriously suspect Diego had something to do with it though). We have spent countless hours searching for these creatures outdoors. Thankfully bugs count, so they aren't too hard to come by!

Matthew has recently fallen in love with the tv channel Animal Planet. He loves watching anything on there (even shows with snakes much to my dismay). So last week he saw the show with Jeff Corwin. There was a big tiger and the man was talking about his paws and pads, fur, ears, and all the other parts. So my little Jeff Corwin calls me over to view our very own snoozing beast: Mac the cat.

Matthew (or little Jeff) says: "See the wild creature. He in his cave sleeping."
He picks up his paw and shows me, "See he's paw and he's pads on he's paws." The beast sleeps on. So then Matthew goes for the tail, "This is he's long tail." Then he tries opening the beasts mouth. The beast wakes and starts walking away. Matthew says in a whisper while crawling on his hands and knees "Let's follow him." We trail him for quite some time with Matthew's "spotting scope" in hand (not because we need it or that it would even work if we did need it, but because wild creature hunts require such equipment). Whenever the creature stopped Matthew explained more of the beast's body parts until we had pretty much covered it all. It was very informational. We are very thankful to have had such a cooperative creature to work with because we know others (ie..Emma the other beast that resides in the Smith house) would not have been nearly so accommodating.

I love the way Matthew's little mind works. And I absolutely adore an African safari that can take place in the comfort of my own home.

Mini Meteorologist

2007-09-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

"This weekend will be cloudy and mild with temperatures in the mid 50's and an 85% chance of me being completely wrong."

Matthew is now our in-house weather expert. He and his trusty drumstick enjoy bringing us the 7 day forecast. It may not be the correct forecast for our particular area, but what he lacks in accuracy, he makes up for in adorability (that is not really a word I know, but if it were it would mean his ability to be adorable).

*The meteorologists on the Weather Channel have been blacked out in the photos in order to protect their identity (really my camera just does that when it takes a picture of the TV, but I thought I would make it sound like I did it on purpose).

Since I Didn't Have a Bar of Soap

2007-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Matthew uttered the all-naughty, super bad, "s" word. You know the one, it starts with "s" and ends with "tupid". It, of course is an acceptable word after the ripe old age of 13, but it is punishable to the fullest extent of the law beforehand. (At least, that is the way it worked in our house when I was growing up - no saying shut-up, stupid, or butt -bottom was preferred). Not that on a person's 13th birthday they are given a wrapped gift with a box containing a piece of paper that says "you may now use the word stupid when talking about rules and other inanimate objects, but with the exception of describing people", it is an unspoken rule, it is just all of the sudden not such a bad thing (my guess is as a parent of a teenager the least of your worries is your kid saying stupid). I think that may be the way things will work in our house too, I don't know when exactly it will become ok for Matthew to say that word (probably by age 22) I just know that I don't want him to use that word now. Back to the story, if the "s" word were a ship this would not be considered it's maiden voyage sailing on out of my toddler's mouth. No, this ship had sailed a few times before. The trouble with toddlers and naughty words is that the first couple of times they say it you think-- Did he just say what I think he said?-- and then you have 3 choices:

1. Punish him for possibly something he didn't really say.

2. Respond with "Did you just say _____?" and run the risk of giving him a new word if that was not at all the word he was attempting.

3. Ignore the word this time, wait and see if it is uttered again to ensure it is the offensive word you believe it to be.

I had previously chosen option number 3... until yesterday. It was completely clear and especially horrible. There was no way to deny it this time, I heard every letter of that word as if he were spelling it out, in slow motion: S-T-U-P-I-D, looking directly at me waiting for my reaction. I promptly took him to the spare bedroom so that he could serve his 2 and a half minute time out. The spare bedroom is like the Alcatraz of time outs because not only is it conveniently and cleverly located in the only room without toys it is also home to the cats' litter box. So there is absolutely no chance of him finding his way to a toy while I am not looking and no chance of escaping the smell of the litter box.
I think I may have stumbled upon a new form of discipline here. For instance, if the next time the "s" word comes to mind, he immediately thinks about stinky cat poop and opts not to use the naughty word then my plan is indeed successful. If this works I may be exploring and compiling more discipline tactics (like maybe having him clean out the litter box during a time out or eating undesirable vegetables). I may even write a book, maybe titled Alternative Discipline. Yeah, be on the lookout for that.

The Protesting Cat

2007-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is Emma. This is what she does every time the water bowl reaches or plunges below its minimum acceptable level or if it is not as fresh as she would like. She stages a sit in of sorts. She just sits there and stares at me until the problem is remedied. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow she is picketing in front of the litter box with a sign that reads "Heck no, we won't go".

Weekend Pics

2007-09-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

Saying Goodbye to Another Trusty Old Friend

2007-09-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew, apparently in the mode of getting rid of all things baby, decided to be done with his womb bear this week and send him into early (not real early, just earlier than I thought) retirement. Don't worry, the womb bear received a decent severance package and will be living in the "baby closet" until another little one needs comforting (he initially wanted to use his time off to travel but has since found the closet to be quite relaxing).

Matthew tossed the bear out of the crib and when I inquired, he simply said "I don't like him anymore".

For those of you who have never heard of a womb bear, it is just a stuffed animal with a box inside that plays a recording of actual womb sounds. Don't ask me how they recorded these sounds, I just know Matthew NEEDED it when he was a baby to drift off to sleep and as he has grown a bit it helps drown out some outside noise so he can fall asleep.

This bear has been essential. He has been a part of the family since February 2005. I searched and searched to find him on the internet and payed 40 whole dollars for him. Now for those of you who know me and my spending habits, know that is HUGE (I generally don't buy anything over $10 unless it is absolutely vital to keep our hearts beating, blood pumping, and stomachs from starving).

Before the bear we had this little light that attached to the crib and it would light up and play the womb sounds when Matthew would cry. This product was great except the sounds only lasted 5 minutes and it turned on only when someone was crying. Now this was when Matthew was just a couple of months old and he would be nearly sleeping when the womb sounds turned off. I was, of course, sleep deprived, loony, and desperate to have a sleeping baby to call my own, so I would watch the clock, sprint on my tip toes, jump over the 3 squeaky floor boards into Matthew's room seconds before the 5 minute mark, and say "wah, wah, waaaah" quietly into the sensor to keep the womb sounds playing without disturbing my bundle of sleepless nights, I mean joy. Erik showed his support by laughing uncontrollably on the other end of the monitor while I was fake crying. Needless to say, I was very happy (nearly to the point of real tears) to find a womb bear with the sounds that played for 40 long luxurious minutes and could be turned on and off with the flip of a switch.

Now the bear's services are no longer necessary, my baby is growing up.......Wah, wah, waaaaah.

Close....But Still Not Quite Right

2007-08-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

As I set Matthew's dinner plate in front of him....
Matthew says "Thank you, sir." (Matthew calls me sir ALL the time, but I don't often correct him because is so young and he is still being polite)
Erik: "Mama is a girl, so you say thank you, ma'am."
Matthew: "Oh ok, Daddy."
I deliever a cup to the table.
Matthew shoots a quick glance toward Erik and then looks at me and says with pride and confidence: "Thank you, man."

What Can You Buy With 2 Used Pacifiers?

2007-08-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently a pacifier's worth increases with age and use. I am pretty sure I didn't pay more than $5 for a pack of 2 pacifiers brand new, but this weekend those same pacifiers bought Matthew a big boy bike. Yes, that's right, you heard it here first, used pacifiers are not just germy baby soothers anymore. ****(Please read the post in it's entirety before taking out your life savings to purchase pacifiers)*** Since pacifiers are not (yet and probably never will be unless toddlers some day rule the country) recognized as acceptable American currency we had to use some cash as well. Matthew paid his part in pacifiers and Daddy and Mama paid for the rest. Matthew was very brave and did not shed a tear during the transaction.

He is ready to ride.

He has the mount and dismount down, but we are definitely still working on the pedaling.

Matthew and the bike have spent more time like this than with him actually riding. He likes pushing it around. We know he is a little bit young for a bike but it was something that he is really interested in, which worked well as an incentive for saying adios to the pacifier, and he was nearly too big for a tricycle. So we will keep practicing (we'll get lots of practice especially once it cools down and isn't a million degrees outside).

When Matthew turned one year old we locked up the pacifiers in the crib and threw away the key (metaphorically speaking, of course) so he only had them for sleep (and other rare occassions, like long trips).

So he really only noticed his pacifiers were gone before sleep times and the first day and night his bike was by his side for the tough times, nap time and bedtime. The first night was pretty rough, he woke up quite a bit, but never asked for the pacifiers....he just cried for anything and everything else ("Mama, I want watch cartoons. Mama, I want my car. I need hug. Mama, I want to touch my bike.). But the last 2 nights have been virtually fuss-free. It really has been alot easier than I thought it would be.

I hope I can say that same thing once Matthew is completely potty trained, but I know I won't!

What's this?

2007-08-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

Last week when our 2 year old inquirer was bathing we were talking about body parts. First up, the chin. Then the young boy asks "Who's this guy?"(everything is a who, he never asks what, which is funny but a little embarassing at the grocery store when he appears to be looking at another shopper, but is really refering to the chips behind him, I try to answer quickly but you can tell the previously mentioned shopper is already looking a little nervous like we are talking about him and not the cheddar flavored rice cakes behind him), with his hand on his neck, he wasn't just interested in what the part was called but also it's function. So I told him it was his neck and it held his head up. He liked that answer and thought it a little funny. Then he puts both his hands on his cheeks (not the ones on his face, by the way, the ones further south) and asks...........

"Who's these guys?"

I say "That is your bottom."

He removes one hand from one butt cheek and says "Well who's this one?"

I say"That is your bottom too."

So in my mind I am already thinking about how I am going to respond to what his bottom's function is since I know that will be his next question. I was wrong.

The boy turns around, holds on to the bar in the bathtub, starts shaking that newly discovered bottom and says "My bottom helps me dance, see Mama. It helps me dance to (the) beat."

That is definitely not the function I was thinking of.

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall Who's the Handsomest Stud of All.......

2007-08-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

....today Matthew would definitely answer that he is, of course (which wins him the vain toddler award as well). He got his hair cut yesterday. I tried to cut the back yesterday morning. I thought it looked awful and I was too scared to continue so Erik the brave, finished it last night. We strapped Matthew into his chair at the table and fed him ice cream and let him spray us (and everything else in the kitchen) with the water bottle. When he would get fussy I would distract him with the water bottle, ice cream, or tell him how handsome he was going to be when his hair was all cut. Normally, being handsome is not really a priority for Matthew, so I didn't imagine he would remember what I had said. It has not even been 24 hours since the hair cut and Matthew has said 8 times already, "I be right back, I gonna go see in the window (mirror)." He runs into our room to the mirrored closet doors, looks and says "I so handsome".

He just caught a glimpse of himself in this picture and said it again....I think we may need some sort of vanity intervention!

Why I Will Now Think Twice Before Taking A Bathroom Break

2007-08-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hmm...I wonder how much finger paint I would have to buy to cover the whole wall? I really don't like that wallpaper anyway. Don't worry, even though I would LOVE another reason (besides my reason of just severe dislike) to replace this wallpaper, it was washable paint and is now restored to it's original color.

The Older Woman

2007-08-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at church, when Erik and I went to pick Matthew up from his classroom we heard a funny story about our little lover boy. Normally there is a husband and wife team that teach (as much as you can teach 2 yr olds anyway) in his class. The husband was not there so it was just the wife and then their daughter came in a little later to help out. So when this tall, blond, beautiful teenage girl walks in my (scratch that) Erik's son takes one look at her and walks over and says "Oh, I need a kiss". She let him kiss her on the cheek, apparently it was love at first sight. I would normally be completely against him being interested in a girl nearly 10 times his age, but she is real cute, nice and a church-going gal so I guess I can't complain.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2007-08-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

As much as I would like to tell you this was Matthew's attempt to put his sandals on by himself, I cannot lie, I must admit I did this. Not only did I just put them on the wrong feet I almost left the house like this! We were about to walk out the door when I realized Matthew had put my phone on the floor. When I bent down to pick up the phone I noticed my mistake. Poor kid, I am really glad I caught it before heading out, to avoid all the laughing and pointing I could have endured at Walmart while pushing around my wrong-shoed toddler.

He May be Too Small to Ride One, But You Are Never Too Small to Use One

2007-08-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Erik, Matthew and I were having a snack in the living room the other night. We all had drinks, Erik and I had ours on coasters. We were talking and Matthew lifted his cup up to take a drink and he notices that he is the only one not using a coaster. Before he can even take a sip he nervously says "Oh, I need roller coaster for my drink".