Shampooing, a mess, and a lesson learned

We'll this should be an update on another post of "where we have been", but there is something more important to blog on. My college friend, Katherine Arnold Wolf, has suffered a tragic medical problem and is in ICU in Los Angeles, CA in critical condition. I look at the website to check on her latest condition each hour. Her families faith through all of this has been such an inspiration to me. Could I if something happened to Parker or Gigi stand firm in my faith as the Arnolds and Wolfs have done? I only pray that I would never be tested in the way that this family has but I do pray to have their faith. You can read more about Katherine at www.katherinewolf.info and on her Mom's blog listed under my friends blogs to the right.
I was reading about what her Mom wrote on the physical way that this condition has changed Katherine. I remember her as a beautiful, I mean really beautiful woman and her face was always full of laughter and a smile. I was just taken by how she was being described by her Mom and how hard it must be for them to look at their daughter knowing all she is going through. I was just weeping at the sorrow I could feel in her mothers words. About that time I looked up to much laughter and saw Parker and Gigi covered in lotion. Parker was telling me that he was shampooing Gigi's hair. She had wads of hair soaked in lotion and it was all over Parker and the floor. Now normally, we'll I better not tell you what I normally would have done because some of you might get the wrong impression of me. So this time, I just sat there tears rolling down my face thanking the Lord Jesus that I have both of my kids here at home with me and that they are healthy, smart, beautiful children of God. I was just so thankful that we are not undergoing what this family is and that we are able to spread lotion all over the floor. I can only imagine that Kim Arnold would love to take back moments where Katherine and her sisters were being "kids" and trade spaces with me from the side of Katherines hospital bed to being at home in her PJ's with her kids. So, I just paused and said thank you Jesus for your love for me and grace to me to make me humble in this moment. So I told the kids - "Okay to the bath." They said- "Hooray, bath!!!"

Dada Firty!!!

Happy "Firty" (thirty) Birthday Dada!!! Yes Parker woke up this am and told Todd- You "Firty"? He is so cute and loves to sing Happy Birthday to Todd- All day long!! We enjoyed a nice dinner out to The Cheesecake Factory without kids- Yes without!! It was so nice getting to look at each other and not have a little one crying, yelling Mama, needing to TeeTee, wanting some of my food, or causing chaos!! Thanks to my Mom for providing a loving environment for the kids while we went out!!
Gosh- It was such a nice nite and we enjoyed being a "couple" again rather than a couple who are parents!! Those of you who have kids can relate, I know. Then Todd had a baseball game. We went to it and sadly they lost, but Todd did score a point. My Dad came and watched the game with me and it was great to sit and talk to him as well, without the kids! I could actually complete a sentence and have a conversation with him without interruptions! I know I have said alot of things about being glad that the kids were not there tonite and they are all true, however, the majority of our conversation was about them?- now go figure that!!
So, here's to the big 3-0!!!


Update on the kids-
Parker has gotten sick on us again. I feel so bad for him and just do not know what to do for him. We went to the dr Monday and they say it is still just his asthma flaring up. He has been taking breathing treatments several times a day and last nite when I told him that Mimi and Granpie bought him his nebulizer, he quickly said "why". I told him it was for him to get better and he said,"then you take picture of Bubba for Mimi!" So here it is as sad as it may seem.




Gigi is wild as a little girl can be. We gave her "piggies" yesterday and she is adorable when she shakes her head no! They just "rattle" on top of her head! Today she found Todd's yellow sunglasses that he wears to see at nite and she just had to wear them around. She is quite the accessory queen. I just went in her room to check on her while she was sleeping. As I was kissing her goodnight, I saw that she still had her play ring on her finger. I guess she and Mum were playing princess!! She is got enough energy to make up for Parker having none!

Check Bubba Out!!!

Yes- this our son in white lacey gloves!! He decided to put on Gigi's white gloves with lace trim and play, "Bubba check you out"!! We can only imagine that this play comes from his long week of doctor visits when he was sick. We are not sure where the hammer beating on the stomach of Dada came from. You can rest assured that he did not see that at the doctor! And he makes sure to add," these(gloves) not latex!!" Maybe someday when you are sick and you need to see a doctor, you will recognize this face- Dr. Bubba!!

SO....

So, March has come and gone and April is already here in full swing-"April showers bring...lots of rain and bad storms"! And lots of pollen for those May flowers! And that pollen is killing Parker. He has had a tough time during these last two weeks. It started when we got home from St.Louis and has not let up yet. He began this terrible "smoker's cough" and then wheezing and then not being able to breathe, which took us to Children's- twice. He was a sick little one and scared his parents near about to breathing problems ourselves. He is now on a nebulizer at home and doing much better. He hates the treatments and wearing the mask. He has also been on steriods which turn him into Super Parker and cause him to be a little wild man. Gosh- it has been quite different from the passive and laidback go with the flow boy that used to live here. Hopefully, he will return soon!
Gigi has been into her Baby dolls and beads lately!! She is turning into quite the Miss Priss!! She is so fun to watch- she loves on the doll and then rocks it and feeds it- she will be a great mommy one day!! And then puts on her pearls and struts through the house trying to not get tackled by Super Parker!! And people tell me -you will miss these days- so I just sit and absorb all that is going on!!

We have been vacationing- Double time!!

I know you all look for a new post each day on this famous blog and have been concerned where we were- Right???
Anyways, we have been on Spring break!!! And did we have a busy one and a fun time. We left last Saturday for St. Louis to spend the week with grampie and mimi. We arrrived by airplane, thanks to them, it is so easy to fly vs driving!! So in one hour we were St. Louis bound!!!
We did so many fun and interesting attractions in the city. I have been numerous times to St.Louis and each time we do different things. We went to the park, they have the most faboulous parks, the butterfly house, the whittle train station and the magic house. It was so fun to do attractions that were centered around the kids. Now I have all kinds of ideas for opening up a business here in Birmingham for kids!!! You just wait- it will happen someday!
And then we had to end our wonderful visit on Thursday. We headed to the airport and said our goodbyes only to find out that our plane was not there and we were getting to stay two more nights!!! So I called Mimi and we started our second vacation!!! We went to Purina farms- Parkers most talked about attraction, I am sure you know why-tractors and "ickens"!!. We played all week at granpie's and mimi's and rode bikes and hunted eggs. Mimi is the best host because she has some of the best toys and all the needed baby gear to make our stay very easy and comfortable! She also does some of the funnest things with the kids like teach Parker to cut paper, teach Gigi to stack blocks and kick a ball, dye easter eggs, and sit in the floor and play with them!! Granpie was gone part of the week, but every chance he got he was also in the floor making Parker laugh hysterically, teaching Parker to play golf, and stealing sugar from Gigi!!
Meg and Greer were coming in on Friday and so we got to visit with them and their dogs! Gigi is still saying dog! We had not seen them since Gigi's birthday in October and they sure thought the kids had changed.
We got a plane home on Saturday nite and even though we were sad to leave because we had had such a great time, we were so excited to see Dada! Thanks to granpie and mimi for such a fantastic time and memories we will always remember!! I have ALOT of pictures, so these are just a few!!

Our Newest Addition

Yes- This one will be a long post. I should have been dropping posts on this topic for a while now- but you'll just have to settle for the long version! A couple of weeks ago Pap and Parker(aka Bubba) have been deciding on a spring project. Parker is really into tools lately and building and working on things, so Pap decided that a building project would be fun. They also decided that based on the fact that Parker loves Paps unusual ducks, that maybe a chicken coup would be a fun and entertaining project! So thus started the- "Bubba takes tools, go down to Paps, build "icken" coup, Bubba want FIVE "ICKENS"(this part is screamed!)." He tells this phrase to everyone including but not limited to the walmart greeter lady, the sunday school teacher, his Mother's Day Out teacher, all of our friends, his friends, and anyone who calls to talk on the phone to Bubba- JenJen, Pap, Mum, Keith B, and MiMi!
Everyone looks at me like we must live in a double wide out in the middle of no where! And you must be on such a fixed income that you can not afford a pet for your child so you have reasoned with your child to get him FIVE chickens and I am sure you'll eat the eggs too! Not that I am embarressed by all this "Icken" talk, I say kudos to Pap for exposing Parker to the simple and fun things in life.
Needless to say today went like this- Parker went to Mothers Day Out and was at school from 9-1. I got a call from my dad about 10:30 asking me if I wanted to go to lunch. I agreed and he said he was going to get Bubba at 1pm with me. I told him that Bubba would love it if Pap came and got him and Pap said but I have a suprise for him too! He told me that he had been to the co-op in Columbiana and gotton Parker "FIVE ICKENS"! I thought for a minute and then looked up and there was Todd. Now he normally works dayshift today but due to a little mission they were doing he needed to come home and change clothes. I thought to myself what do I say. So I told Todd and we both agreed that it would be a great thing for Parker and that he would love the fact that Pap had made his dream come true! So, I hung up with my dad and Todd and I wondered what in the world we were going to do with these "Ickens"! I said well we need a cage and then we will feed them and let them out to run in the grass during the day- while we are outside of course. So I had Todd thinking that this would not be a hard "pet" and something that would be fun to watch grow up and then take down to the farm and be able to see the chickens down there when we visited. I had even convinced myself that it would be fun and that my neighboors wouldn't mind- Do you think???! Our biggest question was what we would put them in? So- I went to my favorite odd and end shop-The Thrift Store- and sure enough there were two "Icken Coups"! I thought well Jesus thank you for providing a home for these chickns and you must want us to have them. Feeling really great I purchased the largest Chicken Coup and had a man help me to my SUV and load it up. Off to meet Pap at school where I could be introduced to our newest family additions! He went in to get Parker and I just could not wait to see Bubba's face. Todd had wanted so badly to be able to see what Parker did when he saw them for the first time. Camera in hand and waiting. Parker and Pap came out and Pap opened up the back of his truck and he asked Parker a couple of questions- What color are "ickens"? What do they say? I just knew this was going to be the moment of his life. And then.... Pap pulls out a five package box of Peeps!!!!!! I just about died. This whole time I was convienced that we were going to be the proud owners of "FIVE ICKENS", and now I have a box of five Peeps. I am stuck with a big -beeping- chicken coup and you just gave me five sugar coated Peeps to live in there? And now I am going home with this big chicken coup and two kids who just devoured a blob of yellow fluffy sugar right before naptime- Hey thanks Pap!!!

March Madness

No- I do not mean basketball!! I mean life here in the La Casa!! It has been a crazy March, so far. Todd has been out of town since the begining of the month, and the kids behave much better when Daddy is around. I have come to this realization after having them by myself all week, and it is just Wed. Not to mention that I am board beyond words and need to have an adult conversation. I miss Todd waking up in the afternoon and coming around the corner into the den and thinking yes, I have someone to reason with and have conversation!! I guess you learn what you take for granted when it is not here. The kids have been on their absolute worst- Parker wanting to sleep with me each nite- "Dada not here- Mama's bed?", Gigi getting fustrated over everything because her Daddy isn't here to distract her by getting her sugar- "no,no,no,NO!", and Parker deciding that he is going to ask me 100 times if I am happy- I guess he can tell- "you happy?"!!!
Now- do not feel sorry for me- it has not been all bad!! Mom and Dad and Jenn came and we braved the storm on Monday nite and that was fun. We had everyone here and it was a big storm party, complete with new spring oreos!! Those are the best cookie complete with milk at 2 am watching the storm with your mom and sis!! And today I had a meeting at Samford and my Dad braved it with the kids. I also learned that they act better for him too!! Must be a man thing?!! Tonite my Mom is coming over for dinner and just to see her favorite grands!!! So- it has been a fun week with distraction from the ordinary thanks to my family. However- it has been a long week without Dada here to keep us all in line.