Throw up, tantrums, hands in the potty, and poop in the bathtub.

Okay, so this is going to be may too much information for a lot of you...I would advise you to just not read this post if you have a weak stomach.

The title pretty much sums up the evening. It all started after John left to go to soccer practice, of course! Braden was at the table struggling to eat his green beans when he started gagging on one. This boy has the worse gag reflex or maybe the best depending on how you look at it. I went to the kitchen to get him some water to help the green bean go down when he threw up (when will I ever learn my lesson?). I grabbed the nearest bowl I could find, but I was too late, he threw up again. At this point the throw up was spilling off the table onto the chair and the floor. I got Braden cleaned up and he promptly asked me if he could get down and play. As I was cleaning up the mess I was also having to keep Emma Kate away from the throw up which she had taken an interest in since it happened.
I finally got her distracted enough to finish cleaning the dining room and then moved on to cleaning up in the kitchen. While I was in the kitchen I noticed that the bathroom door was open. I walked in to find Emma Kate elbow deep in toilet water (with pee in it, of course). As I lunged to grab her, she promptly put her hand (that had been in the toilet) in her mouth! I washed her hands and tried not to think about her mouth and sent the kids on their way so that I could finish up the kitchen.
The kids then decided to get into a screaming contest and were screaming at each other on the top of their lungs, all while I was on the phone too. I firmly told them they needed to stop screaming immediately to which Emma Kate decided to throw one of her famous tantrums. I sent her to her room to calm down and decided it was definitely bath time.
It doesn't end here folks, I only wish it had. I get the bath going, Braden gets in while I get Emma Kate undressed. I then discover that she has a dirty diaper so I take her to her bedroom to get her cleaned up. Just as I'm about to put Emma Kate into the tub I see poop floating in around Braden. Braden had pooped in the tub! It was at this point that I just had to laugh, I couldn't believe that this all had actually happened. Braden's poop incident was an accident. He just started an antibiotic today which really messes with his system , so he did not get punished this time. Anyway, I let the water out, cleaned the tub, filled the tub again, and got them back into the bath.
That was it, my evening in a nutshell. Has anyone else had an evening like this ? Please share if you have, I'd love to hear it.

Here are some more pictures of the egg hunts. I think we were all tired of hunting eggs by the end of the weekend. We all decided to call them "Spring" egg hunts so as not to confuse the real reason and purpose for Easter. Sunday was a perfect day to be outside too. We all enjoyed a wonderful lunch cooked by my mother and a great cheesecake! (Can you say, "Stretch-pants!) It was a great day.

I hope everyone else had a blessed Easter!

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Eggs, eggs, and more eggs

Braden had an Easter Egg hunt at preschool and 2 more over the weekend (those pictures to come). You can tell that he was real happy about stopping the egg hunt to take a picture. We also dyed Easter eggs. Braden had a lot of fun. I'll be posting more pictures from the weekend.

The many looks of Emma Kate

Okay, so this is just two looks but she is always putting stuff on her head. It doesn't have to be a hat; blankets, pots, underwear (don't ask). The pigtails were all me, they lasted for about 2 seconds, long enough to take 2 pictures.

Trike-a-thon

A couple of weeks ago, Braden's preschool had a trike-a-thon in the gym. Braden had the best time and never stopped. The rode around the gym for about 45 minutes. While other kids were dropping like flies Braden kept on...I think he has inherited his father's love for bikes. We might have a future Lance Armstrong on our hands. For his birthday this summer he will be getting a big boy bike with training wheels. Yes, and that is a Dora the Explorer tricycle he is riding. We had to borrow it from our neighbors because John ran over Braden's tricycle.

Children Won't Wait

Children Won't Wait

There will be a time when there will be no slamming of doors,
no toys on the stairs, no childhood quarrels, no fingerprints on the wallpaper.
Then may I look back with joy and not regret.
.........................................................................................................

God, give me wisdom to see that today is my day with my children.
That there is no unimportant moment in their lives.
May I know that no other career is so precious,
No other work so rewarding,
No other task so urgent.
May I not defer it nor neglect it,
But by the Spirit accept it gladly, joyously,
and by Thy grace realize
that the time is short and my time is now,
for children won't wait.

-Helen M. Young


Even as I type this, Emma Kate is crying and pulling on my arm to pick her up. Children won't wait, but what a joy and blessing. I pray that I will never forget.

FLU!

John came home last Thursday with the flu and I now have a mild case, so I haven't had time to update our blog. I do have some pictures I'm hoping to post soon. Thankfully, Braden and Emma Kate seem to be fine, they were both vaccinated. I'm continuing to pray that the do not come down with it! My mom and dad have graciously taken them for the day and night so the John and I can try to recover. I'm now just working up the energy to shower.

Valentine's Cake... A labor of love

Okay, I know this post is bout 2 weeks late, but I had to share the story of the Valentines cake. My parents had myself, John, and the kids over for dinner and I volunteered to make a heart cake. It's really the only time of year I can use my 2 heart shaped cake pans. Well, let's just say that it is nothing short of a miracle that the cake even resembles a heart or a cake for that matter. When I attempted to get the first cake out of the pan it didn't want to budge the first 2 tries, finally it came loose the third try but left a big chunk of cake behind. I was so disappointed! The next cake was even worse, when it finally decided to come loose, it not only left a chunk behind, the bottom half of the cake fell off. So...this cake is basically held together with icing. Oh, the miracle of icing. I used every drop of icing and could have used more. It tasted great though, you can ask John or my parents. I think I might attempt this cake again, just to prove that I can make it in one piece.