Not My Children! Monday

A new version of "Not Me! Monday" for the record books (aka blog):

 - Miss Em is did NOT start surprising us with her presence after learning to climb out of the crib.  She is NOT now moved into a nice little toddler bed!

 - It WASN'T my son who I found at 6 am in the dining room eating the last of the chocolate silk pie straight out of the pie plate!  His response when I walked half-asleep into the room wasn't an excited, "Hey mom guess what?!  This chocolate cake is making my coughing ALL better!"  Nope, it WOULDN'T be my kid who would wake up when everyone else is still asleep, sneak out to the fridge and eat the last of that delicious pie!  And the tell-tale sign that woke me up?  It couldn't have been just the fact that I heard his very loud humidifer get just a notch louder when his door opened and it took me a few minutes to actually get myself out of bed to see what he was up to when I didn't hear him going to the bathroom.

 - Only about 45 minutes later it WASN'T my two children whom Daddy found munching on cold leftover piggie-in-a-blankets and donut holes and sitting in front of the television.  NOPE, our kids DON'T sometimes act like they own this place and can do whatever they want.  In fact, McGee HASN'T been overheard saying, "You know, God says we should do whatever we want to do."  Uh-uh, NOT my child!

 - Miss Em has NOT moved from her crib to a toddler bed and immediately exploited her freedom doing the above and going into her brother's room early in the morning to wake him.  What is this I've heard about kids who won't get out of bed until their mother comes to get them???  NOT here, and I seriously mean NOT here. :(  When I tried to tell her not to wake her brother up McGee's response to me WASN'T, "But mom, I like when she comes and wakes me up, I want her to do it!"

 - This image is NOT what I saw as I peeked in at Miss Em last night:

 - And yes, she has already fallen out of bed a couple of times, but it hasn't woken her yet. :)


 - Miss Em was NOT found hauling water in a plastic toy shovel from the bathroom outside.  There were NOT drips of water everywhere to the point that not a drop of water ever actually made it outside.  I WASN'T at least a tiny bit glad that at least she'd obeyed me when I said not to turn on the hose. 

 - My poor fair little Miss Em did NOT get a sunburn on her face thanks to her mommy forgetting to think about any sunscreen and having her spending a few hours out in the sun.  Mommy did NOT just think it was a red face from the heat of running around...and was super sad/guilty when the red face stuck around overnight. 

 - These are NOT a few of my new favorite images taken that day we had fun in the sun:

Growing Pains...for You and for Me

My Dearest McGee,

Tonight you awoke once again.  This time it was your legs that hurt (possibly growing pains).  I must admit there are very few nights you actually let us sleep all the way through without some odd hour wake up from you. Whether it be from being scared, in pain or just wanting to play and NOT wanting to sleep, it seems that staying asleep is what you call "a hard thing to do".  Lately we've allowed you to skip naptime in exchange for "quiet playtime" and I've been trying to get you outside in the sunshine to absorb as much Vitamin D and fresh air as possible, yet you continue to wake up.  It is hit or miss, as occasionally we do have a normal (what's normal anymore anyway?) night where we put you to bed and you sleep undisturbed until around 7:00 am.  Oh how I love those nights!  

Despite the frustrations and stresses of the day, the fact that I wanted to be in my comfy bed, snuggled between my flannel sheets and sound asleep, there I sat in the chair next to your bed, holding you.  As I cradled you in my arms and saw your eyelids slowly flutter closed with your hands clasped around your blankie and your head leaning on me, I couldn't help but be thankful for this little moment where I could look down upon you and see the perfection God had created.  You are truly beautiful, an amazing, wondrous creation that God blessed this earth with.  While I sat and listened to your breathing ever so subtly become slower and deeper, I knew that this was a divine appointment, a chance for me to hold my little boy who rarely wants to sit still anymore, to feel the love that you give so freely and accept the blessing of motherhood in all of it's many forms.  How many more opportunities will I have to hold you as you fall asleep?  You're getting older, you so desperately want to be a "big boy", but my heart rejoices in moments like this when my independent, stubborn, preschooler with an attitude, calls out to me and wants only to sleep in my arms.  

I love you sweet boy and am praying for you.  I'm praying for you to grow up to be a man who loves the Lord, a man with the tender heart you have shown us, but a strength to always do what is right and stand up for your faith and the people you love.  I'm also praying for you to be healthy and grow to be strong.  I'm praying for you to sleep more (I just read tonight that kids who sleep more get better grades) and for us to be wise and Godly parents.  Please remember that we are always praying for wisdom, but Mommy & Daddy are still human, which means we're imperfect and we WILL make mistakes (plenty of them).  Always know how much we love you and we are always wanting to do what is best for you.

I love you my son.  Sweet dreams.

Love Always, Mommy