He's HOME!!!

We picked Jeremiah up on Friday afternoon, and in case you can't tell from the pictures, we are all over the moon to be together again!!!

Since he let his junior crewman fly off the ship the day before, Jeremiah and about a dozen other guys flew home from Norfolk on this little plane. We pulled on to base just as we saw the plane coming in to land. You can imagine the excitement in my car as they kids locked on eyes it. Kaiti told me to step on it- she wasn't about to be late to see her Daddy!

I apologize for the quality of the pictures. These are all from my cell phone and I had Evie in m arms, too.

Obviously baby-holding and child-wrangling is not conducive to great picture-taking.

And there he was. Man, we might need to stop having babies because I am not sure if any more can really fit in there. Though, this Daddy would find a way. Just total joy.

Love this picture.

The weekend was jam-packed. We went to the corn maze and spent about 5 hours there. It was so nice to go to a place meant for families as a FULL family. I've done my share of events and outings on my own, and it can be really hard to see all the other complete families with a daddy enjoying the festivities with the kiddos. We're just thankful we've got him for a while (and quietly dreading having to say goodbye again in 2 months.)

The boys feeding the cows, and honestly amazed at the size of this dude's tongue. Can't say as I blame them because it was monstrous. In fact, when it opened it's mouth to get more corn Jack yelled 'NO, NO!'

Our little pumpkins! About 2 seconds after I took this, Jack pushed his {big} sister off the hay bale. She never saw it coming-- look at her smiling so sweetly. Poor girl. Oh, and when after he pushed her down the bale and she wound up on her back like a turtle, Jack started laughing. Hysterically.

He's waited 2 long months to kiss his baby girl. I love watching him love her.

That's it for now. Gonna go enjoy my family!!!

Outta the mouths of babes.....

It's been a while since I have done one of these posts, and if your friends with me on The Twitter or The Schmacebook you know I tend to post funny things that come out of my kids mouths pretty regularly. I mean, this is why I have children.....kidding. But I certainly do appreciate the laughs. Kaiti supplies most of the laughs for this edition, but Tyler bookended it....

Tyler: Mom, today at school we learned about the body parts we use when we do exercise. Like when you ride a bike, you use your LONG and your SHORT legs to pedal.
Me: What? Your long and short legs? I'm confused.
Tyler: Yes, when we pedal, we use our long leg and our short leg.
Me: Tyler, our legs are the same length. There is not one that is longer. Otherwise, we'd all walk around a little weird.
Tyler: Mom, stop laughing. We have a long and short leg. We do. My teacher teacher told me.
Me: I will stop laughing, but when we get home I will you.
......about 10 minutes later from the backseat, he says quietly: "Okay, maybe I meant the top and bottom part of our leg."


Kaiti: I think we should have nine childrens in our family.
Me: Wouldn't that be so fun?
Kaiti: Yeah. We gotta tell Daddy when he gets home. And the shorter ones can just sleep under my bed.

Kaiti: Mommy, look at these tracks. They lead up to where I'm standing and are right where I just walked. And they're the same size as my cute shoes. And then they stop...... 
Me: Yep, those tracks are exactly where you just walked and then they stop completely where you are standing. I WONDER whose tracks those could be....
Kaiti: Hey!!! Wait a second!!!!  I bet they're MY TRACKS!!




While eating dinner we got from Sonic at the park, Kaiti looks down at her corndog, goes completely still, and looks at me with eyes as wide as saucers,  a terrified expression slowly transforming her face.
Kaiti: Mom, I'm eating a corndog.
Me: Yes. And I am eating tater tots. Now that we've established that......
Kaiti:I am eating a CORNDOG. Mom, what are corndogs made from? Not doggies. Right, Mom? There's no doggies in here. RIGHT??

Kaiti: I'm so excited for my field trip Mama! I get to ride on a bus, go to Asia, and see HORSIES!
Me: Asia? You're not going to Asia, honey.
(she looks at me like I just told her that corndogs are indeed made out of dogs)
Kaiti: Well, do I still get to ride the bus?


Kaiti: I wonder about when Daddy goes away if he goes to other countries and sees families and goes to their house and eats dinner with them to be their daddy for that night and then flies away in his helicopter.
Me: Yes, that is exactly what he does on deployment.


Kaiti: Tyler keeps talking to me about dinosaurs and I'm being sick of it. See-we-us-lee.


Kaiti: Wouldn't it be funny if you pretended like you there were was a computer and there really wasn't?
Me: What? I don't get it.
Kaiti: You know, if you were pretending like you were working at a computer, but there really wasn't one. Like at Publix.
Me: I'm confused.
Kaiti: MOOOMMMM! I SAID, wouldn't it be funny if you pretended you were typing at the store, and you were making like there was a computer there, but there really wasn't.
Me: Still don't get it, but I guess that would be funny.
Kaiti: It would be AWESOME.
(but actually, now that I picture me walking down the aisles of Publix typing away on a make believe computer, it does seem pretty funny.)

Tyler: Mom, today after resource I argued with a kid in my class.
Mom: About what?
Tyler: Well his name is JOOO-SSSS, and so that is what I called him, but he said that is not his name.
Me: What did he say his name was?
Tyler: Well, he said it's Jose, but when I read it, it looks like JOO-SSS, so I told him that his mom probably spelled it wrong. And then he got mad. But really mom, there is no A in his name (as he is laughing), so I don't know what he's talking about that his name is Jose. It's JOO-SSSS (he said it like juice but with an O).


Okay, I am going to admit something here, so please know, I have already sought forgiveness. I know it is terrible. And honestly, I didn't think I said it THAT loud.

So, while we are driving home from Kaiti's tumbling class, I am slowing down for a red light, the car behind me shoots out into the left lane, goes around me and totally cuts me off, causing me to SLAM on my brakes hard. All because apparently I was slowing down too much for him.
As I am slamming on my brakes I said, (deep breath, here goes...) 'Thanks A LOT.  Jack ass!!'
And from the backseat I hear Tyler say
"WHO, ME?????"

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3 days.....

Three days. Three glorious days until I get my husband back!!! Oh, I am so darn excited, I can't even put it into words! In three days, my husband will be living life with us, instead of watching us live our life through pictures sent through email.

I am going to hang on to my guy tight, but I have a feeling I am going to have battle the kids for hugs. I have no problem tripping a child if it gets me some love from my man.

Kidding.

There is such relief in having another work-up wrapping to a close. I am so proud of Jeremiah, of what he does and the sacrifices he makes, but I. want. him. HOME.

If all goes as planned, he'll make it in time for Halloween, but just miss Jack's birthday by a day. No worry. We're going to celebrate our little guy with Daddy, and that is all the birthday excitement Jack wants. He's ALL about his Daddy. I totally get it. I am, too. 


So, if I'm 'absent' for a couple days, that's why. Pretty soon my husband will get to see how our kiddos have grown with his own eyes, instead of through pictures. How wonderful is that??? 


When he left, Evie was 2 months old, just starting to smile and pretty much sleeping all the time. Now, she smiles often, laughs a beautiful little laugh, sits in a Bumbo, finds me amusing (oh, God, thank you so much for that), and 'talks' a lot! And she's gotten adorably chubby! See for yourself.....

.....our little Evie, when Jeremiah left....

..and here she is now...

And Jack...well, in the past 2 months, he has been learning and saying a lot of new words, and has started stringing 3 and 4 words together to make little sentences. It amazes me. But other than, still the same happy, energetic, mischief-making little boy....

Kaiti has started taking tumbling classes since her Daddy left. She loves it! And she continues to come out of her shell more and more everyday.....we were out doing errands today, and she ran into friends from school at Wal Greens, the pumpkin patch, and Michael's. And instead of being shy and barely lifting her head, she ran over and started talking to them. Love my sweet girl!!

And then there is my little man! Since Daddy left, Tyler has traded his obsession with sharks for an obsession with dinosaurs. He has lost another tooth and talks about wanting to go fishing with his Dad more often. He is the man of the house when Daddy is gone, and he does a great job in his role!

I can't wait to have my handsome husband with us, being a part of our moments, making memories with us once again!! Happy Tuesday all!

----oh, one more quick thing. Amy, from The Idea Room, has been so sweet to feature 4 of her readers on her website! And yours truly happens to be one of those readers featured. So HOP ON OVER HERE and check her out......and while you're there, you can see 'the story of us' listed in the left hand column! There are a ton of great projects over there-- like her cinnamon swirl pancakes....I am making those bad boys for my hubby this weekend!! 

A Deeper Kind of Longing

Hi friends! I wanted to share with you all one of the wonderful connections I have made through the blog world. Summer Jo, of Believing Boldly, was looking for guest writers and asked me to write a little something for her readers. She was gracious enough to host me and give me the opportunity to share a little of my life with her friends. So please, hop on over HERE and check it out! This is my first experience 'guest writing' and I absolutely enjoyed it!

Summer Jo shares her heart, her faith, and her life through her blog, and I hope y'all take a little time to read what she writes!

Happy Monday friends!!

Rings

My sweet boy! This kid loves to learn and remembers pretty much anything, even if he only hears it in passing. And if the subject interests him, look out! He will immerse himself in it and learn all he can. Love this guy!

Faketeeth.com

pardon all my video uploads, folks. my husband is deployed right now and he cannot access youtube, nor can I email him because these videos are too large. so, here we are, sharing the silly little things my children say and do with the blog world, just so my sweet husband can hear their voices and see their lovely faces. So he can have a little bit of home with on that gray ship in the middle of the ocean.

Evie's voice

Jack talks about daddy

ooh la la.....have you heard of Rue La La?

 Have you heard of Rue la la? Well, let me give you the haps! Basically, it's a website that hosts 'flash sales' where a boutique will offer their items at a hugely discounted price. 


Anyway, right now, you can get a $20 credit to the place. You don't have to do anything other than sign up. Thought I'd share it with you, 'cause you can get some great stuff for little to nothing. And I'm good like that. So hop on over to this site:

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/z8gf3f1g

Right now, they have some cute clothes from Theory, Elle Tahari, and Michael Kors. It took a couple hours for the credit to show up, but it did and now I am ready to shop away, just trying to decide how to use it. Yesterday they had chocolates and cookies..... I knew I should have got something then- sold out! So check back often, because the boutiques they feature change often. 

Have fun shopping! 

My Child Plan

It's not often that I write about the deeper stuff, the stuff the stirs within me, the stuff that steers me. I suppose thats mainly because it's so much easier to write the light-hearted posts where I poke fun at myself for my mommy-flops and share with you the funny things that spill out of my children's mouths.

Amidst the kiddo hijinks and silliness that comes with raising four small children, there is me. Shannon. Doing the best I can to to love these children into adulthood, to teach them right from wrong, and mother them the way I know how to mother, while inserting my own liveliness into this important business of motherhood.

The other day I came across a little gem on a disk....I was searching for photos of my pregnant self with Tyler. He was  having a particularly tough time without his Daddy, and try as I may, I cannot love him the way Jeremiah can. So rather than try to fight a losing battle, I focused on trying to envelop Tyler with my love. So I set out to show him, through pictures, how unbelievably joyful I was from the first moment I knew he was with us. In searching through photos, I found a document. I remember sitting down at my computer and typing. Jeremiah was flying really late that night, so it was just me and my burgeoning belly at 2 am with my laptop and an idea. I had been going through the pregnancy books that talked so vigorously about developing your birth plan. So, late that night alone with my thoughts (and a child within me), I decided to go one step further and create my 'child plan'. I read it just the other day, and it made me smile. In the plan, I discussed who I hoped my children would become and how I wanted to parent them. Amazingly, four kids later, I find myself very much in sync with my summer of 2003 self. Here are some of the things I said.

'I don't care if you make all A's, are the fastest runner, or have a voice that could make grown men cry. I just want you to be kind. I want your heart to always be soft, feeling it all- the joy and the pain. Know that compassion is sometimes the only thing we have to offer, and offer it often and freely. Even if it is not returned, kindness and compassion will lift and lighten you like nothing else can. 


If you are blessed to have a brother or sister, I want you to always feel driven to go to the ends of the earth for them. 


I hope you not judge people based on what they wear or how they speak, but use good judgement from what you learn. People can tell you who they are 'til they are blue in the face- it's when they show you who they are that you have to listen.


Never stop playing. Ever. 


Always buckle your seat belt. Especially with me. I'm sure you'll hear the stories at some point.


Money, toys, clothes, cars- that's all just stuff. Nothing will ever give you gratification the way being a person of character will. If you say something, do it. When you mess up, move on. If you need help, ask. Be honest, be true, and don't ever waiver from being yourself. God made you to be you and you've got to trust in that. He had His reasons for creating you the way He did, so you just need to marvel in it.


Always, always, always, always find the funny. If you have to get a tractor to dig it out, DO IT. Trust me. Life is sooo much more enjoyable with the funny.


Be sweet to me. Please. Be kind to everyone, but since I'm your mom, always be sweet to me. '


There are definitely some things I need to work on, and some things I'd like to add, but the heart of it remains the same.

Now, as I listen to the rise and fall of my baby's girl breath as she sleeps, I am acutely aware of the immense gift we have been given, as parents. We have within us the ability to steer our children to goodness, to get into their hearts and light them up with love. The fact that I have been given 4 children to try and teach kindness to- AMAZING. Truly, it is amazing. The other night Jeremiah sent me a very brief email. He said something like, 'So, I'm sitting here thinking. We have 4 kids. 4 KIDS. Wow.' I have said that exact same thing to myself quite a few times. Sometimes the 'wow' is more of a 'whew' based on how exhausted I am. But most of the time, it's a wide-grinned exclamation. I'm thinking I might just have to print my 'Child Plan' out and hang it somewhere to remind myself daily of what I wanted to do as mom. For me, it was never about serving big fancy meals or raising children with impeccable manners. Those things are well and good, but they are not who I set out to be, who I wanted my children to become. In those moments where I feel like the day got the better of me and things are spinning wildly out of control, I'd be well served to stop and think about who I set out to be as a mom. I'm so glad I had the foresight to write it all down. Apparently, wisdom arrives at about 2 am :)

So what about you? Do you have a 'child plan'? Would you like to share it?

***Oh, and that birth plan.....to give you an idea of how that went, #1 on my list was NO C-SECTION.......

my lazy post

I just spent my last two joules of energy on getting the craft mess put away so I am going to cheat on my post.

Oh, and before you go gettin all impressed with me that I used the term joule in my first sentence, DON'T. I googled 'how is physical energy measured' before I typed that. I'm honest like that. And actually, I probably am using the term incorrectly, but I am banking on no nuclear physicists or kineticists reading my post. A real gamble on my part since those are the circles I run around in. We're a fun bunch, I tell ya'.

Okay I don't even know what  I am talking about anymore. I'd hypothetically ask 'what is wrong with me', but, to be frank, I'm a little afraid of the answer. Whatever it is, I hope it's not genetic.

So. Instead of posting some big ol' tale of how I'm so busy, so tired, blah blah blah, I thought I'd just share the email exchange I had with my husband. It pretty much sums up where I am right now.

From him:

Hey babe,



I just wanted to tell you good night and let you know that I love you very much. You are wonderful. Sorry that you have so much on your plate. I am certain that things are just a constant zoo. I love you a whole lot babe. You are such a wonderful woman. Miss you and can not wait to get home to you. Tell the kids that I love them, miss them and good night. I miss you all and I am going to get off and go to bed since there are people waiting in line and I have an early day in the morning.
 
My response:
 
Thanks for saying I am a wonderful mom. I used to really want and need to hear that from you. Since you've been gone, I have mellowed out some. Honestly, I just feel wonderful because I have managed to cling to the little sanity left in order to care for these hooligans that I birthed. That, in and of itself, totally deserves a medal. Man, raising happy little people is not easy. Then you have to fit in teaching kindness, manners, hygiene, general health, a sense of appreciation, an understanding of the world around them, a compassionate heart, a selfless attitude, and a true desire to help others . Sheesh. That's kind of a lot. And I am rereading that list and seriously, there is nothing I can weed out. I have already trimmed it down quite a bit. So I hope you're cool with those because I cannot squeeze anything else in. Seriously. Fostering individual skills and teaching them patience is going to have to wait a while. I am seriously lowering the expectations I have for myself (what every deployed father wants to hear, I'm sure). I figure I'm doing alright if they are all fed 3 meals a day, are clean for the most part (the visible parts at least), homework is done, their bedrooms are reasonably safe (by reasonably safe I mean they would pass a HAZMAT test), and they smile and laugh at least once in a 24-hour period.
But I am glad you think I am wonderful. Right now, I just think I am just barely good enough, and that'll have to do.
Oh, and Tyler just fulfilled his laugh quote for the day. I made some incredibly inappropriate reference when stressing the importance of lower case letters staying below the dotted line (something about the uppercase letters would attack any letter that went above, and I even drew an uppercase T firing at the lowercase 'a' that ventured above the dotted line. seriously. what is wrong with me? they really should make women like me take a test before conception)



Okay, dinner is not going to make itself. And I have a ton of laundry because your son- I don't even have to name him- thought it'd be a good idea to dump his milk sippy cup out onto Kaiti's comforter. And when I scolded him, he chucked the cup at me. Last week, I honestly told a couple women- 'When you judge me and how I am as a parent, please focus on Tyler and Kaiti, and ignore Jack.' I wasn't kidding.
 
Love you honey!! Can't wait to see your face in a month or so!
 
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Now, for the photo portion of this post......
 

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the easiest post ever :)