Campbell Saturday's

Faithfully, every Saturday, my sister and I go out to my parent’s house. I love seeing them every week and would die without them. They mean everything to the boys and me. We have so much fun together! My kids act like lunatics and Evan just sits there and watches them. Shawn and Mom yell at my kids more than I do because they are a LOT stricter than I am. Shawn is just like my Mother! I just kinda sit back and watch because frankly, I don’t care. Kids are kids and need to beat the crap out of each other until they figure out what’s important. Do I want this toy or that one………….I KNOW both of my children’s cry and when to jump up and grab them. My Mom and sister jump at every argument. The boys have them wrapped around their little finger. It’s so funny to watch their reactions on Saturday’s to stuff I would just walk right past. The boys love going to my parents because EVERYTHING gets so much attention.
We always go to the Café for lunch which is really good. We saw Blake there today which is always fun. I truly love that kid! He taught the boys how to shoot the paper off of straws and into people’s faces. The boys also learned how to fold a straw small enough to fit into their mouths. Now that kid has talent. He is an absolute trip. I winked at him and he ran over to his Dad, totally embarrassed. He cracks me up with girls! Not that I’m a “girl” to him but seriously, he is hysterical. If Alisa “Blake’s Mom” loved on my kids, they would definitely love back but not Blake. He’s Mr. KISS and can sing all their songs…………..

Shawn and I took some pictures while Dad was changing the oil in Shawn’s car. Dad made these Pirate boats for the boys for Christmas. They absolutely LOVE them

Another snow

So once again, it snowed. The kids barely played in it this time and really didn't want anything to do with it. Both of the boys decided it was too cold to play outside. They literally played outside about 5 minutes then Austin came inside and decided to cook me some socks by the heater. It was some good stuff.

Random Conversations

This week we haven't really done anything. The kids have been sick and Brian is in Vegas Baby! Were staying at home and having much needed downtime. We’ve done a lot of puzzles, coloring, games, and cooking. While we were cooking tonight my mother called. Both the boys were right by the stove so I hit ignore. Our food was almost ready so I figured I would call her back after dinner. As soon as we sat down, the phone rang again. I got up and saw it was my mother. I answered it because I wasn’t sure if anything was wrong.
She immediately says “What are you doing”
Me “eating, is something wrong”
Mom “no, just seeing what your doing”
Kaleb “who is that”
Me “It’s Grandma”
Kaleb “Again! That crazy old lady.”I lost it and died laughing.
I got off the phone with Mom and had my usual dinner conversations with the boys. We went over what we did today then talked about what were going to do tomorrow. I let them know we were going to the airport to pickup Dad after they got out of school. Yay! I’m so excited and ready for adult conversation!!!!!
I asked the boys if they knew where Daddy was all week and both of them replied “at the airport”. Yes, we took him on Monday but he didn’t stay there the entire time.
I told them that Daddy flew to Las Vegas. Austin replied “I didn’t know Daddy was lost but I’m glad a stranger found him and is bring him back to the airport for us”. I tried to explain to him that Daddy wasn’t “lost” but in “Las Vegas”. He stared at me with those baby blue eyes and I folded and said “yeah, were lucky that stranger found Daddy. God is really watching out for us”.

I've Been Tagged!

I LOVE THESE THINGS AND I CAN NEVER RESIST SENDING THEM! I TAG SHAWN AND KRISTIN

SCATTERGORIES....it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.. nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Stacey

BOY NAME (not your own): Seth

4 LETTER WORD: Step

GIRL NAME (not your own): Stephanie

OCCUPATION: Secretary

A COLOR: Silver

SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Sweater

BEVERAGE: Sweet Tea

FOOD: Strawberry

SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Soap

A PLACE: Savannah, Ga

REASON FOR BEING LATE: Stuck in a traffic jam

SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Shut up!

It's snowing!!!

We got to play in the snow today! Well, I shouldn't say play, all the boys do is eat it. We went outside three times then came back in to get warm. The boys had a blast! It was a nice change that didn't last very long. It started melting within two hours so Kaleb got mad at God for letting the sun come out. I was thankful because I was COLD. I was in charge of collecting the snow so they could run their cars and planes through it. We also hid several vehicles under the small pile and are going to let the snow melt so we can find them.

Fashion standout.

A little boy in Kaleb's class wears outfits like this all the time. Kaleb decided he would dress himself today and pitched a fit to wear it. I didn't fight with him about it. I've definitely learned throughout the years to be choosy on my battles. I try to look a week, month, or year down the road. Is it seriously going to matter what he wore today. NO! So here is our son. He had a hard time buttoning his pants because as you can see, he also has jogging pants on. "Wow" is all I can say!

Tigers against UAB!

Brian and I went to the game as always. We got there late due to City being extremely busy and Brian couldn't get off work. Luckily, we have a great parking pass and can basically walk right into our seats! Thank God for season tickets....... Once we sat down, Hailey and April(Evan's godmother's) were sitting right behind us. How strange is that? Out of all the seats inside the forum April bought tickets for her and Hailey to sit there. Right behind us! Shawn and Jr had tickets in the nose bleed section and thankfully we had two extra tickets that they could use. I called them at halftime and met them at the gate. They were able to sit with us, April, and Hailey for free. How cool is that!

Austin's first birthday party invite!

Sure, Austin has gone to Birthday parties of Kaleb's friends, but today was different. He got to go to his first birthday party without Kaleb! He was so excited. A little boy in his class named Bobby had a party. I'm a sucker for birthday's! If were EVER invited, I'm in. I would hate to know that no one showed up for a birthday party. That would break my heart. Every birthday as a child is special and deserves a celebration. It's so hard to find parents that feel the same way. Parents usually have something going on with their other children and don't have time for the youngest of the bunch. I promise to always make time to go to every birthday party possible. Today at Bobby's only two kids showed up. That's so sad! Austin, Quinton, and Bobby(birthday boy) were the only one's there but we had a great time. It was the best play date I've had in a long time. The boys played amazing together upstairs, while the parents stayed downstairs and talked. How great is that. Being a stay at home Mom, I live for adult conversation! The kids kept asking to eat cake so finally we sang Happy Birthday prior to having pizza. There were three firemen on the cake so each boy got to lick the icing off of one. I'm telling you what, It was perfect! Austin coughed and gaged the entire time due to his bronchitis but we made it. He knocked the crap out of the pinata and was truly the toughest boy there(go figure). He didn't knock it down because those things are made out of cardboard but he did give it a run for it's money!

Almost done!

Our house has been destroyed! New years day Brian and I started painting the playroom or should I say Brian. I'm the worst painter EVER. I get bored painting the same wall so I skip around a lot. If it takes me more than 10 minutes to do one thing, I'm out. Brian usually ends up finishing the 100 projects that I start. Yes, I know I have issues!

When we bought our house, our playroom was a little girls room. It was painted light pink with flowers and beads all over the walls. They repainted every room except for this one. Well, we have boys! It's taken us awhile to start on it because frankly, Brian hates painting. Here is the sorta finished product. Were going to hang some comic books on the wall and get a storage cube for some more toys. Were trying to find some more fatheads but I can't seem to find any that I really like.

No doubt about it

I love you. How many times can I say that without being weird? We've been thru thick, thin, and everything in between. The below Neal McCoy song is coming into my head and it makes me think of our relationship. I can't believe your leaving me. I completely understand, but I think a little piece of me is dying inside. Luckily, I get to see you one more time before your adventures begin. You truly are my best girlfriend and I love you always and forever.
Just like every lock's got to have a key

Every river flows lookin' for the sea

And when you plant a seed, it reaches for the sky

That's just the way it is, nobody wonders why

Like coffee needs a cup you know that it ain't much good without it

We were meant to be together, no doubt about it.

Like a hammer and a nail, socks and shoes

We go hand in hand, like a rhythm and blues

What good is a man who hasn't got a dream

Bout as good as a car with no gasoline

We were meant to be together, no doubt about it.

Hope you had a great 30th birthday and going away party. Love you!!!!!!!

Cheap entertainment

So, I turn on the vacumn and the kids always take it away from me. Here is some of the cheap entertainment that thay have with it, and the bruised lips the next day.

Emotional breakdown:(

Kaleb has been on my case since school started that he wanted to change classes. No one wants to be on his "team". All his friends are in other classes and he doesn't have any friends. When Colton, Max, and a couple of other kids from his three year old class leave the gym or playground, he has no one to play with and has to play by himself.
As a parent, you don't ever want your children to experience pain. I wish I could put my kids in a bubble and take all the heartache, tears, and pain away from them. I know this doesn't teach them life's "great" lessons but you still don't want them to be hurt or sad. Just like Jesus sacrificed for us, parents want to sacrifice for their children. I have cried many tears because the way Kaleb tells it. No one likes him! He never gets picked for a team, he plays by himself, never gets the good toys at gym because he's not in the "in" group. He's only 4 but I swear he's 13!
Today was my meeting with his teacher. I didn't have any academic questions, but social, and plenty of them:(
She started off checking out his progress report and letting me know that he was extremely smart. I started off with tears in my eyes and nervously asking if he had any friends. He hits Austin all the time and just isn't nice. I was trying to brace myself for the worst. Everyone gossips(it's Collierville) so I know their are kids in his class that no one likes. None of the Moms will tell you true information about your child to your face so you have to read between the lines. I wasn't picking up negative or positive vibes, or anything for that matter. None of the kids said anything about Kaleb which made me more nervous. Does my child seriously have ANY friends at all?
I boohooed for awhile which I already knew I would(because I can't get it together). Mrs. Faye(teacher) comforted me that he was probably the most outgoing and energetic kid in the class. Kaleb could play with the girls(they have cooties), shy boys, outgoing boys, and the kids that go to school 5 days a week. He doesn't get his feelings hurt easily, always asks really good and thought out questions, and never hits or does anything harmful to anyone else. He's always worried about everyone else's feelings and goes through the day without a care in the world. Ah, such a relief, but why am I still crying? I talked to the teacher a little bit longer about the day then headed outside to take the heavy school bags to the car.
I saw one of my friends sitting in her car because it was still early and went over to visit. Next thing I know I busted out crying again. Seriously! I have got to get it together..............
Motherhood is one emotional roller coaster!
The major benefit I got from the meeting is that I've GOT to do play dates with kids in Kaleb's class. I do them with kids from other classes which is why Kaleb wants to change so bad. He's so close to kids from his 3 year old class that I don't give him a chance to be close to his 4 year old class. I know it's my fault but you hate for them to loose old friends. I'm a sucker for the old.

Being with you Mom

Everyday I try and do something fun with the boys. Today, we went walking on the trail in the woods at Johnson Park. The boys love this thing and so do I! The entire path is a bridge and totally roped off so they can't escape. Kaleb can get ahead of me then sit on a bench to wait for Austin and I to catch up. I swear Kaleb is like Forrest Gump. Run Forrest! He just never stops running. Austin is another story. He likes to walk slow and check out every knot in the wood looking for treasure. He goes at his own pace and speeds up for nothing and no one. Life doesn't pass him bye too quickly. He savors every moment and looks for the secrets that God is whispering in his ear. When the wind would blow and the leaves ruffled he would stop and look for a fox or snake. He checked out all the birds, sticks, swamplands and advised me he kept seeing fish jump. Kaleb would be sitting on a bench a little up ahead, waiting.

The trail is .7 miles to the Wolfe River so round trip it's 1.4 miles. I've never made it to the end because bikes aren't allowed and I'm not sure that Austin could ever make it this far. Maybe one day while the kids are at school I'll go by myself to checkout the end.

Every night when we tuck the kids into bed we always say our favorite things. Today, Kaleb said his favorite thing was spending the day with me. Were so lucky and blessed to have such wonderful boys and be able to cherish these little moments in their lives. My favorite thing today was snuggling before they went to bed and giving them lots of kisses.

Amazing!

I was the first parent to arrive at school for pickup and the sign up list for parent-teacher meetings had just been set out. I do have to admit I got the best time. The latest one on Friday! I'm extremely nervous to meet with the teacher but really want to know whats going on. I don't know why, but every time I talk to the boys teachers all I want to do is cry. It drives me crazy. I don't care if it's good or bad. I think I have issues and I have no idea what they are. I've seriously got to get it together!

So, after I signed up for the meeting the teacher passed out the folders. Drum roll please.......
Kaleb got everything right! He knew all his letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and could write his name legibly. He is a good listener and follows directions very well. He uses kind words and actions, participates at group time, and keeps his hands and feet to himself(has anyone met this kid because I would love too). The only thing he got a comment on was being a quiet rester but she added that he is working on this. The teacher marked that she didn't need a conference with me, but I still wanted to talk to her about his conduct(plus I got a really good time). Her additional comments are"Kaleb is a very bright and energetic little boy. I enjoy having him in my class".
After school we raced home to tell Dad the good news! Brian was painting the playroom and did so the rest of the afternoon. The kids painted a little but then the three of us headed upstairs to play the Deigo Wii game. Mom came and got the boys at 5:00 so Brian and I could go to the Memphis basketball game:) Go TIGERS!!!!

Where's Kaleb?

Ahhhh to be back into a routine! It's such a great feeling for the kids and I. It really helps to keep me sane(if that's possible). Yesterday was school for Kaleb and basically school for Austin. We did Hooked on Phonics and played learning games on the computer all day. Today was swim lessons. Austin went first and cried the entire time. He is the only one in the class and he screamed bloody murder. I have no idea why because it's the same teacher he had in November. He is such a Mommas boy that it's INSANE! I love having him close to me but all he screamed was that he wanted me. Austin doesn't stop crying until he gets what he wants. He could pitch a fit for hours. Needless to say, swim lessons for him lasted about 5 minutes. I went and got Kaleb and he was able to get Austin into the pool. They ended up doing the lesson together. Pathetic, I know.
Kaleb usually has the same Coach that Austin has, but due to scheduling, he got Lesley which is Colton's Mom. She is the aquatic director at the gym we go to so Colton, Max, and Kaleb think they rule the place. Lesley took the three down to the far end of the pool and started working with them. She usually only does adults, but since it was our three she wanted to teach the class. Kaleb has ZERO confidence in his swimming technique but is really good. He tries to do stuff and does it great but I guess inside he doesn't know that he actually did a good job. You have to talk him into trying everything because he will just tell you "I can't do it" and won't even try. He could beat Colton and Max on technique but not on speed. Of coarse, a 4 year old doesn't understand that. He just wants to win the race. He has a God given talent for swimming. His body glides over the water instead of treading it. He's had at least 5 different instructors tell me this so I'm thinking all of them can't be wrong. I'm not pushing swimming by any means like he's going to be an Olympian. I just want the boys to be involved in something. I feel the more involved you are, the less trouble you can get into:)

After swim lessons, Max and Kaleb went to Colton's house for his birthday party. Once again, it was Austin and I. Poor thing! He's always stuck with me. We played with the new ice cream play do machine that Shawn gave us for Christmas. It was a lot of fun. Especially the sprinkles. We played with this thing for 2 hours. I kept trying to put it up so we could go get Kaleb. Austin absolutely didn't want Kaleb to come home. He loves being by himself and getting all the attention! Go figure.

Walking in the Woods

I was just getting Austin dressed for bed and asked him what the scratch on his face was from. He advised me that Aunt Andrea and him went walking in the woods at night and got bit by a snake and crocodile. Andrea, I'm hoping your wounds are healed and you don't go walking with him at night anymore. It sounds dangerous!
Kaleb had his evaluation today at school but I don't know what the results are until Wednesday! I'm a nervous wreck..........I feel like it's a report card and he's only 4. He told me he wrote his name with a big K and little aleb. He also said they asked him words(I have no idea what this means). Hopefully they sounded out letters and asked him what they were or what the letter sounds like. This is what we have really been working on so I hope it payees off. I know he's a smart kid but needs a lot of attention(as any 4 year old does). I do Hooked on Phonics but the boys are on different levels. It's hard to keep Austin occupied while I do Kaleb's lessons. Kaleb occupies himself because he's older, but I need to work with him longer because his lessons are harder.
Being a stay at home Mom you never feel like you do enough. I'm not trying to make them rocket scientist but I do want them to be a little ahead of everyone else so I can judge what's going on. I have a learning disability and don't want them to use this as an excuse if they do have one. I'm trying to prepare them for the worst and hoping for the best. I worked my rear end off my entire life to make sure I beat my problems(the medicine,physiologists, and Tudors). It was AWFUL! I just hope they do the same and they have a college degree like me. It's nice to beat the odds.
Please pray my kids got my perseverance and hope that this too shall pass if the worst comes true.

Wiggled out

We have been working on Kaleb's loose tooth for awhile now. Kaleb wouldn't let me pull it because he said it was going to hurt. He would let me wiggle it for about 5 seconds a day then would tell me I was hurting him. He decided that this tooth was going to fall out by itself. I kept telling him to play with it, but he didn't care. It just sat there, hanging, and driving me crazy! I pick at everything and this tooth was laying on it's side in his mouth and I just wanted to snatch it out everyday. Today, I got it:)

When we brushed his teeth tonight I told him to sit on the counter so I could check it out again. He agreed to give me one try to get it out and if I didn't get it, I could try again tomorrow(if I didn't get it out tonight, I think I would have tried to pull it in his sleep). I couldn't take it anymore. I took a picture of him while he was watching tv so this is the best I could get.