Cody's Fall Class Party

So, along with 2 other parents, I am hosting the Fall Party in Cody's class this year.  Halloween is not one of my favorite parties, but I like to get in there for the first party so until I get to know the other parents I know what will be safe and who I can trust.  So in the division of responsibilities for the party, I naturally got the food.  So first I think we will order pizza, what a treat, right?  Then I will bring some carrot sticks and grapes so I feel like there is something healthy there, even though no kids will want to eat it, and I will make some cute Halloween sugar cookies.
As you know I like to involve the kids in party planning so I run this whole idea past Cody, and it gets the big NO.  He does not really like pizza.  I know, what kid does not like pizza?  And the answer of course is Cody.  Is he allergic to it, no.  He does not really like the sauce, because sometimes is squirts out from under the cheese and sometimes the cheese gets a little brown if you cook it too long, and why do people put other things on pizza besides cheese anyway?  I think I have said too much already.
So I ask Cody what he would like for us to have for lunch.  I remind him that it is a Halloween party and we are not having anything too far off the theme.  He decides on pumpkin shaped sandwiches.  ( He wants them to be grilled cheese and his will be but the rest will be ham or turkey, shhh don't tell)  With that he wants the Halloween shaped pretzels, and he wants me to bring my apple corer, peeler, slicer and slice apples for his friends to see me do it.  And for dessert he wants Krispy Kreme donuts that look like pumpkins.
That lunch will be safe and fun for sweet Cody.  And I have to give up on my idea of convincing him that hot dogs wrapped in breadsticks to look like mummies would be much cuter and go with the sandwich...oh well.  It is his party not mine :-)

I love PUMPKINS

So Fall is my favorite time of the year, and as you can tell by the infrequency of posting that it has me pretty busy.  Starting off October on the road has got me playing a lot of catch up, but it sure has been worth it.
I will come back to the Disney trip, but for today I will talk about my favorite Fall thing.  PUMPKINS!  I love to photograph them, eat them, carve them, play with them, go see them, you name it I love me some pumpkins.
I always say that next year is the year that we will do a big pumpkin trip to some amazing place far away, and I guess I will say that again.  We got a pumpkin at Corn Dawgs this year, and I guess that one will have to do.  We carved it last night and that was fun.  Cody and Emilee had a heated argument about what he would look like.  Emilee's stand is that Halloween is scary and the pumpkin should be scary, and this is coming from the girl that would have been afraid of the pumpkin she helped carve.  Cody said he wanted it to have a happy face since pumpkins were so nice.  So I was with Cody on this one, but I let them work it out.  Well Emilee did finally agree that she did not want to be scared by something that would sit at our front door for the next week and she agreed on the triangle eyes, rectangle nose, and big smile that Cody designed.
I have also been on the search for some yummy pumpkin comfort food.  My SIL sent me a pancake recipe that I want to try.  Another friend sent me some sinfully delicious looking brownies, and today I had some pumpkin chipotle salsa that I found at Whole Foods this week.  And of course there is the forever beloved pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks....now that puts a smile on my face anytime of day!

I will keep you posted on my cooking endeavors, until then get out there and enjoy this weather and have a pumpkin something for me.

Corn Dawgs Slideshow

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How was Disney? The Trip There

So many people have asked...how was your trip?  So here is more of an answer that you ever wanted.  I will break this into a few posts as to not bore you to death.
Today's topic, traveling with a 3 year old and a 5 year old.
When we leave for vacation we like to leave early.  Cody gets so excited the night before that he refuses to go to sleep.  He did it for Disney and he did it before the beach this year too.  What can you do?  They like that we sneak in when it is still dark outside and tell them it is time to go.  They have a potty trip and then head to the car in the pajamas.  In the past this has lead to nice naps as we travel.  This time that did not happen.  They were so excited that Emilee slept for about 20 minutes at one point and Cody for about 30.  Oh well...
Cody is an excellent traveler.  First of all he should get some sort of award for his bladder.  He went the whole way there without needing to stop.  He was fine to watch movies, play Memory, and eat.
Emilee, well she is a different story.  That much time sitting still does not work for her.  She is not much of a movie watcher, at least not for long periods.  And she gets bored and fidgety quick.  So I bought several new coloring books, brought toys, and moved to the back myself to help entertain her.  The best thing ever for traveling is the new Twistable Crayons by Crayola.  Now you don't want markers in the car for obvious reasons, but my kids have never been that fond of crayons, until the Twistables.  No paper to peel and put on the floor of the car, no breaking, no sharpening, for me and Emilee they are a dream come true.
So we made it there with one potty stop and one gas stop in just about 7 hours.
What happened once we got there?  Stay tuned to find out.

Play Dough Recipe

We got a great play dough recipe from Cody's teacher.  In the last week or so, we have mad a double batch of blue for his class, a batch of pink for home, and a batch of purple and a batch of orange for Emilee's class.
I encourage you to give this one a try...easy and fun!

Recipe:
Combine 1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, 2TB cream of tartar, 2 TB vegetable oil, 2 cups water, and food coloring
Mix until smooth, then cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until a ball forms and sticks to the spoon.
Cool, knead, store in a Ziploc bag.

My tips:
Mix this in the pot you are going to cook it in.  I used a nonstick pot and think it helped.  I sifted the flour to help make the smoothing process go better.  Use a whisk before you heat it and then switch to a very sturdy wooden spoon/spatula once you put it on the heat.  If you are going to make a double batch, make sure someone really strong is home or prepare for a workout.  Once that ball forms it is hard to keep stirring a double batch :-)

My New Schedule...learning to love it

So the first 2 weeks of school and adjusting to our new busy schedule have been a little more tiring than I expected!  I put all this hope in all the extra time I would have once both kids started school, and I guess I forgot how busy we would be.  So I am learning this new busy life and loving it.

Monday is my Girl Time day.  Cody goes to school, so Emilee and I have some time to do "only girly things" as she told me today.  We painted her fingers and toes.  We made play doh.  We did a craft that consisted of a lot of glue, some construction paper, some index cards, and did I mention all the glue?  I am not sure what it is, but it was fun!  Then while she played without the interruption of her big brother I caught up the laundry and straightened up the house and the we headed to lunch.  It was a really nice morning!

Tuesday, both kids are in school.  I have a Bible study at church right after drop off.  Then I have a little time to be productive in my tasks before I pick up the kids.  We try to make sure we come home and chill after school. Cody heads back to the school for soccer practice at 6:00.  Sometimes Bret meets us there and sometimes it is me trying to conjure up the soccer me from days of old.  After that it is dinner, Wii time, and the bedtime routine.

Wednesdays, both kids back to school and I try to exercise and run some errands with my time.  Then we head to the allergist after school for Cody's weekly pokes, which he loves by the way (hope you heard the sarcasm there).  Then if I am lucky and Bret is in town, we get a quick dinner out while Bret's parents spend some time with the kids.

Thursdays are our insane days!  After school Emilee has ballet and then after a few hour rest, Cody has soccer.  These are the days I dreamed of since I was a little kid though.  To take a son to soccer and a daughter to dance, this is what I have always wanted to do with my life and I am doing it.  I feel so blessed!

Once we have reached Friday we are all pooped.  It is a nice end to the week.  I am so glad the kids love school and feel so safe and loved there.  And we all love Friday because we know that once Daddy comes home, he stays home until Monday and they love that and I do too!  We usually have breakfast for dinner and enjoy the time together.

Food Allergy Proud Moment

Sometimes you have those moments that make you proud in so many ways.  Well I had one yesterday.
When I picked Cody up from school, he was so proud of himself for staying on green (behavior system in his classroom) all week, so he got to choose a prize from the treasure box.
It was a funny scene outside his classroom to watch the kids come out one at a time and tell their parents about their week.  I got there early enough to see several kids leave with their treasures and their faces beaming with pride, and I also saw one who did not stay on green all week.  I was so impressed with how his teacher handled each situation, she rocks!
Anyway back to the point of this story...Cody chose a little football from the treasure box that he was quite proud of and so was I.  The next thing he told me made me want to burst into tears right then and there..."Mommy there were also watches with candy in the treasure box, but I was not sure if the candy was safe for me so I chose this football."  If you have a child with food allergies, you will get the joy I feel here.  He is aware of his allergies, but not hindered by them.  He knows unsafe things exist, so he looks for things that are safe.  This is what we have been working on since we found out about his allergies.  He gets it!!

I love Cody and I am so thankful for the grace I have been given to deal with this whole situation :-)

Friday of Week One

This week has been crazier than I thought.  I guess it just points out to me how laid back we are in the summer.  I liked the last 3 months of sleeping in, hanging out at the house and getting things done, getting dressed sometime after noon, and venturing out if we felt up to it.  But all good things must come to an end and this week they did.
Another good thing started, school.  And along with school this year comes after school activities, specifically soccer, ballet, and allergy shots.  I was so excited for the time I would have when the kids were at school this week, I think my expectations were a bit unrealistic.  I thought I would have lots of kid free fun and get everything on my to do list done, and that did not happen.
I did have fun, freedom breakfast on Tuesday, Bible study on Wednesday, Yellow Daisy Festival with my Mom on her birthday on Thursday.  Then it hit me last night that in all my fun, I did not get anything done.  I had a little meltdown and cried overly dramatically (pretty sure that is not a phrase but you know what I mean) about a stubbed toe.  Then I hugged and kissed my kids good night and prayed for some perspective.  The best place for me to gain this if often in the shower.  So I was washing my hair and I realized that I did get stuff done this week, not everything I had ever hoped to get done, but really who does get everything done?
So instead of rushing around the house like a maniac until the wee hours of the morning.  I made myself some tea and sat on the couch and watched the football game with Bret while he hung curtains for me.  I decided to stay home today and take it easy, and I am feeling much better.  I definitely have some things to work out about this new schedule, but I don't have to figure it all out today.  I just have to get through one day at a time, loving the Lord and my family, and doing the best I can.

First Day Smilebox

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Twas the Night Before...

The First Day of School 2010

Twas the night before School, when all around
The kids are still stirring, but for bed they are bound.
The new lunchboxes are hung by the door with care,
In hopes that they will eat the lunch I will put in there.

The children are playing the last games of the night,
I am trying to keep the girl inside, because mosquitoes do bite.
And Bret with his Mario, and I with dessert
Are trying to make this new early schedule not hurt.

But finally in the bathroom there arose such a clatter,
What the kids think of bathtime is that nothing is badder.
But Daddy washed them each in a flash,
While around the house cleaning, I do dash.

The kids are both clean and their faces they shine
Next is snack time, so all is fine.
Each kid gets a cup of milk and some food.
Tonight it is circle cookies, so I don’t get booed.

Time to brush teeth, so lively and quick,
To this new bedtime, we must stick.
Into their beds and out with the lights,
Oh wait a minute I need to put cream on Emilee’s bites.

Now we are really ready for bed
Visions of their school day dance through their heads
So we say our prayers and read a story
Now all I want to hear is a snorey

They would both love to lay awake and talk
So out of their bedrooms we must walk
Off to finish the chores of the night
Now I will start the dishwasher and turn off the light.

Then into each bedroom I sneak a peek
I say a prayer and give them each a kiss on the cheek
I still can’t believe how much they have grown
And I am overwhelmed with joy that they are my own.

In the morning I will dress them and send them away
And yet again I will begin to pray
That everyone will love them as much as I do
And that they will be kind and make friends that are new.

Because I hold them so very dear
Letting them go does cause a little fear
Because of God’s love I can deal with my fright
"Happy Labor Day to all, and to all a good-night!"

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Raising a well-adjusted child who happens to have food allergies

Raising a well-adjusted child who happens to have food allergies

Please click on the above link.  This is a GREAT article!

Too funny not to share

As you all know, Cody is the most picky eater that ever walked the planet.  This past weekend, on an overcast lazy Sunday I decided to rest and relax in stead of get a hundred things done (including grocery shopping.)  So pickins were slim for supper.  I made eggs and biscuits, which Cody declared was not supper and refused to even enter the kitchen when we ate.  I am pretty close to done fighting with him about food, so I told him that was fine.  If he wanted to choose to be hungry, that was nice and to please not complain and ruin dinner for the rest of us.  Emilee, sensing my frustration, sat down and said, "Mommy this is the best supper ever!" and took a big happy bite of her biscuit.
So after dinner I did run to the store, so we would have some suitable food.  While I was gone Bret was working on a project on the porch.  It had been a little more involved than he expected so he and the kids had spent most of the day out there.  While I was gone Bret heard the porch door slam and looked up to see that Cody was gone.  He went all through the house looking for him.  He searched outside with a flashlight, certain he must be in the yard since he was not inside.  He did not find him anywhere and was starting to get a little worried.  He came back inside to do another sweep of the house to find Cody sitting quietly under the kitchen table, hiding, and eating lollipops.  He said that was the only food he could reach in the closet and he was getting hungry.  Bret was so relieved to find him I think he was pretty kind to a kid that stole and began to eat lollipops for his dinner.

Father Knows Best

Several years back I read an article in a magazine that talked about the relationships kids have with their Dads.  It is and it should be different than the one they have with their Mom.  This article was written specifically to moms telling them not to impose too many rules on Dad.  As long as the kids were safe and happy, let them do things different than you would.  This really stuck with me.
Over the years I have been so happy for the freedom I have been able to give Bret (if you know me, you know this can be hard for me)to love our kids differently than I do.  I smile and look the other way when I see them playing kinda rough.  I laugh to myself, and sometimes out loud, when I see the outfits he chooses for them.  And I am happy to the point of tears when I see him make up games that the kids play with him and enjoy more than words can describe.
I am learning to stop being frustrated that he does not do things the way I do and in stead be glad that he sees another way.
Lately Cody and I have been battling with my desire for him to learn to write his own name.  So I asked Bret for help.  He took Cody into the guest room and let him start practicing on the chalkboard with chalk, which he likes better than paper and pencils.  Then after they practiced for a while, (Cody was frustrated because he said he could not make a perfect C)  Bret gets the bright idea to offer to pay Cody for each time he tries to write his name.  (With Cody we have to spend a lot of time working on the concept of trying to get better and not just waiting until you can do it perfectly).  Well this works!  Cody is writing his name over and over and is so proud of the money he is earning.  He worked and earned money, just like Daddy!

So today as he carries his change around and plays with it,  I have to sit on my Mom tendency to tell him how dirty it is and all the places it has been, and just smile and get him to wash his hands when he is done.

Still Thankful

So this has been a trying week for me. For some reasons I will not go into and for others I will explain. But I have been clinging to the verse that says "In all things give thanks." It is easy to give thanks when surrounded by friends and family at your son's birthday party, but at other times it is harder. But I will still choose to do it.
One thing I am especially thankful for this week is friendship. I have a dear friend that loves me and knows me, but she loves and knows the Lord even more. She is a great listener and when things are tough, she really does go to the Lord on my behalf. It is not one of those people who say "I will pray for you" and then tacks you on to the end of their nightly prayers. This friend spent time on her knees for me and for that I am thankful. She then called hours later with wisdom from the Lord and His Word that will forever change me. I appreciate that she is able to really speak the truth in love. It was not what I wanted to hear, but she loves me enough to tell me what I needed to hear in stead and for that I am thankful.
This week I had to have my second colonoscopy. For a healthy girl in her 30's this is a little odd, but for me it is necessary. I had some problems last year that made my first one happen. Last year the doctor found and removed several polyps. So I had to repeat the test this year to see how things are going in there.
I will spare you the gory details, but in order to go and look around in there your colon has to be empty. So you have to go without food for a while and then make sure all is clean in there. This process is less than pleasant. In the midst of it I called my mom when I thought I could not drink one more glass of Colyte and she reminded me that I needed to be thankful for this test. It has probably saved my life and countless others. While I was able to be thankful for wireless internet, my computer, ebay, and butterscotch candy, now I was even able to be thankful for the darn test I was so dreading.
So I had the test done on Thursday and it came back completely clean and for that I am sure thankful. Not only am I healthy, but I get to wait 3 years before I have to do it again!

Thankful

So last Saturday we celebrated Cody's 5th birthday. If you have ever been to a Cody birthday event or if you just know Cody, he is usually not a big crowds kind of guy. His first 4 birthdays were just family at our house, simple and the way he wanted it. So this year when we started talking about his birthday he wanted a party with his friends there. I was excited to hear this, and at the same time a little scared that the reality might overwhelm him.
I like to plan the kids parties with the kids and let them make as many decisions as they can. Of course at this age I do not say, plan your party. What I do is sit down with them on several different occasions and give them a couple of choices and let them choose. We usually pick the theme first and sit at the computer and order all the plates and decorations. Then we talk about who they want to invite. Finally we pick a venue and the food. So this year, without much hesitation Cody wanted a Super Mario Brothers Party and that the party had to happen on his actual birthday. Then he said family and this time he added the names of several friends from school. So we talked about where this many children could go that they would have fun and the adults would not be miserable. He wanted the party at home at home, but I said that many kids in August where we would all be forced to stay inside would just not work. So his first solution was to move his birthday to the winter when it would not be so hot outside. I explained that would not work and we finally settled on the pool. The food decision was an easy one for Cody. He wanted all his friends to eat McDonalds Happy Meals with him. When I asked about the adult food, he said he did not care. Finally he wanted Aunt 'Zanne to make him a cake, and that she did!
So the party was planned, the stuff bought, the arrangements made. The day came, and after no rain to speak of in probably a month, the forecast called for terrible storms and up to 2 inches of rain.
At first I thought of this the same way I do when they forecast snow in Georgia. If they say it is coming, then it is not. Then I thought it was wisdom to make a back up plan. So I figured out what we could do if we needed to have the party at our house. I let people know how they would know of a venue change, but I still hoped the original plan could work.
At 4:30 on Saturday I was pretty stressed out, trying to get everything ready, trying to decide if we should move it, but I carried on with the plan. And I am so glad I did.
It was the perfect birthday party. The weather was overcast and not as hot. It sprinkled at the beginning but with no lightning or thunder people just continued to swim. Cody's friends were there. His family was there, and in the way Cody can, he just glowed. The party went smoothly and everyone had fun, the cake was amazing, and my boy is now 5 years old. The best part of the night was after many people had left and I was taking Cody to the restroom. You could hear the radio playing "Mighty To Save." Cody says "Mommy it sounds a little but like church in here." I just smiled and said yes it does Cody. Then I went where he could not see me and just cried. I was overwhelmed at God's goodness to me on that day, with Cody, with how the party turned out, with how my life turned out. He really is Might to Save and I am very thankful!

Some of the Reasons I Love Cody

On this, the eve of Cody's birth, I am reflecting on what an amazing 5 years this has been. So I will share a quick conversation we had tonight that pretty much sums it all up. I was pleading with him to get in bed so I could get the things done that I have on my list to prepare for his party tomorrow, as well as prepare for the chance of a forced relocation of his party due to weather.
So I say, "Cody please get in bed. I have eight hundred and twenty two things to do to get ready for tomorrow."
He responds, "Mommy, you should say you have ABOUT 822 things to do. You forgot the word about. You did not really count that many things to do. You are just guessing."

First of all the kid loves numbers! He does know the difference between counting and estimating, and he gently points out my error here. He also is the master at dragging out bedtime. After a comment like that, I got completely wrapped up in a discussion with him about how proud I am for how smart he is and about math sense in general and dropped the idea of bedtime altogether. Finally, he loves to talk to his Mommy. He and I can sit and talk about anything. I love this age for that reason. He is old enough to have a real conversation. He has intelligent things to say, a sense of humor, and cool wonderings about the world. My sweet Cody is also not too old, such that talking to his Mom is not cool anymore. I am so humbled to be the Mom of such an amazing kid, and I look forward to celebrating him tomorrow.
Now this post must end since I have to prepare for a pool party and for a party here in case the pool party gets rained out.

Babyland General Smilebox

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What a Great Day!!

So we potty trained the boy last summer and the girl this summer.  I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.  For any of you that still have potty training in your future, I am pretty sure giving birth was easier!  It is funny really, you can do all kinds of things to get your kid to do it, but it is totally up to them.  They are going to go when they are ready.
Cody waited until he was almost 4 but never had a training period or any accidents.  He just decided one day that he wanted all those silly incentives that we had been dangling in front of him, and he did it.  So we threw him a party to celebrate and that was it.
Then there is Emilee who started using the potty as a young 2 year old while we were working on Cody last summer and drug it out until this summer to be totally potty trained.  What finally sparked a little fire under her was a look on line at the pictures of Babyland General.  I told her we would go there with a friend and she could pick her very own baby.  So this was worth it to her and she started going and that was the end of the battle.
So today was the big day.  Rather than bore you will all the details, I will just tell you to watch the Smilebox that I will post.  It says it all.  She was so proud of herself.  I was so proud of her.  It was a great day.
Then we came home and I made a yummy new meatloaf recipe.  It is a Paula Deen, so it is easy and worth trying if you want.  I will post it below.
1 pound ground beef, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, 1 egg lightly beaten, 8 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juice, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats.  mix well and place in baking dish.  Cover with topping (1/3 c. ketchup, 2TB brown sugar, 1TB prepared mustard) and bake at 375 for an hour.  The topping makes the meatloaf so don't skip it.  Enjoy!

The Allergy Test Results

Skin testing is never fun.  Fortunately for me, Bret has taken Cody both times.  He said that it was not easy.   Cody fidgeted, cried, fought back, and was ultimately the most bothered by the fact his back was itching.  The nurse said that his reaction was typical and not bad at all though.  He bounced back quickly because once it was Daddy's turn he was laughing his head off.  He is usually quite compassionate, but in this case he decided to find the humor in the fact that this same awful thing was happening to someone else.  I was surprised to hear this because they compare it to a cat walking on your back and say it is not all that bad, so why was Cody so miserable?  Because everything was coming back as allergic and he was miserable!  This breaks a Mommy's heart, so I am glad I was not there for all this.  Emilee and I were shopping.  We were in the area of the doctor's office, so we stopped by to hear what the doctor had to say about all this.
Bret is very allergic to alot of things in his environment and several foods, which we knew.  He is an excellent candidate for allergy shots and will start them again in a couple weeks.  Please pray that this works out with his schedule.  He currently does not have much in the way of free time, so making time to get his health back needs to happen, but it will put a strain on him at work and on our family.
Cody is allergic to...and here is the list of what they tested for that he came back very allergic to...it is not an all inclusive list, but it gives you an idea.
Dust mites, Dogs, Cats, Mice, Cockroaches,
Pretty much every tree on the list: oak, willow, hickory, birch, maple, cedar, elm, and sycamore
Several grasses:  Bahai, Timothy, June but NOT Bermuda or Fescue (GOOD NEWS)
Ragweed, 7 different kids of Mold and Mildew (This was his worst environmental allergy)
Brazil nuts, hazel nuts, almonds, peanuts, pecans, but POSSIBLY NOT cashews and walnuts
The doctor said although the primary manifestation of his allergies is eczema, swelling, and itching, he still thinks we should start allergy shots.  Even though he does not yet suffer any significant breathing issues, it is still worth treating as high as his allergies are.  There is some research that indicates treating this while he is young can save him down the road.  Possibly if handled correctly he will not develop asthma and will not suffer other respiratory issues his whole life.
There are no guarantees in this arena.  He will have to take 2 shots each time he goes to get in everything he needs and they start small and up the dosage as his body will tolerate it.  He will not like this at all at first, but he will get used to it.  And I think once he sees that it is making him feel better, he will actually look forward to it.  So the shots should be ready in 2 weeks and we will start then.  In the mean time, I am going to battle with our insurance for what they are wanting to charge us for these shots.  We have good coverage and usually have been happy with our plan, but in this case we are not seeing eye to eye.  So we will see what happens there.
We covet your prayers as we walk down this road with Cody.  It is nice to finally have some hope in getting him some relief.  I just hope this works.
Thank you for your interest in all of this and for loving me and my family!

Nervous Mommy

So here in the South we have decided to start school in the summer, so many of my friends are all emotional today about the first day of school.  It is bittersweet for me as a former teacher.  I miss teaching on days like today.  I loved all the new supplies, the cute outfits, the eagerness to learn and grow.  But that wears off quickly and is replaced by a lack of supplies, pointless meetings, and so many problems that you just can't fix.  I will teach again, I think, but for now I am glad for the time to be a mom full time.
I am nervous today for a whole different reason.  As I type Bret and Cody are at the allergist.  They are both doing a skin test for their environmental allergies.  Bret had injection therapy as a kid and part way through college, and it seemed to help him.  Since his allergies have made him so miserable lately, I urged him to consider going that route again.  There there is my sweet Cody.  I am desperate for him to get some relief for the many things that assault his immune system.  I just hope that they are able to figure out what it is and what we can do to help him.  If one more person tells me it is just eczema and he will grow out of it I will scream.  I know what eczema is, and he does have some of that and we treat it as prescribed.  However what makes his eyes puffy and red to the point that I am constantly questioned by strangers about it is not just eczema.  The scratching that keeps him from being able to sleep and night and leads to irritability in the day is not just a little eczema.  The kid is a very happy kid that is bothered by something in his environment.  And we will find out what it is and what can be done to help him.  OK...I feel better now.
I better run some errands while I just have one kid in tow.  I will keep you posted on the results of today's test.

My Bret

So it only seems fair that if my first 2 posts were about the kids I should write a little something about Bret.  I can't go into too much detail, because I don't want him to be the laughing stock of his friends.  So I guess what I can say is how thankful I am for him.  I had no idea when I met him over 7 years ago of all the ways that we would be such a great match.  You kinda take your chances when you get married really.  I knew a lot of good things about him, but there is no way you can know everything.  I just trusted who he was and who he would become based on the guy I did know and it has turned out to be nothing short of amazing.  He works really hard to provide for us, and he does a darn good job of it.  I am proud of who he is at work.  He is passionate about it, so I get to hear a lot about it, and it makes me smile (and laugh sometimes).  He also loves me more than I probably deserve.  He is the one person that loves me the most when I am at my best and handles me the best when I am at my worst and that means a lot.  He is a loving father.  He would do anything in the world for Cody and Emilee and they are always on his mind and in his heart.  You can tell how he carefully makes every decision with consideration for how it will impact those two little lives.  They are very fortunate.  I have a pretty darn good Dad myself, so I know how good they have it.  He is also a caring, Godly man of integrity.  What more could a girl ask for?  He is not perfect, but he does seek to please the Lord and love me and the kids in everything he does, so even when he drives me crazy, I get  past it pretty quickly, because it is hard to be mad for long with a guy like Bret.

My daughter is so much like me

I remember when I found out I was pregnant for the second time.  At first I was in utter disbelief, since we were planning to space the kids 3 years apart, but then I was excited.  I was sure I wanted another boy.  I had made it through the first year of a boy's life and I liked boys.  I enjoy sports and the outdoors so I could be the mother of two boys.  More importantly I wanted to be the queen of the house with a king and two princes that thought I was wonderful.  And I was scared to death to have a girl!  I remember all too well that as a high schooler, especially, I was not too kind to my mom, and I did not want to have to go through that.  The other prevailing thought is that I have always had this bunch of curly hair that I just applied a bunch of product to and moved on and having a little girl whose hair I would have to fix really intimidated me.  
But God knew better and He gave me Emilee.  That kid can be so much like me it is scary.  I know my mom smiles and then just laughs at how hard I have to work to keep up with this girl.  It is sweet vindication for her, I am sure.  It humbles me really to think God thought I was worthy to have such a special little girl.  If you don't know her well, she is one of a kind.  First of all she is really funny.  I enjoy laughing with that girl all day long.  She is also so full of energy, wow!  And more like her Dad, she will try anything and likely love it.  She is also Cody's best friend.  It makes me smile to see how he benefits from having a sister like Emilee.  She shows him it is ok if things are a little out of order.  She gets him to try new things and keeps him busy all day long.  I know it will not last forever, or maybe it will, but I am thankful now for how well these two get along.
So there is a Sara Groves song that goes so well with this post...maybe I will figure out how to post it on here, we will see.

At least my son is nice

As the mom of two preschoolers that are 19 months apart I have learned some valuable life lessons.
In the past I would have definitely been guilty of judging a mom in the grocery store, but not any more.
There is an Amy Grant quote that I love...it is "You have to treat people gently because we're all in a process. What might seem like a good idea to somebody at 21 is probably not going to seem like a good idea at 50, but you don't know that until you get there. "
I was in Walmart the other day and my son pitched the fit of a lifetime.  I can remember a younger, foolish Eileen that would have looked at me and thought "She should have fed him before she brought him here so he would not be so cranky or why did she bring him so close to his nap time, he is obviously tired."
As it turns out he was not hungry or tired, he was just disappointed that he did not get to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.  Does this display of his disappointment make me a bad mom?  No, it does not.  Could we work on how to deal with disappointment a little better...yes we could.
Every night when we sit down to dinner, getting my son to eat is a battle.  I try to remember that for the first few years of his life most of the things we gave him made him feel like crap since he was allergic to them and add that to the fact he is just picky, so food is a constant battle ground.  Again, does this make me a bad mom?  No it does not.  Could we work on his eating habits, of course we could.  But as long as we are making some progress, I am happy.  It may not be what other people would picture as progress, but to us it is.
So this leaves me thinking that I have a son who pitches ridiculous fits and does not eat without a fight...what am I doing right?
And my answer is "At least my son is nice."  I am multiple times every day astounded by how kind he is to his sister.  He is constantly battling with me in stores to buy things for other people. He will ask to watch Food Network shows, because he knows I like them.  So we must be doing something right.  We are working on the rest, and you better believe he can be a mean ol' monster when he wants to be, but in his heart he is very kind and that is all a mom can ask for really :-)
This brings me around to a principle that I try to let guide me and that is to find the joy in a situation.  It is there, you just have to be able to see it.  When I am having one of those days, I just say to myself "At least he is nice."