illness....

Trent used his long lunch to watch the babies while I got to watch part of Taylor's baseball game. The Diamondbacks won 9 to 8, my mother reported. I watched three innings in the middle and we were up 7 to 3 when I left. The part I saw was exciting, so I can only imagine that the end was great. Our team has a great group of pitchers and infielders, so it is always fun to watch them play. Taylor made it on base from balls before the inning ended, and struck out his second at bat. He is really good a batting, but hasn't had a big hit during a game. But, now that his skills are better, it is only a matter of time. The babies have a little cold like thing happening, no big deal, but I don't like to take them around others to spread their germs when I can avoid it. Last night we took turns going to the gym so that they didn't go to the daycare, which is almost frustrating because there are often other children who do show up there with running noses. We even decided to cancel our get together tonight, so that our friends' baby doesn't get sick. The other couple coming is within weeks of having their first, so they definitely don't need any colds in their house now. We wanted to reschedule for next weekend, but it looks like that may not work out. Well, that's what's up now. Here are a few videos of the babies from yesterday. I am not sure why I didn't take the camera to the baseball game, but I will try to remember to make a video the next game. I am also planning to ask Taylor and his music teacher to perform the song they have been writing for the last few lessons on Monday.

mastering the camera...

After Taylor's game on Tuesday, he and a few lectures went to my mom and dad's for the week. Trevor and I learned all about intestines, which led to a whole body study, after he asked, while sitting on the toilet, where poop comes from. We also played on iknowthat.com, putting the animals into the appropriate habitats. We did a little sign language and spanish, as usual, and colored. We built towers, discussed shapes, and in general "played preschool". A fun week naturally. Trevor also made a little video, several actually, but only this one was more than a few seconds long. He is learning, and tried to get it right, I'll post any more that he does. I captured a little video of Jewel pretending to read, but it is not a good representation of how cute it is when she does this, and it is one of Taylor's books, so no pictures. When she reads one of her own books, she makes the words she is saying "match" with what she sees in the picture. I will try to capture this more accurately as soon as I get the camera out before she stops reading.

TED to the rescue...

daddy got a little break....

Trent surprised us with a long lunch... Jewel stopped playing when I entered the room, but she had been playing the piano. Trevor doesn't like it when you don't listen to him. Daddy likes to aggravate.

quick little tidbit....

on brothers... Trevor is becoming a very sweet big brother. (He has a great example to follow.) Even amidst his whiniest period, he is helping Jewel and being so sweet to her. This morning, while she had to sit on the potty, he said, "I'll help her go potty." Then, he sat on the stool across from her and waited. When she finally went he loudly celebrated (he sounded a little surprised, too), "She did it, Mom, she peed! In the potty!" Last night at Taylor's game, (they won 9 to 8) he fed her the cheese fries, so her hands wouldn't get yucky. And, yesterday, first thing in the morning, he helped her in her quest to rid her dresser of clothes. I am not sure why they love doing that so much, but an empty dresser and floor full of clothes seems to bring them a great deal of satisfaction. You can guess how I feel about it. As I am writing this, she just brought him the favored magnetic drawing board saying, "Here bubba, here you go, there, ok." Trevor, who didn't request it, acted as if he really had needed it all along and said, "whew, thanks, sister." He also loves Taylor, who is staying with my mother, again. This morning, Taylor's been gone all of 12 hours, Trevor said, "Mom, I weally miss Taywor, is he coming home today?" I am so glad they are so loving.

one more little note....

It has been rare in the last several months for us (the parents) to get to spend time together doing something just for us. But this morning, before retrieving Taylor and Hogan from my mom, it was just us and Jewel and we got to watch some comedy shows. This is the creator of the office and I liked it a lot, Trent tolerated it sweetly, he doesn't really like "british humour" as he calls it. We also watched the 200th episode of the Actor's Studio; Dave Chappelle interviews Jim Lipton and it was good also. Trent of course played his game nonstop, and after we took a break to retrieve Taylor, we watched "Yesman" with him. All in all a fun day.

a little bit....

Lately our schedule has been disrupted by various sleepovers and excursions, so we have only been watching lectures occasionally. We have just been focusing on a Chemistry kit and lapbook when Taylor's been home. His first game in two weeks was Friday night and they lost 10 to 8, but we weren't there. We made it home Saturday night in time to watch his team win the second game back 13 to 12. Taylor did learn to bunt over the spring break practices and managed to do it in the Friday night game. We will be trying to get back to our usual routine this week, but I don't think we will get back to our game for a little while and we are starting to make the summer plans, so we may even wait for the next year. I don't really know how to resolve some of the ideas yet and haven't found time to try lately. School starts for me in May, but Trent's busy season is finally relenting. With him home to help more I may find time to finish it. Jewel is talking a lot more and is in the earliest stages of potty training which is adding to the workload for me. Her favorite thing to say is "what's that, a cow/dog/truck/etc." Trevor is still struggling with the poop issues, but is learning about discipline and rules pretty well. He has turned into "captain whiny" lately, but is, it seems, going to recover from this state. We are resolved to use time out at every whine until he learns that "no" means no, and no amount of tantrum will change it, but he seems to have more will than we do sometimes. Together they are a force of nature, and I am swept aside by it. I look forward to putting this stage behind me, but I am trying to enjoy it and not rush things. So, tomorrow we will go from Gymnastics to the park (to pass some time) to music lessons to baseball practice (for taylor, the gym for everyone else). So, Monday really is manic for us. But, the rest of the week is more relaxed, and if I can get the babies to cooperate, we will finish the chemistry and the Game Theory lecture. We haven't decided what to do after that, but the routine involves staying focused on learning with lectures and our books and finding related fun online. Sometimes we play board games or card games and we read with the babies. Sometimes we look up new words in various languages, and in general we focus on whatever catches our interest. I have taken a few pictures lately that I wanted to post, but because of time constraints I'll just slap them on this post.

Lawhon Family Reunion....

Trent's family gets together every year in the little town of Sopchoppy for a reunion. It is very near the spot where his grandfather and his family grew up. There is a road called Lawhon Mill Road, and back off the road is an old mill. We always walk on the birding trail at the park, but this year the trail was expanded and led to a thirty minute hike that ended at the back side of the park. We often wished it was longer and it would have been perfect if mosquitoes didn't exist. Trevor rode with Mimi and Big Daddy and Taylor stayed home with my mom, he had a baseball game. Trent's parents found a fantastic hotel that is rated as "green", and it was very nice. The best thing about it was that the lobby featured and sold art and crafts by local artists. We had one terrifying experience Friday night. Jewel ate a tiny nibble of clam while we ate out at the local fave seafood restaurant, and apparently is allergic. I awoke at about 1:30 am to find her throwing up all over the bed, and she stayed sick until well after 3 am. Even after she stopped trying to be sick, I lay awake watching for signs of breathing trouble. Her stomach issues continued through the day Saturday, but she didn't throw up anymore and was able to eat at the reunion. I probably looked very tired, but I was glad that she didn't eat more than one tiny bite of the seafood. She mostly at cheese grits, salad, and sweet potatoes thankfully. I don't even remember falling asleep, I didn't mean to sleep. After the worry passed, the reunion was fun, as usual. I took a few pictures and several videos this year.

Easter Day....

Celebrating Easter was funny, watching everyone follow their children with cameras was funnier, and watching everyone try to help Trevor and Jewel find eggs was the funniest. It was a big photo-op at the egg hunt at Aunt Dawn's. There were at least three cameras on each of the littlest children. There are about 40 videos on our youtube channel, but here are a few. Taylor wore his new "time-turner" all day, like a big rapper's medalion. Everyone was amused that Trevor didn't care about any of the money in his eggs, he just wanted to eat a boiled egg. Jewel was thoroughly enjoying the nonstop attention from Nana. Apparently they have become Little Jewel and Big Jewel, very sweet. We had lots of fun and it was, as usual, great to have everyone together and eat lots of great food.

seriously?

I have come to the startling realization that being a single mom at 20 was the easiest time in my life! I am sure that doesn't sound right, but it is so true. I only had to get along with my son (very easy) and I made lots of money (for a 20 year old), had I been wiser with said money, I think I may have fared well, as it was, I didn't do too poorly. The only trouble I had was dating, and I like being alone, so that wasn't so bad. I had troubles then, but they were all emotional baggage issues. Now, they are mostly gone. Now I have more responsibility, work, stress, and noise in my life than I ever thought possible. Any moment there are 4 things to do and 3 people talking to me and at least one item being added to the "to do" list. This is insanity. I am looking around right now and wondering how on earth I will get all of these "toys" and such put away again, and how, in the course of said task, I will maintain friendly relations with my husband, while still feeding and tending the babies and schooling the bigger boy. Thankfully, said husband is a champ at helping when the workload overflows. But, seriously, how can I have so much going on at one time and not be earning overtime. I've never worked so hard for so long; and I will be so glad to sit in a classroom and think of nothing but math that the wait for said "break" is killing me. When did Algebra become relaxation?!