Saying Goodbye To My Breast Friend

Oh Medela,

After nearly three inseperable years together the time has come for you and I to bid farewell.

While goodbyes are never easy, the memories that we've created together will last for a lifetime.

We've been through a lot together, you and I.

Do you remember when I was pumping in the Lowe's parking lot while on a date night out with Chris when the boys were in the NICU? The store was closed and we were the only car in the parking lot. A police car pulled in and started driving toward us. We had to get out of there quickly!

And then there was the time when I was using you at school while I was still teaching. I always put a piece of cardboard up in my classroom window and made sure my door was locked whenever I had to pump. Well one day I was sitting there just doing my thing, working on my computer, talking on the phone to Chris, when all of the sudden I looked up and could see straight out across the hall in to my coworker Cheryl's classroom. I had forgotten to put my covering up on my window! I had been pumping for at least ten minutes by this point and I have no idea who in the world may have walked by and looked in. I could have died. Luckily my students were at gym class so there were really no students in the hallway at the time. Can you imagine those parent phone calls?

Finally, I will never forget all of our conversations. You were such a great conversationalist, keeping me company throughout all those long hours of the night. You would often tell me to, "Eat Garlic." "Eat Garlic." "Eat Garlic." You were pretty persistent about that. (I have a couple friends who told me their pumps spoke to them too, so I know I'm not the only wacky one).

You have helped me tackle this whole parenting gig. You allowed me to provide my sons with milk for the first ten months of their life, especially at that most important time when they were in the hospital. You accompanied me on many trips down the interstate where I mastered the ability to drive and pump all at the same time, all the while trying to remain modest and not recieve too many honks from those crazy truck drivers.

I truly am sad in a way to say goodbye to you, because it also saying goodbye to such an incredible chapter of my life. Not really the pumping part, because truly I was never that hooked (pun completely intended!) on it, but all that comes along with it.

It's Official!

It was like during her nap today Adelyn decided that it was time to start walking. She woke up and within minutes started taking seven or eight steps at a time. Then she would stop and look at us and clap for herself! Big girl!

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Just Because...

Stealing Noses and the Beautiful Insanity That Is Sometimes Referred To As My Life...

Did your Grandpa ever pretend to take your nose off your face and then stick his thumb up between his fingers and wiggle it back it forth declaring, "Got your nose!"?

Ethan and Grayson have now learned this from their father. It sends them in to a round of giggles every time.

Now though instead of just wiggling it between their fingers and then placing it back on the noseless victim's face - they have taken to throwing the said nose across the room. They do it now with each other and they get so upset when their brother throws their nose and doesn't put it back. There are many things that I never thought I would say as a mother, and this morning was another example when at breakfast I caught myself saying,

"Just reach out and put your own nose back on your face."
"Ethan, stop throwing your brother's nose in to the living room and eat your breakfast. "
"Grayson, remember that it is just pretend! Ethan really didn't take your nose."

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Those pictures above were taken this morning as the kids and I enjoyed some fall time outdoors. Princess Adelyn was pulled around in the wagon by her brothers, and then ingested some sidewalk chalk.
The boys collected leaves and created masterpieces on the driveway with teddy propped up watching (all while wearing underwear might I add...the boys, not teddy).

It was a ton of fun until hunger struck and we decided to head indoors for snack/lunch. With everything cleaned up we attempted to head in to the house. Yup. Attempted. Locked. Couldn't believe it. My mind raced. What door might be open? What window might be loose? There must certainly be a key around here somewhere right? Well, after every possible scenario in my head came to a dead end I confirmed with my own mind that we were certainly locked out of our own house. I loaded Ethan and Adelyn in to our double stroller and Grayson walked along with me as we headed to our new next door neighbors house (Who I'm sure now wonders who the cat drug in to the neighborhood). Luckily he was home and graciously allowed me to use his phone and call my husband, who was also very gracious to leave his work day and come home instead of allowing his wife and children to starve and freeze (my hero!).

While we waited for Daddy to come home we took a walk down the block and back where we enjoyed the sunshine, the changing leaves, and the 'Mater parked in a driveway a few houses down. I then ushered the boys up in to the van to warm while Adelyn and I finished putting away a couple things. After a few moments (literally it was not even a minute), I opened the door to the van and Grayson was laying inside the van holding a handle in his hand with this dazed look on his face. The monkey had decided, it appears, that he would pull on the handle that hangs beside his door as hard as he possibly could, and it ripped right out of the van leaving two huge holes. Lovely.

Then Daddy pulled in.

We were saved.

There is a whole other story I was going to share about some more insanity that happened right after lunch...but let's just say it involves two little hands, a boy who had just gone to the bathroom in the toilet (yep), and another little boy who was having another moment of "I have to pee so bad but I am so deathly afraid of the toilet so instead of just sitting and relieving my bladder I am going to run in circles in the living room and cry." It was just a moment where I had no idea who I should help first. Should I help clean up my son who has just gone in the toilet? Should I keep my daughter's hands out of it? Should I put a diaper on my other frantic son before he hurts himself?

Do you have any idea how much I love my life? Would you truly believe that there was no sarcasm intended in that sentence at all?

Someday all of this will be memories. Beautiful, hilarious memories. But right now I am living it. In the middle of it. Up to my elbows in it. Immersed in children. Loving the craziness.

Ragamuffins

Do you ever look back at pictures of yourself as a child and ask yourself, "Why in the world would my parents ever dress me in that?!?" Well I'm certain my children never will. :)

I just had to chuckle to myself as I looked through these pictures I took Monday afternoon of my little ragamuffins as we enjoyed a last minute outing to a pumpkin patch.

It happened completely on a whim. My intent was that we were going to be home all day, focusing on potty training, and just bumming around together. Ethan was pant less all morning long until right before we ran out the door.

That afternoon though, as the sun poured in through the windows, I just couldn't bare to spend it indoors. I threw some pants on Ethan, a dry shirt on Adelyn, and a last years a-tad-bit-snug shirt on Grayson and out the door we went. The boys had buckets in hand. We were on our way to find some nature trails and fill up our buckets with leaves and acorns and all things fall.

But, as a newbie to this area, I truly had no idea where I was headed. We just drove. I just assumed that somewhere along the way I would find somewhere pretty where we could hop out and walk a bit.

So we drove.

And we drove some more.

And then we happened upon an orchard. Tucked back in the hills (yes, there are a few!) and lakes around our home.

We just had to stop.

There was a petting zoo, a place to pick your own pumpkins, a place to paint your own pumpkins, wagon rides, and a country store.

Perfect. (Must say, I love their cooperation for a great pic in this next shot. Perhaps making them look directly in to the sun at me wasn't the greatest idea!)

I unloaded the kiddos from the van and we headed toward the petting zoo right away.

As soon as we entered the barn two llamas were there to greet us. They stuck their necks through the gate trying to get a closer look. Adelyn was not loving it. That poor girl started shrieking like nobody's business. I scooped her out of her stroller. As soon as I did the stroller moved closer to the llamas. Blackie (my pet name for him which was created three seconds ago), took it upon himself to then tip the stroller over and attempt to eat a wheel. Well this got Ethan going, who probably assumed that he was next on the menu for Blackie and Whitie. (Creative names eh?)

So, we quickly waved hello to the goats, sheep, chicks, and miniature horses, and off we went to go and paint a pumpkin!

The boys had fun painting their pumpkins. About half way through painting his Ethan decided that he wanted to get a new one. I explained to him that once a pumpkin was picked, that is the one that he would have to keep. He didn't like that answer all too much (a.k.a. taking his half painted pumpkin and throwing it back in with the rest), but with a bit of an explanation about how each and every pumpkin was going to be costing his mother $2, he contentedly continued painting his original choice.

I let Adelyn try to paint a pumpkin. She just tried to eat the brush and had paint all inside her mouth. I finished hers. :)

We had fun just getting down and dirty on the farm.

It was just such a fun unplanned outing. Oftentimes I am not very good with spontaneous outings with three young children. I can almost over plan to a fault and not do things on a whim like that, out of fear of the unknown or something going wrong.

It was a breath of fresh air to me, to all of us I think, both literally and figuratively, and I love these ragamuffin pictures because of it.

Grayson's Version of Potty Training...

It appears we've got a long way to go...

Today at lunch Ethan was burying his peas in his applesauce. I reminded my sons that they had to have good manners at the table. I told them that if they had bad manners people who ate with them would say, "Oh my! Didn't your Mommy ever teach you any manners?"

Ethan grinned up at me and said, "Nope! She never taught Ethan!"