Cowboy giggle take 2

The picture quality is horrible. Goobers didn't even know that you have to be steady when video taping. I would recommend listening to the giggle and maybe not watching. The video isn't clear but the sound is beautiful. Way to get him to laugh Moogie and thanks for thinking of the blog Kiddos!

Fashion issues!!

Bagel you need some Fashion Help!

Help me paint a house.

Wow, I stand in awe of so many of my fellow citizens that spend so much of their time helping others. Our wonderful parish is in the process of sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity home. I am always amazed to find that it is the same people doing all these projects with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts. It is often the same people that inspire the rest of us on. It is people that have very busy lives but some how find the time, money and love to push themselves into service of others.

I must be honest. I wasn't sure I wanted Pooker and her friends to do this project. I wasn't sure for their safety and I knew I couldn't stay to help. I am happy that my dear daughter pushes me all the time to give more. I am not sure where she learned that but I sure am glad she has. This weekend, my sacrifice was minor, it was just driving, dropping the group off and picking them up. They did the hard work. The group painted the outside of the home and primed the entire inside.

I hope that as I continue to grow in my faith, I will work harder to follow Pooker and Goobers example to give more of myself. Thank you ladies and gentleman for all your hard work for your fellow man.

Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we welcome you away from home or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we visit you when you were ill or in prison? The King will answer them:
"I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me."

Mt 25: 37 - 40

But I'm Bleeding!

I wish that we had a connection to someone in the band aid business. These are precious things in our household. The older ones never needed them as much as the younger ones do. We made a house rule years ago that you don't get a band aid unless we see blood. We have actually had to update that to you don't get a band aid unless we see dripping blood. No we are not heartless people but I remember purchasing a huge container of band aids thinking it would last a life time or at least 2 months. They were gone within a few hours. I could not believe that 1000 band aids were needed in that short amount of time without us needing a hospital doctor to confirm it. When I discovered that the band aids had been used to secure artwork to the walls of the house and to the car I knew it was time to create a silly rule.

We still go through band aids like they were toilet paper. (You would not even believe the rules we had to come up for that stuff.) I also try to prevent that whole Murphy law thing from happening. If we have band aids then we might not really need them. I can not tell you how many of our daily conversations will include comments like, "I don't see blood, no band aid." We have had to be careful because one of them will pick at a sore until she gets fresh blood.

Bed time for the younger ones means that we are starting an event that could last hours and possibly a trip to the hospital. We have learned that when they come down stairs in tears we should NOT just assume it is a ploy to stay out of bed, although 99% of the time it is. The other night we had sent the little ones up and the older ones were already upstairs trying to get their rooms clean. They were smart enough to remember that the weekend was coming and unless the rooms were clean they would not be leaving the house.

At the appropriate time I yelled up the stairs that it was bed time for the little ones and they needed to get to bed right away. Soon after the visits from the upstairs began. Bagel needed water. Pickle needed to come down stairs to use the bathroom attached to the master bedroom (I have no idea why he can't use the two bathrooms upstairs). Shortly after my second call upstairs Princess came down with tears flowing. In between sobs she screamed, "But I'm bleeding!" This is not uncommon for Princess. She is the worst one at picking at a previous sore to produce blood. If I didn't know better, I would think that band aids contained some secret candy. The conversation went as follows.:

Honey, did you pick apart a scab again? Why do you do that to yourself?

But I'm Bleeding!

Fine,come on down and show your dad.

But I'm Bleeding, I don't want to go to bed, I'm Bleeding!

Got it, now go see your dad.

Sob, sob sob!

Dad: What now babe, wow look a that arm (there was a pretty fresh wound from a bike fall.) Let me get the neosporin and a band aid.

Sob sob sob,But I'm bleeding sob sob sob.

Dad: You know you are so hard to understanding when you are crying that way. Take a deep breathe and settle down. This can't hurt that bad.

Sob sob sob, I don't want to go to bed I'm Bleeding. sob sob sob.

Dad: OK it looks like we have you all patched up, love ya, now head back up to bed.

Sob, sob, sob I don't want to go to bed I'm Bleeding Sob, sob, sob.

mom: What a broken record girl, dad gave you a band aid, it is way past bed time now go to bed!

Sob, Sob, sob, BUT I'M BLEEDING!! Sob, sob, sob

Where are you bleeding, I don't see any more blood, dad fixed your arm, now get upstairs and go to bed.

Sob smile sob, But I'm bleeding. smile, sob.

I don't understand you at all girl!

I know you don't I said I was bleeding sob not bleeding.

You're bleeding not bleeding????

NO, I'M CLEANING not bleeding. I want to stay up and help.

Princess won that round because dad and I sat and laughed at the situation for quit awhile. She is such a drama queen and we fall right into every time.

That saint isn't working.

This happened a few weeks back and I forgot to mention it. I was on the phone with a friend and the little ones were playing upstairs. I was enjoying the little bit of peace as I finished the dishes and chatted away.

Out of the quiet Pickle came running into the room screaming that,

That Saint isn't doing his job, he isn't working!

You must remember that Pickle is the child that can pull any thought or idea out of thin air and then become obsessed over it. I have to answer his concerns no matter how far fetched they might be. If I neglect to respond he will get louder and louder while becoming more and more agitated. This one stumped me, where does one begin to figure out what that statement might mean.

What did you say.

That saint didn't do his job!

Honey what are you talking about? Which saint didn't do his job?

Saint Michael, he didn't do his job. I am so mad at him. I asked him over and over again and he isn't helping.

This poor little boy was speaking with complete earnest. It can be a difficult question to answer if done the wrong way. It can be like explaining why Santa didn't bring a gift or as even as hard as why God didn't answer a prayer. It can get complicated to respect the Saint and yet respect the child's earnest request. Combine that with the fact that I have been raised Catholic from the very beginning. I know who St. Michael is. You call on his help when a demon is taunting you. That might seam like an extreme to my non catholic friends but think of the movie the exorcist. My mind was going. I was thinking which priest I could call and where is the Holy Water. Those thoughts went through my mind very quickly, until I glanced back at my son. One can never try to guess what Pickle is talking about until you get the full explanation. That is just the way he is, God love him.

What do you mean babe, What did you ask St. Michael to do?

I asked him to find my robe and he won't help me.

I was so relieved to discover that my sweet little boy had just lost his bath robe and was not being temped by a devil. Everybody knows that it isn't St. Michael you call on to help you find things but St. Anthony. As I told him that he was asking the wrong saint and that is why he wasn't helping, Pickle's face became relaxed and happy again.

So what's that thing I should say to have St. Anthony help me find my robe?

Tony, Tony look around,
Something is lost and can't be found.

St. Anthony did not let Pickle down. The robe was located right away. St. Anthony helped with this little task and also restored this little boy's trust that the Saints will help him if he asks and it God allows. Thank you for your help St. Anthony and St. Michael.

No time for fooling around!

This morning Bagel really wanted to be bigger so she could pick up Cowboy. We never let her when he was tiny and now he is way too big. Cowboy is a chunk, he really is. Cowboy always has a smile on his face and his giggles are now the most celebrated sound in the house. We all stop what we are doing to hear his little voice and his laughing.

Bagel is taking her job as big sister very seriously. This morning I handed Bear a diaper for Cowboy while they sat on my bed before breakfast, Bagel said longingly I hope you have more babies when I am big enough to help. Bear laughed and walked out of the room.

As I settled on the bed to change the diaper I noticed that Bagel was trying to take care of it for me. Changing a diaper on a very active 5 month old is not easy for the professional much less a 3 year old. Bagel did a wonderful job but it did take a long time. As she tried to snap his outfit back together Cowboy grew more and more active. It was taking every thing my sweet baby girl had to try to snap his outfit. She could be heard saying

This is no time for fooling around!

over and over again. Dad and I don't use that phrase which made it sound so cute!

Cowboy's Giggle

My latest obsession has been trying to capture Cowboy's new giggle. I just love this phase with babies. He is just about 5 months old. He responds so much to Goobers. He doesn't talk to me or giggle with me the way he does with his big sister. Bear was expressing his frustration with that to me also. It just doesn't seam fair that Cowboy giggles out loud for Goobers, and Goobers alone. That being said it is the cutest giggle. I think that one the best therapies in the world is listening to a baby giggle. With that in mind I have been trying so hard to capture a giggle to share with grandparents and family that live far away.

What I have captured here for you does not even begin to do justice to this kiddos laugh. He will start and we all run to find the camera, by the time we get it running he is just about giggled out. Enjoy what we have and we will try for more later.


I know you would really like it if I could upload it. Sorry!