Something new everyday...

Me: [to Bryce] That is a big toe you have there.

Bryce: No it is not, that is a "sumb piggy"

Me: A what?

Bryce: [holding up his thumb] A "sumb piggy", it looks just like my "sumb"

You learn something new from a 4 year old everyday!

Decoded by Nana!

Today after church, as always we were deciding where we should eat lunch. Before the question could be met with the usual round of "I don't care, wherever you want to go"s, Bryce pipes up (shocker right?).

Bryce: I know where I want to eat!

Me: Where is that?

Bryce: That place that you go the other way, not to our house

Me: Where? Give us a little more help.

Bryce: You know, you go that way (his arm went straight out in front of him) and they have chips.

Me: What it it called?

Bryce: I don't know but they have chips and crackers that are orange.

Me: Okay, what do you like there?

Bryce: Not just bread (with his hands making a box around his face)

So, I was thoroughly confused. And Mom who was listening to all of this thought a minute and said, " I think I know what he is talking about"

Nana: Is it Subway buddy?

Bryce: That's it!

To clarify, you turn the opposite way out of the church parking lot to go to Subway than you to to go home, he likes chips...anywhere, we had cheddar Sun Chips the last time (they do resemble crackers), and he would rather eat chips and stuff and not "just bread" (his sandwich I guess)

Thanks for the interpretation Nana!

"Mystery Lunch"

Tuesday was a school day for Bryce and on school days, he functions best if I let him come home and watch TV for just a little while before dinner. He knows though that during dinner is family time to talk about his day at school and he has to answer questions about his day. I ask him usually the same questions, "who did you play with?", "what did you do that was fun?", "what was for snack?", and "what was for lunch?" Here is how it went on Tuesday...

Me: So, Bryce, what was for lunch today?

Bryce: Two things I did not like...green beans [this is true] and some kind of cereal stuff

Me: Cereal for lunch? [this is not normal at school]

Bryce: Yeah, some kind of cereal with stuff on it

At this point I was very confused and couldn't stand it, I got up from the table and went to the refrigerator to the lunch menu and snickered to myself when I read the lunch for the day...

Me: Could it have been Spaghettios?

That is right, it was. No wonder he didn't want to eat it, he thought it was Cheerios with red sauce...

I'm Back!

Okay, okay, I know it has been forever since I posted anything! Time gets away from me when I have these two guys to keep me busy. Let's see, what has been going on with us...

Well, Collin is growing like a weed! He is now at a whopping 26 pounds at just 8 months old! He is making it near impossible to carry him around for very long! But the little guy loves to eat! He takes right around 24 ounces of formula a day and then we go through about 5 jars of 2nd stage baby food a day too. I haven't found anything he won't eat. Then on top of that, he has started some finger foods snacks and we can't forget the Baby Mum Mums! They are rice cake like sticks that he can hold and eat and they dissolve almost immediately in his mouth! He loves them! He is sitting up very well on his own and I am sure any day now we will be in the mobile stage. He is not crawling but he would love to be! If for no other reason, just to get to Bryce's cars!

Bryce is still a reluctant preschooler! He likes it more than he will let on but he still is not pumped when Tuesday and Thursday mornings roll around! He is getting into video games since we got a Wii for Christmas. Mater Nationals and now Mario Kart pretty much consume his thoughts often!

I have to share a couple of Bryce stories though...

Bryce doesn't like change! If something is different or you want him to do something a different way he usually has a meltdown! So imagine the surprise of my husband when he walked into the bathroom to find Bryce on the stool with the sink plugged up and full of water and he was lapping the water out of the sink like a dog! And to top it all off, his response to "what are you doing?" was "there was no cup." We usually keep a small disposable cup in the bathroom and there wasn't one there! So, no matter how much he doesn't like change, he is still a little boy and will seize the opportunity to do something possibly messy and slightly outside the house rules. (He is really not supposed to use the drain stopper)

Bryce is also, as I mentioned, in love with Mario Kart for the Wii. After church on Sunday he wanted to play and we wanted him to eat first. His response was "I wish I had something to feed me while I played, like a machine" We started laughing because Bryce would be the one to invent something like that, he has tried to get out of feeding himself from day one! So we told him that he could be an inventor when he grew up. But I told him that God had really already "invented" something for that and it was called his arms and hands. He didn't go for that! (that would mean that he had to wait to play games while he fed himself) And he said he didn't want to wait until he grew up he wanted to invent it now. So we told him to go at it. And his reaction to that..."uh, hello, a little help here." Oh, what a fun boy he is!

Bryce's Program

Hey all! Bryce had his Christmas program at Temple Tots on Friday and did a great job! He looked very comfortable on stage! He kept telling us he was singing so loud and that he really did a good job. I was in a tough spot to take pictures and had Collin with me so luckily Nana had come too and brought her camera so you can check out more on her blog if you haven't already.
http://www.pattyarrick.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much Nana!!!

Okay, for those of you who have not seen this yet, I had to give out a little Christmas cheer! It is okay to laugh, get hysterical even, I do. I love these guys to pieces and right now they could not be more different. Bryce, we cannot convince that eating is important and Collin, we cannot fill him up. I decided yesterday that I am not buying anymore "first" jars of baby food. We have plowed right through to the second jars and mind you two of those at a time!!! I don't know what we are going to do. I hope he stays that way though. Bryce is very difficult when it comes to meal times! Anyway here Bryce at all of 33 pounds is trying to hold up his whopping 22 pound baby brother. Bryce loves Collin so much though, he loves to make him laugh and sing to him!

This is the yearly "picture in front of the tree" for 2008. The day we put up our tree Bryce ran for 4 hours without stopping he was so excited! He is so pumped for Christmas this year. I have never seen anything like it! He is obsessed with Santa Claus. I know that there are debates back and forth about kids and Santa but I watch Bryce's eyes and think that there are so many years for the tough stuff of life right now at 4 he believes in magic and I really can't take that from him! But he is so very excited!

Jennifer, here is a great one for you (I almost called you with this one the other night). Bryce along with several other TFC and Olympian children is going to be a sheep in the program at church and we have been talking it up forever. Dress rehearsal was Sunday night and I mistakenly thought "no problem" and focused my attention on my singing and "Baby Jesus" (Collin). To my surprise I looked back to find my little sheep not wanting to come up the aisle and then crying and disrupting the entire herd of sheep and shepherds. So, in swoops Mommy and takes him out to talk. When I asked what the problem was, the answer was so simple, "Mommy, I don't want the other kids to be sheep with me, because I like Nana", now if anyone understands this you are doing better than me. And then to get the sympathy vote, "I am just a little too nervous for this"! He went to the Christmas party downstairs and played games and ate with the other kids after this so I don't forsee the same problem next week for the actual program but seriously could he be more unpredictable?

One more, Bryce told Josh that they had birthday cake at the party and Josh said "who was it for buddy?" and Bryce answered, "it was for Jesus...but we ate it" Just to clear it up, Baby Jesus never showed up to eat that cake!

Interview with a preschooler

The other day I convince Bryce to let me interview him so, we could remember the things that he liked when he was 4 years old here is how that went...

What is your name? Well, it is really Incredible Hulk but my boy name is Bryce Greene

Age: "sor" (4)

When I grow up I will...do grown up stuss (stuff) like take a shower

Favorite food: sticks and cheese, celery but not bananas (guess what was for lunch)

Favorite drink: uh, hello, apple juice

Favorite thing about school: stopping at the grocery store and getting things we need for dinner [this has happened once] and saying our alphabet

When I get in trouble I feel...bad, really bad

What makes you happy? You [Mommy] being nice to me and Daddy sighting (fighting) me

Favorite thing to do at home: playing and finding Mighty Mac

Best friend: Andrew [Beckett]

Favorite place to go: the store...Walmart to look at something

Kids need...shoeboxes (guess he got into Operation Christmas Child) Hey, nobody gave me a shoebox

I love...new Indiana Jones guys and new Incredible Hulk huys

Favorite thing to do with Mommy: learning

Favorite the to do with Daddy: wrestle

Best part about Collin: sharing

Favorite book: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles books

Favorite Movie: Thomas, the one where Salty has the ocean cars with a shark and octopus and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Favorite place to eat: Bob Evans

Favorite thing to wear: Pajamas and Superheros shirt

Child like faith!

Bryce went through a time where he was almost afraid of praying, he acted very strange and freaked out by the whole thing. After bouncing this off of our Bible study group about a year ago, we decided that it wasn't that weird to be a little freaked out about talking to someone that you cannot see (the phone was weird for him at first too). Well, he has gotten better and we are saying prayers before he goes to bed every night. He still doesn't like that he has to be quiet that long but that is a whole other problem. Well, the other night when I was putting Bryce to bed we started in our usual routine, we talk about any prayer requests that he has and then I pray right next to him. I have been lately just asking if he wants to "say the words" when it is prayer time and he usually says no but this night he said "But Mommy, I don't know what to say." The teacher and mommy in me pounced on that, great time for a lesson. I told him that he had just gotten finished telling me a story and talking to God was no different than talking to Mommy or Daddy or anyone else and he could tell Him anything. He looked at me for a minute and said "okay, what do you want to pray about, Mommy?" I told him that I wanted to tell God how thankful I was that he had been a good boy that day. He thought just a second and this is what came out...
"Uh...Jesus? Sanks (thanks) for me going to the carnsel (carnival) and mommy is sanksul (thankful) I been a good boy today, Amen."
It was so sweet and cute and a reminder to me that there is no such thing as "prayer language" and God loves to have conversations with his children.
I told Bryce that God loved children and loved to hear them pray. He then asked if God only loved kids that were big enough to walk. I told him that God loved everyone and he said "even Collin?" Worried about his brother...I guess he still has some learning to do, but don't we all?

Operation Christmas Child

Okay, I know I have a crazy son! This is what he has been wearing to bed, my t-shirt. Josh was getting him ready for bed one night and he just wanted to wear underwear and a shirt so Josh asked him, "your shirt or one of mine?" To which Bryce responded "Mommy's"! So this is what I found for him and he has been wearing it for 3 nights now.


We decided that it would be good for Bryce to do an operation Christmas child box this year since he has no concept of anyone having anything different than the way he has it. He picked out items and I let him help me pack it and we printed off and filled out the "about me" sheet from the OCC website. While we were filling that out one of the prompts is "I love Jesus because..." and I didn't even know what to expect from him when I read that but he so sweetly replied, "because he gives me a happy heart" How cute is that?! Then we continued through the sheet and when it was all done, I told him that we were going to pray for our box and for the little boy that would get our box. When we were finished praying for it Bryce asked for the little boy's name that we were sending it too and I said I didn't know he said, "call his mommy afterwhile and ask her his name."


Later we were talking about how important our box was because besides the present this little boy was going to find out about Jesus through the people who were bringing him the box. I told Bryce that not everyone had churches to go to where they could learn about Jesus. He looked at me thought just a split second and said, "well, when we get him and he comes here, he can come to our church right Mommy?" I think he is slightly confused!







I know, he has nothing to do with the story but look how cute he is! Do you like the carrots on his shoulder? Yes, he is eating baby food now and the only problem we are having is that it is not fast enough for him! I can't move my arm to get the next bite in his mouth fast enough. His first go at it he ate an entire container of sweet potatoes!

This is my new favorite picture of Collin. He is much easier to take pictures of these days than his brother. When I put Collin somewhere, he stays! He did great last week with his 4 month shots, for the first two he looked the nurse straight in the face with this look that said "is that all you got?" and even for the last one when he cried it was just until I picked him up then he grinned at the nurse! I guess when you weigh 20 pound and 14 ounces (yes, that was what he weighed) you are tougher than most babies!

Superheros and Jack o lanterns!

Josh promised Bryce that this Halloween they could carve a pumpkin into a Jack O Lantern, so Bryce and Nana picked out a pumpkin at Walmart and this past Saturday since it was a "no work" day for Josh they got to work. Bryce could hardly wait to take off the "hat" but was soon disgusted by what he found inside! With all of his texture issues, I guessed this is what would happen but he would not let the "guts" near him.

This was his face when I asked what he thought of what was inside the pumpkin! I told him that some people take out the seeds and toast them and eat them. His response was "you and Daddy can but I am not"

They had a blast though and Bryce wanted to make sure his pumpkin looked "friendly" much to Daddy's frustration because "friendly" pumpkins have round eyes! They got it done though and we put a candle in it and every evening Josh or I have gone out to light the candle and Bryce doesn't realize this (he doesn't pay attention to life sometimes) so he thinks he has a magic pumpkin that turns on at night!!

Don't you love matching pajamas - less annoying than constant matching outfits but just as cute! They were both happy to be dressed as Batman, even though I am sure Collin had no idea what was going on! Josh put Collins pjs on him and told me that in the body they fit him really well but the sleeves and legs were a bit too long well, when I looked this morning, I had accidentally gotten him a 24 months in the pajamas! And they were not extremely big, he may catch Bryce soon!

One more thought for the day...we had another thing to add to our "list" the other night. Josh had to threaten to put Bryce in the corner if he did not quit "barking"! Oh the things you have to say as a parent!

"Woos, woos" - Bryce...translated "Woof, woof"

Just add it to the list!

I learned something today. The first day of school after the first sick day is a step backward! I left Bryce wailing at school today, not fun! He had some pooing problems for a few days and didn't go to school on Tuesday so we got all thrown off, and for a kid that is obsessed with things being the same as they were last time, not good! But we will make it over this bump too! God gives me the strength to make it through each day, and boy to I need it these days!
Josh and I have a mental list (and I have it on my Facebook profile) of things we never thought we would have to say as parents and another one to add to that came up last night. We were getting Bryce ready for bed and Josh noticed something on his neck. After a huge ordeal (I know, surely not with Bryce right?) of me holding his arms down and him screaming, the spot was removed. He looked Josh right in the face and said "Da - yee, you hurt me" and here it comes...Josh looked at him and said "if you wouldn't wipe boogers on your neck, that wouldn't happen" I got out of control laughing, seriously, would you think you would ever have to say that to anyone? Little boys!

Turning the corner

Okay the pictures don't really go with the post today, but my boys are cute and they were matching (I don't do that often) so here they are!

I think there is a good possibility that we turned a corner with Bryce and preschool. He has not cried at all this week! He tells me that he whines a little but he is 4 I have decided that is what they do! On Tuesday before we left home he told me that he thought he was afraid of Temple Tots (scary place, I know, ha ha). I asked him why and he said that sometimes he has to pee and Miss Stacy says that it is another boy's turn in the bathroom. I guess he was afraid of having an accident at school, in front of his friends and probably more importantly Miss Stacy! I explained to him that all he has to do is tell Stacy that he has to go bad and can't wait and she will do her best to let him go! Well, that seemed to fix his issues! He didn't cry that day when I dropped him off and today I detected a hint of a smile! Plus, he has been voluntarily talking about school and the kids and what he did during the day! Turning 4 and knowing that he could go to the bathroom when he really needed to may have been the ticket! I won't declare him cured of his school fits just yet, but it looks like we could be on our way!

I need to go clean my house. Our bible study starts back up tonight and I am very excited but I want there to actually be carpet you can see when people get here! I have missed our group, although I was relieved for the break at the time that we took it - I was 37 1/2 weeks pregnant! I am ready to start back in, here's to diving into Acts!

Ready for the Real World?

One quick "Bryce story"... about 10:30 this morning Bryce asked "Where is Daddy anyway?" When I told him he was at work, he said "yeah but it takes a long day to get there so he is not there yet." Since Bryce went to work with Josh yesterday before school and left "before the sun was awake" which was utterly astounding to him, I knew he knew how long it took to get there. I said "well, remember Daddy leaves before the sun comes up so he has been there for awhile." Bryce said "well, you know, you pass my school on the way to mine and Daddy's work." And I said "so, you work there too now?" to which Bryce replied "yes, but you never let me go there!" Only 6 weeks of preschool and he is ready for the workforce!

This is what "4" looks like for Bryce! Never a dull moment!

Birthdays and Bugs - Again!

Well, it happened, my little guy turned 4! It doesn't seem like it is even possible for it to have been 4 years ago since I spent 28 hours in labor bringing this little guy into the world! The last four years have been filled with ups and downs, easy days and hard days but such is the life with kids, I quickly learned from this fellow!! It is hard to believe someone when they tell you how much you will love your kids until that first one comes and you get a good look at them for the first time, it is a love that you have never had before but amazingly can feel over and over because when the next one comes you love them just as much! God has blessed Mommies and Daddies with that ability to love each and every kid 100%, and that gift could only come from God because it is hard to comprehend until you feel it and you just know!

Anyway, Bryce got to have his special day. We took him to lunch and to Petland and purchased him an aquarium and 4 fish (since he was 4 and all). He was absolutely thrilled! But the excitement didn't end there, he got to have his party. He had a great party with a houseful - literally - of friends and family. His friends Ben and Anna Kate even got to come from South Point (thanks guys - it made his birthday really special)! There were kids and babies all over the place! It was a great party and he had a great time!

The next day he got to take birthday snack to school. He took Ohio State cupcakes to the kids in his class and thought that was great! He was a little whiny from just recovering from his bug and being up late from his party but he still thought it was a big deal!

But Tuesday night, I got the dreaded bug! I lost a whole day being in bed. It was like Wednesday never happened! I have been so blessed with a wonderful husband who saw to things and an awesome Mom who took care of my boys while Josh was at work! God has given me a wonderful family who is willing to help in any way that they can! Thanks Mom!!! I am on my way to getting better but the bug took with it my energy and appetite (not the best way to lose baby weight)! We are praying that it stops with me, this house has become the Clorox wipe and Lysol capital of the world, I have sprayed and wiped everything, hopefully stopping the bug in its tracks. Josh has his fishing trip coming up and Collin is too little to handle such a bug! Keep praying with us that it stops with me!

Bryce and his fish tank! He named the fish Dorothy, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. He is his mother's son!!

Bugs and Birthday Bummers!

Well, I am supposed to be preparing to welcome party guests in just about an hour and a half but instead I am sitting at the computer in pajama pants and a t-shirt and hoping that no one else starts throwing up! Bryce started yesterday morning/early afternoon with a stomach bug. He threw up 4 times before we made him lay down for a nap. After he woke up from that and an unplanned nap in the floor, he said he felt better and wanted to eat so he ate toast and Sprite and then asked for a Popsicle so he ate that too, then went to bed. At about 11 pm, I heard him in the bathroom throwing up again, bummer. He threw up 2 more times before 9:30 am, so we decided to postpone his party and have it on Monday, given no one else in our house is sick. It absolutely broke my heart to have to do that, he was very much looking forward to his party. I am praying round the clock that God will protect all of the rest of us, my baby just wants to celebrate turning 4! We are especially praying that Collin doesn't get it, at such a young age, a bug like this can be very dangerous! Just keep us in your prayers and hopefully I will be posting on Tuesday about the wonderful 4Th birthday party. Regardless, my first baby will be 4 on Monday, that seems like such a big boy age! I can't believe how the last 4 years has zoomed by!

Why can't it always be like this?

Look at that face...is there anything sweeter? Bryce has such potential to be a sweet and easy kid and the reason I know that is that he used to be that way...and sometimes still is! It has been a rough 6-8 months with him! I have a lot of people tell me it is his age but that does not make it any less frustrating! He is disobedient, defiant, and just generally difficult much of the time. After his big accomplishment of no crying on Thursday at school, today he decided to throw a screaming, wailing fit! It is frustrating because I am where I feel God wants me, at home with my babies, but now I am questioning that choice with this one. Would he be better adjusted if he had to stay with someone else? Am I doing him harm by staying with him all of the time? Even though I know it is not true these questions swirl through my head every time we have problems with him! He will be 4 in 6 days, that is so hard to believe! And I know "this too shall pass" and in 2 years when I have to send him to kindergarten I will be wishing for the days when he could be home most of the time! And then in 10 years when I send him to high school, I will wish for the time when he wanted to be with me!

This is just an example of the drama that surrounds Bryce though, last night he could not go to sleep and had to keep worrying about where he and his future wife were going to live when they got married, why couldn't they just stay here with me and Daddy? Even far off "problems" cause issues...

Just airing some frustrations...I love that kid more than anything and wouldn't trade him for 10 perfectly behaved children...he makes life interesting and challenges me everyday and is a reminder of God's grace...we are not born innocent and nobody teaches us to misbehave but God sent His Son to fix that and everyday it is a surrendering process to give God rule of my life...especially in parenting!

Celebrations and Smiles!

He did it, he did it, he did it, Yeah!! (Dora fans can sing it!) On Thursday, Bryce didn't cry at school!!!! When I dropped him off, he looked a little bit sad but didn't cry. Then, when Josh went to pick him up Miss Stacy said that he whined a little but no crying!! So, we had a celebration! He got to call Nana and Mamaw and tell them and invited them to his celebration. I made celebration brownies and he got all of the promised prizes! Nana and Uncle Josh and Mamaw and Grandpa came over to celebrate with him. It was a big accomplishment and we hope that this week goes just as well, maybe even better!

The little one has a new trick too! Collin is getting more and more smiley over the last few weeks. He loves to be talked to. If he wants to be talked to and you are not paying enough to him he has a fake cough that he does to make sure that he is getting your full and undivided attention! He loves to smile at his Daddy the most and smiles very easily at the word "daddy" too! He is growing like a weed and is changing everyday!

We are so blessed by God with these two little guys!

Side note: We now have high speed internet connection so it will be easier for me to make posts when I can get time!

Think on the positive

After a very difficult drop off at preschool today that ended with punishment, I have done nothing but think about where in the world I could have gone wrong with this one! What could we have done to cause this child to have the tantrums that he has, that talks back the way he does, to have the anger he displays...all at almost 4 years old? Then it came to my mind (oh, God's little reminders) that we are not causing these (thank you Adam and Eve) but we are responsible for teaching him that these things are not pleasing to us or God and that evidently is going to take a little time with this little fellow! Then I was also reminded that it is not always difficult and he has his wonderfully hilarious moments! So, here's to the good side of my oldest son. Enjoy the "Bryce stories."

First, since bringing Collin home from the hospital we have changed his diaper mostly in the living room. After finding out that his little brother can "shoot" pee when he is not diapered Bryce has not wanted to have much to do with the process. But Sunday evening he happened to be karate chopping his way through the room while Collin was getting a changing. While going by he looked down at his baby brother and said "Whoa, his pee pee guy is SMASHED!" Anyone who has changed a baby boy's diaper completely gets what he was referring to.

Lately Bryce has wanted to expand his horizons a little when it comes to TV shows and reluctantly we allow him to watch some "older kid" cartoons as long as an adult we trust is watching with him. Last night he had watched something that used the words "shut up", "stupid", and "hate" all of which he is not supposed to use. Well, while riding in the car he said "Mommy, can I tell you the bad words I heard on TV?", which he loves to do. Since I knew what had been said and knew that they were not really BAD words I told him he could. He then said, "Hmmm...what was it that they called Shhh?....Oh, yeah, they said shut up!"

And finally this one happened awhile back but I love it! We got a video baby monitor before Collin was born (Thanks Nana!) and had been trying it out in Bryce's room. He knew that we could watch him from the living room. One night as I was putting him to bed we were talking about how Jesus is everywhere all at the same time and Bryce was of course confused by this (aren't we all?) and earlier in the day he had gotten in trouble at Bob Evans, after the "wheel" turned in his head for awhile he said "I think Jesus might not know the way, he is walking to Bob Evans right now." Then, we talked about how God can see us even when no one else can and I told Bryce that God could see him even when I walked out of his room and shut the door and he very seriously looked at me and said, "He can see me on His monitor?", I tried to explain that God didn't need monitors to see us but, when a 3 year old comes to a "logical" conclusion, there is no arguing! So, in Bryce's mind Heaven is full of baby monitors for God to watch us all!

Here is too Bryce and to hoping and praying that school gets easier and we can figure out a way to make him understand the importance of good behavior!!

Shots and school!

Well, we are now into week 3 of preschool and the crying still has not stopped! But we have stopped talking about it, we have begun to think that Bryce has the idea of "even negative attention is extra attention". He has promised prizes waiting for him and the DVD player has been out of our car for a week and I told him that if he would not cry when I dropped him off he could have it back.(He lost it during a fit in which he screamed and talked horrible to me.) Nothing has seemed to help so we have decided ignoring the problem is the way to go with this kid who if it is not his idea it is not a good one! We are hoping he will get the idea soon that school is not too bad!


It is also hard to believe that he will be 4 in just 2 1/2 short weeks! He is quite excited about his birthday this year and especially for his "Lightning McQueen" party!

My little rock star is eight weeks old now! That is kind of hard to believe too but he fits into our family so well that it seems like he has always been there! It is amazing how God knows just what kid to give us! He had to go today to get his first round of baby shots. So far it seems to make him fussy when it is time for Tylenol but thankfully that seems to help. But the BIG news of his checkup was that he is continuing his growing spree. He weighed 16 pounds 5 ounces, clearly the biggest baby of his age in the waiting room!

Tomorrow is another day of school! Pray for Bryce as he goes and for us as we deal with him!! God is good... all the time!

My BIG boys!

Well, the long awaited day arrived this week - Bryce's first day of preschool! On Friday night before his first day we went to open house and got to see his classroom and the school. And we got to see and talk to Miss Stacy. I think it is a comfort for Bryce to have Stacy as his teacher, he does not adjust well to strangers and since Stacy is big sister to his best buddy Andrew and younger sister to Miss Kristi, that makes her or Amy(the other choice - hey, we couldn't lose this year!) a great choice for his teacher. He seemed great after open house and even said that school looked "sun"! Then the busy weekend of the OPGA convention came and something in the motel that we stayed in triggered allergy issues (thank you Daddy!) and so on Tuesday he was exhausted and had a runny nose and a cough. But Mommy, Daddy and Collin were all there to take him to school. And all looked well when we left. He had spotted his friend Curbee and Maddi, a neice to some friends of ours he had met on Friday. We wondered and worried about him all day but knew he would be okay and I as I had told him over the weekend, God would take care of him! When we went to pick him up, Stacy said that she had one little boy that couldn't get it together and had triggered 4 other criers (that is 5 out of 8 kids) and Bryce was one of them. He told us that he cried because we were not there, so for Thursday Nana made him a little picture of our family for his pocket and we hoped this would help - with no success. It was a little sad but as I have told everyone over the last 2 days, it would be a lot sadder had he not been planning for 2 days to lose it on Thursday, it makes it harder to feel sorry for a kid that is planning his breakdowns ahead of time. Miss Stacy did say that he cried less on Thursday and we are hoping that this gets better and better and that when he is feeling better, school will be better!! Pray for all of us as Bryce continues school, that it gets easier for him and for us leaving him!!
Now, onto his little (ha ha) brother. I have laughed for weeks at the response to Collin when people ask how old he is - every person says "well, he is a big boy isn't he?" On Tuesday we got to find out just how big. Collin has had a stuffy nose for a couple of weeks but it didn't seem to be a huge deal until while we were in Newark, green goopy stuff started coming out of his eye. I called the doctor's office from there and they made him an appointment for Tuesday morning. After dropping big brother off at school, we took him to get checked out. The first thing that they did of course was weigh him. Now, I knew that he looked big but was shocked when the nurse called out 14 pounds 7.5 ounces!! Are you kidding me, my six week old is 14 1/2 pounds, no wonder he is outgrowing everything!! That was shocking to me because at 2 months old Bryce weigh 12 lb 6 oz. So, little brother is really showing him up! All I can say is I am very thankful, as fast as he is growing that he was 8 days early!!!!
God has blessed me beyond belief with these two little (ish) guys! Sometimes I start thinking about all the ways God has blessed me and it is overwhelming! If I get down about things, hey it can be exhausting being a mommy, especially being at home all day with 2 small kids, all I have to do is stop and look at my life! I have so many blessings from God, His salvation and grace being the very top of my list! My wonderful family and friends, and....well, you get it , I could go on all day!