Malachi's Party Plans

Malachi's birthday is July 9th. I have a little time, but I also have 2 weeks of school left and an anniversary on June 22nd. So, I was talking with Malachi about what his "theme" should be. As it stands today...

"Green" party!

His favorite color! He doesn't want a Cars party, again. He doesn't really want a Mickey Mouse party like Ezekiel; however, he does want a Mickey Mouse cake. So, it looks like we'll have green drink, green (Mickey Mouse) cake, green plates, green cups, green decorations...you get the idea. I am kind of stoked about this. It saves $$$$$!!!! Generic stuff is so much cheaper than any Disney or Nickelodeon theme. I was worried he would chose Diego or Handy Manny. I think he may stick with that decision.

Not to mention, we can call it "going green" and people will think we are helping the environment (ha, ha, ha). I also like the idea of not endorsing a character but just having a good time. Malachi will be wearing green, I'm sure.

We'll see how it ends up :)

A few Malachi-isms for the road...

• "ress" - just
• "ever-one" - another one
• Handy ManDy - sometimes instead of Handy Manny
  

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the zoo today. It was nice to take the boys out, but it was stressful. Malachi enjoyed the giraffes the most. Ezekiel LOVED the elephants. We got some good pictures of animals but not many of people. I'm glad we went. the boys learned a lot, and it was fun to see them look at all the differences.

Pictures to come.

Let's go racin' boys - Part 2

So, today we headed to the track again with little hopes of seeing a whole race, but Malachi went and sat for hours last night with nothing to show for it. He never saw any cars race.

We made it to about lap 180 after stopping for about 1 1/2 hours for rain and the drying of the track. We decided that after the 3 o'clock stop to honor those veterans who died that if it began raining again, we would leave. Malachi wasn't as well-behaved as the night before, but I felt so bad for him. He got jipped.

His Paw-Paw Phil went with us to the track yesterday and today. He was thoughtful enough to bring us rain coats. Malachi got a special Lightning McQueen poncho. Today we took lots of food and snacks.

Now that they just called the race and David Reutimann was the winner, it was time to post. We only missed about 40 laps or less, so I don't regret leaving when we did. I couldn't take anymore at the racetrack. I enjoyed it but if rain had not been an issue, it would have been different.

Here are some pics...

Let's go racin' boys!

So, we tried to go to the race last night. We sat in the rain for 2-3 hours until they called the race for noon today. Malachi was so well-behaved, but I hate it for him. He wanted to see cars go around the track.

The worse thing was, we live like 4 miles from the track and had to drive over our shoulders just to get to our butt. In other words, it took us an hour and a half to get home and lots of state troopers.

I hope the race today is better and we don't have to pay to park again. Please rain, stay away!

Still Sick

So, Monday night I was up every 1-2 hours with Ezekiel screaming b/c it hurt to breathe! Poor thing. The only thing that would calm him down was a breathing treatment and laying in my arms. Needless to say, I got no sleep in my bed and had to work hard in between all those hours to help the poor thing sleep.

He was doing better, but today he started to get a puffy, itchy eye. I finally broke down and took him to the doctor. The dr. gave him an antibiotic (shot). He was really whiny and cried about the shot for awhile, but after it had time to kick in and he got some dinner, he was a new boy. Praise the Lord!

I hope we are finished with the big mess and will be able to recover now. I've missed my workouts all week :(

Sick

Last night (and especially this morning) both the boys had a snotty nose. Ezekiel's was much worse than Malachi's. Poor thing woke up last night, crying, because he couldn't breathe. He also seemed to have a slight fever. He got two doses of Advil today and his first breathing treatment in a month and a half.

I am so thankful that it just seems to be a cold and that Ezekiel has been healthy for about 2 months. It has been such a blessing to not have to worry about him everyday and whether he was feeling all right.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us the past 2 months. Please, heal him now and keep him healthy.

Updates

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I had a few moments of deja-vu as I purposely put Ezekiel in the red & blue plaid shorts that Malachi wore on my first Mother's Day as a mom of 2. Ezekiel was 3 months old and wore blue plaid shorts that were similar but not matching.

Our lives have changed a lot since then. My very first Mother's Day as a mom came with my friend, Lesli. Malachi was 10 months, his buddy, Kyla was 3 months. Now Lesli had her first Mother's Day as a mom of 2. We've shared a lot together.

Malachi is doing well. He is talking more and more clearly. I think that he is pretty articulate for an almost-4-year-old. His speech has dramatically improved. He has fallen in love with Veggie cheese. We tried it over a year ago, and he just didn't care for it. Now, he loves having his "own cheese," and it is much better for him than cow's cheese. That is what I am somewhat glad for. Dairy really is not that good for you. It seems to have been a blessing in disguise that Malachi (& Ezekiel) drink soy milk, and don't have much dairy. I believe they are healthier for it. We're trying to cut some of that dairy out of our meals, too.

Daniel is on a mission to lose weight. I'm trying to join him. I have been gaining weight instead of losing it lately. I would ideally like to lose about 30 lbs. Yes, I can lose that much and be in great shape (like I was in high school). I would be happy with losing 15-20 lbs. Thankfully, I do carry my weight well, but I don't want to do that. I know that my body may not be the "same" after kids, but I would sure like to not use that as an excuse.

Ezekiel TALKS a lot!!! He will say things that I didn't know he could. He accidentally busted Malachi's lip tonight. He came running in the kitchen saying, "I sorry, Na-ky. I nnt mean to. I sorry, Na-ky." He can use some pronouns correctly. Lately, he will catch me at a quiet moment and say, "Momma, Momma, Momma," until I answer, "yes, Ezekiel," Z: "Mommy, I luff you!" You can understand what he says 90% of the time, and he is a sponge. I know that he talks much better than Malachi did at that stage.

There are only 21 days left of school!!! Now I need to find a part-time job to help make ends meet. We're planning on taking Malachi to the race, and taking both of them to the zoo. We're trying to keep the funds under control but still do a few nice things for the boys. I've been wanting to take them to the zoo for awhile.

One last thing...Ezekiel is HEALTHY!!!! How awesome is our God. He hasn't had a breathing treatment since the end of March, and we haven't heard any croop-y sounding coughs. Hallelujah!!!

Alligator Wrastelin'

When we go places, we try NOT to do "touristy" things. We like to try restaurants off the beaten path and take in new experiences. Well, on the gulf coast, most of thos restaurants are seafood, and since I don't want to take my husband to the emergency room again, we tried a "touristy" place. The boys had a great time. There was live music, hula hoops, beach balls, a kid play area, food, and LIVE ALLIGATORS. Malachi was too scared to touch it at first. Ezekiel boldly went to "pet" the aaa-gay-der. After dinner, Malachi wanted to hold and get his picture with the al-gator, so we did. It was a little pricey, but it scanned pretty well. So, thank you to Fudpucker's in Destin. We had a great evening!

Beach Pictures

Vacation Firsts

We've been on vacation this week, sort of. We left after church on Sunday to head down to FL to visit my brother & his family (who will be moving to Japan for a few years in June). We spent the whole day inside on Monday, thanks to some severe thunderstorms. We packed up the camper yesterday, and my bro hauled it down to the beach. Today is just us. Tomorrow we leave.

Here are some firsts for our vacation in random order. It really has been quite the adventure.

1. Ezekiel has been sleeping out of a crib (and fell off a few times).
2. Malachi & Z have been sleep deprived (not really a vacation first). Malachi has not done so well.
3. Malachi has decided that in his bad moods, he would take it out on his Daddy.
4. Ezekiel got only about 20 minutes of nap yesterday and did ok, not great, but ok.
5. The boys CLEANED A PLATE at the restaurant for lunch yesterday. We ordered onion strings. Usually they don't like onions, but it didn't taste like onions, and they literally ate it all. Malachi kept dishing out the little pieces to he and Ezekiel. It was funny. I don't think I'd ever seen them do that.
6. They both slept late this morning. Finally, their internal clocks were over-ridden by exhaustion.
7. Malachi busted his lip in the trailer when he was supposed to be sleeping. He was jumping from his bed to the trundle (Z's bed) and now has a fat lip. It wasn't a little bust, it was a big bust. It looked like someone chewed on his lip violently. Gross. Thankfully, he actually held a cold pack on it and took it to bed. It seems to have helped some.
8. Malachi "swam" in the pool for the first time today. I went to the dollar store before we left and got a set of arm floaties for each of the boys. Malachi is TERRIFIED of water, but he didn't want to leave. Thankfully, Daniel was able to talk him into it, and he was very proud of himself. He said, "Mommy, I can swim now!"
9. Ezekiel LOVES to swim. He would take off with his little tube from the steps when Daniel wasn't looking. He wouldn't kick his feet a lot, but when he gets his ear tubes out, I hope to put him in arm floaties, too, and turn him loose.
10. There is an AWESOME pizza place across the street from the campground. They do not skimp on the toppings or cheese in the least! That is a new one.

*I broke my glasses!!! I only have one arm on them now. It's a good thing that I only wear them at night and in the morning or middle of the night.*

***Pictures to come when we get home.***

Dear Malachi,

This is one of the hardest notes that I have written to you. The past few weeks, you have decided to throw fits. I don't mean little ones. I mean, screaming, crocodile tears, non-stop for at least 15 minutes. Those fits are usually over little things. I think we have discovered the "root" of these fits, but I won't have to tell you here. I'll remember for later.

We go through several days of fits until I can't take much more. This usually means a L.O.N.G. talk in the car-ride home & something drastic that we have to do (like going to bed without dinner - of course, after about 30min. that takes you to realize we mean business, then you can eat). I don't like these at all. I know that we have raised you to be polite & respectful and to accept "no" as an answer. You can't ALWAYS get what you want.

However, the next day, you are a perfect angel (like today). I wish we could have days like today all week long. It would make life so much less stressed. I love to praise you and hug you for doing the right things. I do NOT like to punish you. I don't like to punish anyone (even my students), but it is something that I feel that I have learned to do effectively.

Well, son, you are growing up so fast. You continue to improve on your speech. You are excited about going to school in August (4K). We have gotten free uniforms to last us through that year (unless you get an unexpected growth spurt). We are blessed, and so are you.

You love to pray for the food and at night before bed. Miss Nicki taught you "God Our Father." Anytime we talk about prayer, the first thing out of your mouth is, "Let's say, 'God Our Fa-ver.'" I love to see you say it at the dinner table (or at snack with your friends) with such fervency and eyes closed. It is such a blessing. I'm glad you like to pray.

And you L-O-V-E to sing, still. You and Ezekiel will belt some major tunes in the car or at home. Your favorite song is "I won't (don't want to) gain the whole world" by Toby Mac. You even call it "my song." It's funny that the song I wrote for you to the tune of Avalon's Adonai is now a distant memory to Toby Mac. I can't complain, though. As much as you like music (just like your momma), it is such a blessing to know that I don't have to worry about you singing inappropriate songs. You will sing almost any song on the radio, and that is a great thing.

I can't wait to see you turn 4. You've been expecting your birthday (July 9) to come since January, but you are waiting. I hope that we can move from the "trying threes" to the Fabulous Fours (?).

I love you, Malachi James. I am so thankful for you and the responsible nature that is within you. Many times you are so much more caring & thoughtful of others than I could ever hope to be. Keep that spirit with you always.

Much love,
Momma :)

Results

The doctor finally called me yesterday afternoon with the biopsy results.

It is a confirmed benign tumor. It should never become malignant but may grow (especially if more children are in our future). So, I'm cool with having a little extra something in me and not having it removed. I'm glad it is "nothing."

This experience has been a good one. I found out a lot about myself and my relationship with the Lord. God took something bad and turned it into good to draw me closer to him. How cool!

Biopsy

Today was the biopsy day for the lump in my breast. Everything went well this morning. They took 3 samples. I am a little sore and am keeping the "ice pack" on the area. I haven't taken any Tylenol yet, so all is well. The doctor seemed pretty sure that it was benign after looking at it and taking the samples, but I will know for sure in the next day or 2. I cam home after the biopsy and took a nap. Daniel took me out to lunch. I came back home and took another nap. I've just been resting and watching tv. It's nice to have a "day off" even if I got poked with way too many needles this morning. All is well. If you don't hear anything else, then assume that no news is good news. I'm glad that there have been no complications, thus far. Praise the Lord!

Accidents happen, right?

Malachi had an accident today. I don't know why. He hasn't had a pee-pee accident in MONTHS. I didn't have extra clothes for him, so he got to run around the church in a t-shirt and pull up. Yes, his shoes & socks were wet, too. After working at the church for a little while, Z & I ran to a local consignment shop and picked him up a nice-looking & nice-smelling pair of pants for less than $3.

Why in the world would he have an accident? Maybe he was upset because his momma was rushing out the door this morning, and he wanted to spend time with her.

Why would that cause him to get upset? Maybe because his momma left him sleeping in bed on Wednesday morning and did not return until 10pm on Friday night.

Why would he be cranky for momma being gone? Maybe Momma told him she would wake him up at 10pm, Friday night to tell him she was home and give him a kiss, and then Malachi chose not to go back to sleep until almost midnight. I can't help it the kid missed me.

Hmmm... I think there is a correlation.

By the way, those of you who have been wanting to talk to me, I'm sorry. Last week was crazy and a learning process. This week was busy with cleaning, packing, taking 175 8th graders to the OBX of NC, and then practice for the Easter Trilogy starting tomorrow! Monday will be my biopsy day. Wow, just thinking about all that makes me tired! I did survive most of it already, though:)

Scary but a "God-thing"

On Monday, I went to the OB/GYN for my yearly "womanly" appointment. While there, the doc discovered a lump in my breast. I was scheduled for an ultrasound on Friday (yes, I had to wait that long). The doc reassured me it was nothing but wanted to take the precaution. I believed her and went on my way. As I walked away and headed to my car, the weight of the situation began to hit me. I broke. Tears and doubts began to flood my brain like never before. It was scary to think of the future and a lump.

Daniel and I have been under immense pressure the past few weeks due to the opening of a satellite campus of First Assembly that we felt called to be a part of. Then, I got hit by the news. It was all I could do to keep it together (barely). Daniel and I ended up having an impromptu date night on Tuesday to help "clear our heads." It was nice and just what we needed.

Wednesday rolled around, and I was still struggling with the issue. I was supposed to "skip" church to go to another meeting and costume fitting. I chose not to go because I just felt that I needed to be in the Bible study. We have been focusing on the minor profits. Before the study, I thought that I was crazy and would get nothing from it, BUT most of the study was for me and my situation. It was freeing.

I woke up Thursday morning with peace in my heart and mind and great anticipation for Friday afternoon to see if all my fret was in vain.

Today (Friday) was my appointment at the Imagery center (in the same complex as Z's ENT and where his tubes were put in). Daniel, of course, went with me. As I watched on the monitor during the ultrasound, I could tell that it was more than just a normal "lump" by the way the tech was spending time on that spot and measuring and such. Then, the pics were taken to the doc. He came in for a look himself.

He told me that he was hoping it was a cyst (no problems, let it be). It wasn't that. It appeared to be a tumor. The good news was that it also seemed to be benign. He gave me 2 options, a needle biopsy with local anesthesia OR to go ahead and schedule a full removal of the .5cm area and surrounding, just to make sure. There is a small chance it is malignant, but the signs don't point there. Most likely, the needle test (which is what I chose) will show that it is benign, and we'll just keep a close eye on it for the many years to come. It is not expected to grow anymore.

So, on Monday, May 30th, I will go in again to the center to be locally numbed and have a needle stuck in me. Fun! I'm thankful that all seems to be going well.

Through all this I have been "finding myself" again and who I am in Christ. The past few years, I have had control of my life. God has constantly been calling me to trust him and let go of the reigns. I haven't. Now that I have been faced with an issue that I have no control over, whatsoever, I have begun to let go of the control issue in my life. I have such a peace. If it is malignant, then God knows, and I trust that He will provide total healing. If it is not, then I trust that all will be well in the future. I am using this time as a life lesson and relationship lesson. My stress levels have been much higher since August. I have taken life too seriously and tried to control my own life. The problem is, it is not mine to control. There has been such a weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm fine with whatever the outcome is.

As my teammate keeps reminding me, if it's not breast cancer, don't stress. The situation will be over soon. She's a breast cancer survivor. I've learned so much from her. She's one year from retirement, and has "done it all," for the most part. She's my sounding board and sound mind at work. I thank God for her. Now I truly can remind myself that life is short, and that God is in control. He deserves the glory for whatever happens in the next few weeks and months. He's worthy, & I am truly blessed.

Nothing New Right Now

I have nothing "new" to report right now. We have been busy, and I am exhausted. I can't seem to find time to catch a break or get a breath before all the laundry piles up again or another school event happens. We have been trying harder to eat more at home and be healthier, but we can't with the crazy schedule.

Ezekiel is talking more than ever (as he does each week). Saturday, he came up to me while I was doing something (don't remember), and said, "Mommy, you doin'?" It was so cute!

I got upset this morning b/c Malachi wouldn't put his own clothes on for the 459th time today. I just started to cry. I was frustrated. Ezekiel had made me wrestle his clothes on, and I was tired at 7:15am. Z was in "timeout" in his crib when he noticed me crying. I realized later that he had stopped crying (and trying to pull his clothes off). He waited for me to finish fussing at Malachi and waited for me to pick him up. Then, he gave me the biggest (most wonderful) hug! I carried him into the bathroom where he kept an eye on me in the mirror. How sweet is that boy!

I just wish Malachi wasn't going through the TRYING THREES. Every morning and evening it is a battle to get clothes on and a battle to go poop (before he doesn't have time to go). It is routine. Why is it so difficult? I love that little boy so dearly. I just wish we were through these times sooner.

Grand Opening for Concord First Assembly 29North will be Sunday. There is a lot to do. I'm sure I won't get a nap that day. Maybe I'll plan on being "sick" on Monday. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

Recent Pictures & Snow Days

I can't remember a time that we haven't been busy. Last month was an extremely trying time for us financially & emotionally, but the past few weeks have been very rewarding and enjoyable. The boys were able to use their birthday/Christmas money to go to Build-a-Bear on Friday. Ezekiel picked out a Bobcats uniform with a basketball. Malachi chose a fireman's uniform.

The boys enjoy taking baths together and playing with the toys. Malachi loves to "swim" in the tub, and, SURPRISE, "monkey see, monkey do."

Hey, there, cutie! Our big 3-year-old.
If you look closely at his left eye, you can see the scab he got when he dove into the corner of a table.

Who's cute? Our little 2-year-old.

This was our "snowman" from about 2 weeks ago. The snow would not pack, and I can't take credit for this little snowman, anyway. A neighbor from down the street came out to play with Malachi, and this is all they could do with about 30 minutes. I told you, the snow didn't want to pack. It was too powdery.

Today, we got our 3rd snow this year. It was preceded by 2 days of rain & about 2 hours of freezing rain. It made it pack well but very slushy. Of course, we had no school today. This was my quick attempt at a snowman. It has already melted & while we were making it, Kiev kept knocking it over and eating the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. No fun!

This video is the day after his party. I was trying to get Ezekiel to talk about his party the way he had earlier, but, of course, he didn't cooperate. Malachi enjoyed being in the spotlight. The Foof chair is always a favorite place to play.

Ezekiel's Birthday

Ezekiel celebrated his 2nd birthday today with party and special events. He is so fun to play things up with. We started a few days ago working on teaching Ezekiel that he is going to be TWO. Yesterday, I took the boys to the party store to get the supplies for the party today. Malachi & I ended up singing happy birthday to him in the check out line. How fun:)

We had worked hard on Thursday night to get some serious cleaning done. We were working even harder last night...then Daniel decided we needed to paint the second bathroom Which, it actually didn't take that long to paint, and we got to bed about 11:30pm. Not too shabby.

Today, Daniel had to work a few hours at the church before the party at 10:30am. Yes, I said 10:30! It was great!!! All I had to do was get showered and put the veggie tray together. Daniel bakes and iced the Mickey Mouse cake last night (after painting). The family & friends arrived. Daniel put out the bounce house, which the kids LOVED. We did Mickey Mouse stamped fingers. Then it was have snacks, cut the cake, and open presents. We were done by noon, and we didn't have to feed anyone a full meal.

Of the 5 birthday parties I have "planned" as a mom, and the numerous I have attended in the past few years, this was by far the best! I was worried about having it at our little house, but it all worked out well. I can't say that our neighbors appreciated our crowded little street or the noisy bounce house before 11am, but we had a great time!

When we got Ezekiel up this morning, we sang to him (all 3 of us). He wore his favorite Mickey Mouse t-shirt that he got for Christmas. AND we were lucky enough to have "story-time" Saturday on Disney, so it was 2 hours of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I got ready and made a few finishing touches before people began arriving. It's unusual for me to allow them to watch that much tv, but I knew they would be busy, and I didn't want them running all over the house early.

Ezekiel loved the singing of Happy Birthday and would insert his name as he sung it on his own, occasionally. Mickey Mouse was an excellent theme. He didn't get a ton of stuff, and it was all useful and loved by the boys. Not to mention, he brought in over $50 cash. Target & Build-a-Bear will love us.

This evening we took Ezekiel for his favorite meal of pizza to one of our former frequenting spots. We splurged (because we haven't been out to eat in a long time) and got pizza, lasagna, garlic knots, & cheesy garlic bread. All-in-all it was a fabulous day, and I couldn't have imagined a better experience of Ezekiel on his 2nd birthday.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ezekiel Luke!!!

Money! Ezekiel shared with his great-grandma.

Malachi & Renee wanted to help Ezekiel play with his toys.
Renee is Ezekiel's "girlfriend." They hug on each other and love to play together.
There are already people in Renee's family planning the wedding:)

Ezekiel wanted to keep showing Grandpa his new toys.

Daniel blew up the Bounce House. Ezekiel, Malachi, Riley, & Isiah had a great time jumping.

Mickey Mouse birthday cake

Malachi-isms

Today, I told Malachi to go wash his hands. He went to the bathroom, turned the water on high & hot, and began to wash. He then said, "Mommy, pull my hands up!" Meaning: pull my sleeves up. How funny!

"Broccoli, Sara Lee, gotta be, VeggieTales." - Celery

Conversations with Ezekiel & Malachi

At dinner tonight...

Z - (pooted) I poot
Daniel - yes, you did
Me - say excuse me
Z - skooz - ee, I poot
Z - I poot (much louder and in the cutest voice)
M & D - lots of giggles (tried to suppress them but only encourage the Z-man)
Z - Daddy, I poot! I poot! I poot!


At 4:45am (this morning)...

Malachi - (knock, knock, knock) Mommy!
Me - (opens door) What's wrong, sweetie?
MJ - Mommy, I said bleh in my bed.
M - did you through up in your bed.
MJ - Yes, I said bleh in my bed.
M - did you get any on you?
MJ - No, I said bleh on my bed.
M - OK. go lay on the couch while I clean it up.
(Thankfully, it wasn't much and he felt better by about 10am.)