Naked Buns and Band-Aids!!

So, I have no pictures to go along with this story. I felt like I would cross the line between cute/adorable/priceless and pornographic! For starters, I feel as though I need to justify my lack of supervision by explaining my position. So here it goes:

Twice a week I spend about three hours working from home for my dad. It's an amazing opportunity - one which I am ever grateful for! My main job is his "caller." Thus, I make phone calls to clients. Easy enough, right?! Well, not when you have two noisy kiddos running ramped throughout the house. So, Samantha, why then don't you do it when the kids are asleep? I do, for the most part. But, that being said, I'm making this human, and therefore I find myself tired and I want to squeeze in a nap every afternoon if possible. So, I start working while the kids eat lunch at noon and I get my first hour of questions and email correspondence out of the way. Then when Eric goes down at 1pm, I pop in a movie for Rachel (yes, yes, I can hear it all now...I use the TV as a babysitter twice a week. Shame on me! I'm sure she's doomed to grow up a real life princess now) and I start calling so that I'm finished by 3 - give or take!

Okay, so rewind now to 12:30-ish. I'm working on the computer and checking emails while Rachel and Eric are creating a fun game of diving off our bed onto the Tupperware bins. They find great joy in this game as is proven by the ever increasing high-pitch of each ensuing laugh! I enjoy that they are playing and not fighting. A few minutes later, Eric has found his way into the bathroom and two very excited (read: jumping and begging and squealing) kids run up to me and show me that he has found the Band-Aids. What the heck...I'm working, it's one of those days...yes, you can each have a band-aid. We put one on Rachel's finger and the other on Eric's wrist. They emerge back into the bathroom. From my computer I can see half of our tub. The kids LOVE to play in there - even with no water. So, they are playing and laughing and enjoying the tub. I continue working. Still working and working some more. Kids still laughing. I lose my rhythm for half a second when Eric hands me his diaper. I honestly don't think much of it. I'm still working, you know! Finally, something causes me to come out of my work coma and I look over and see two sets of naked buns peering over the tub! What on earth are you two doing??? My spokesperson (Rachel) responds quite confidently, "we are taking a bath!" There is no water, but they are pulling down the towels and drying themselves off and Eric, of course, is looking down to make sure that all is still in place - it is!

Needless to say, I LOVE seeing/hearing my kids enjoy each other. I love that Rachel's imagination is so vivid that she actually needs to towel off after her imaginary bath. I love that Eric is big enough to understand "play" and wants to play with his sissy. They are siblings...they may not remember this day and this playtime. But, the memories that they will share as brother and sister are so special. And I love that I get to watch them and be the silent record-keeper of so many of these priceless moments! Naked buns and a band-aid...yep, those are my kids!

Happy Birthday Eric!!!

Can you believe our sweet boy is turning two today!? Where does the time go? So, Eric Allan was born on March 26, 2007 at 9:23am! Today he is your typical two-year-old boy! He loves to run, wrestle, eat, play, tinker with tools and "fix" things. He loves to mimic his daddy by putting hair-gel in his hair and holding his daddy's electric razor! He especially loves when daddy will spray a little of his deodorant under his arms! He thinks that's great! He likes to be loud and has the need to RUN everywhere he goes. He is such a big helper and loves to be in kitchen with daddy or help mommy find her shoes! The kid is obsessed with shoes and seeing him in his dad's work shoes is hilarious! He's tall enough now to turn the lights on and off and he feels that is his job in every room. He is sweet enough to pull out the chair for sissy and he always wants to know where she is. He SO looks up to Rachel and even though he isn't always tolerant of her, he loves her to no end and I don't think he would know what to do without her in his life! He is more work than Rachel was...but, he's worth every second of effort. God created a sweet spirit and compassionate soul in our little man! Eric is the toe-headed cutie who bats his huge blue eyes at you and you can't help but fall in love! He is the little-boy love of my life! And as his daddy says every night to me - I love our little boy! Happy birthday to my favorite boy in the WHOLE world!! Mommy and Daddy and Rachel love you so much! Happy SECOND birthday, Eric!

Shhh...It's a Surprise!

So, Rachel was determined to make Eric some "surprise" cupcakes for his birthday. The funny thing is, all day yesterday she kept telling everyone what she was going to do. She even said it to Eric! But, then told him that it was a surprise so he can't know about it! Too funny...she is the WORST secret keeper...kinda like her daddy!!! So, here are some pictures of Rachel and Daddy making the secret cupcakes!

Sweet 16 and Saturday Morning Cartoons...

So, our Sooners have made it to the Sweet 16! A very fun time to watch college basketball - or just "ball" if you are Eric! In between watching basketball, the kids, Brooks included, have found a new joy in YouTube. Did you know that you can watch the entire movie of The Rescuers in about ten-ten minute segments? I know, b/c we have watched it. Did you know you can find a bazillion different Bugs Bunny and various Looney Tune cartoons on YouTube? This morning while mommy got ready for church, the kids sat nice and still watching episodes of the classic Saturday morning cartoons. It's fun to listen as Eric is finally starting to understand some "funny" things. Little giggles would burst out now and then...pretty cute! Here is my sweet family. Now, where will #3 sit??

Call Me Crazy...

So far this pregnancy has been far different from the other two. Instead of actual morning sickness (aka - throwing up), I'm just nauseous. Instead of being well into my second trimester before breaking out the maternity clothes, I've already added a good couple of inches to my mid-section. Instead of the usual excitement, I'm matched with an indulgent case of the lazies and a perpetual need to sleep all the time. Instead of the occasional hormonal flux, I am engulfed in a permanent state of hormonal crazies!! I find myself having strange and sometimes disturbing thoughts. I find myself not just crying, but weeping at times! This pregnancy is SO different. So then, I have just one question - if it's not like a girl pregnancy and if it's not like a boy pregnancy - then what the heck kind of kid is this??????? Is this the work of boy and girl genes at the same time? Am I having twins? Lord grant me patience and small stretch marks now! Is this the pregnancy of a special needs child? Lord grant me a gentle and wise heart!! Is this the pregnancy of a normal third child?? Whatever it is, so far, it has thrown me for a loop! I am MOST definitely looking forward to settling into this second trimester and the normal feeling that comes to most during the fun months of pregnancy!!!!


So then, on a positive note...Eric and I are over the stomach flu!!! YEAH!!! Eric had it for a few days and look how skinny he got! I lost three pounds (a pound for each day I couldn't eat), but still managed to gain about two inches on my waistline! Go figure! But, we are all healthy as somehow Brooks and Rachel managed to avoid the sickies. After ten loads of laundry, multiple vacuumings, carpet cleaning, dish washing and sink wiping down - I think we have a germ free home and are now looking forward to starting a fun spring...especially with Eric's big 0-2 birthday next week!!! Big boy!!!

Can You Do All of That to Me?!

Today we took Rachel to the dentist for the first time. She did amazing. I went first and Rachel was so excited to watch what they were doing to me. She hovered over my face, intently watching the hygienist clean my teeth. She asked lots of questions and seemed satisfied with most of the answers. When she didn't understand the answer, she just told the hygienist that she "was funny." She also kept asking when it would be her turn. When she finally realized her turn was coming up, she promptly asked if she could do all of that to her too! She wanted it all done - no holding back! She quickly jumped up in the dental chair and asked me to scoot back so they could lean the chair back - goodness, her independence is here! So hard not to hold her hand the whole time, but she was such a big girl, that at the same time, it was encouraging to see what a brave and strong little girl Rachel is becoming! But, the best part, for Rachel, of course, was being able to pick out her own Ariel toothbrush at the end of everything! She was sure to see all her options first though, as the sweet hygienist lay all six princess brush options out on the chair! We ended up with Ariel and most importantly, a VERY positive dental experience!!

She Shoots! She Scores!!!

Can you believe it?! We are so proud of Rachel!!! She scored at the end of the first quarter in her soccer game yesterday morning! She was the only girl on her team to score a point...unfortunately for mommy, I was still teaching my SciFit class, so I missed the point. But, Daddy, Nana and Papa all got to see it!! We are so excited for her and she said her favorite part of the game was kicking the ball and scoring! Future Mia Hamm?? Maybe...

Seriously? 80 in March?

So, today was a beautiful day and we spent most of it outside! I trimmed the rose bushes while Rachel tried to teach Eric how to ride her bike. He's really good at sitting on the bike, but doesn't quite understand the concept of pedaling! Soon enough! Then we spent a few hours out at Andrew's Park with some friends. What a great time for us mommy's to be girls and the kids to run and play...unfortunately, I think Eric passed the tired point as he has spent the last hour of nap time talking to himself in bed! Oh well. So, 80 degrees...do I start planting the flowers now? Or do I still wait till late March...such fickle weather!

Soccer Girl

Here's Rachel at her first soccer game. Check out the size of the jersey on our little runt! Hilarious, especially when matched with how huge the shin guards look on her!! Too cute. Anyway, I was in Dallas and Brooks was teaching up until the last five minutes of her game. So, Papa came and got her and took her to her first game. Dad even said that Rachel was the first person on her team to kick the ball!!! She played the first and third quarters and apparently when she was finished after the third, she was ready to leave...I mean, she's not playing anymore, what's the point in staying, right? So, forget the life lessons of supporting your teammates and teaching her to become a great team player - nope - once she realized there would be "treats" after the game, she was fine with sticking around!! Ah, well...