Gum, Bugs, and Flowers...

I've decided that kids are meant to keep us adults in-line...keep us from taking everyday life for granted.  To bring a smile to our face...at just the right time. 

1.  While making the insane drive back to our home after our wonderful vacation to South Carolina, we made a pit-stop at a nearby gas station.  Logan insisted on buying a bag of candy.  To his delight, there were a few pieces of bubble gum inside of his candy variety pack.  Once back in the van, he happily chewed on his gum while we continued on our home-bound journey.  See...he's new to the whole gum world.  I'm not an advocate of gum, especially since youngins tend to swallow it instead of chew it.  Plus, you just never know where you'll find it once the child is over the excitement of gum chewing. And let's face it, that typically happens within two minutes of opening the wrapper. (Oh, the stories I've yet to share on the world wide web!)

As we drove down the never-ending highway, I decided it was time to ask Logan if he was ready to dispose of his mouth-watering gum.  He agreed...the time was now.  So he politely handed me his gum...okay, more like he spit it into my hand...gooeyness and all.  As I reached for a piece of scrap paper to house the ABC gum, Logan sweetly declared from the bottom of his heart... 

"Mommy, you wanna chew my gum for me?"

 

It's the thought that counts, right?!



 

2.  As I was picking up around the house the other day, an annoying little fly kept buzzing around my ear.  Following my movements with every turn!  Zooming here and flying there!  One of the side-effects of summer...a never-ending supply of FLIES!  Don't get me wrong. Summer and I are best friends.  As for the bugs...not so much. 

 

So when this wonderfully bothersome pest wouldn't get the heck out of dodge, I offered up a suggestion...  "Shoo, fly!  Shoo!"  To which Logan made an obvious observation...

 

"Mommy, he's just a bug!  He doesn't know what you sayin'!"

 

Touché, Son.  Touché!

3.  Earlier this summer when the dandelions were in FULL bloom, I became distraught about our luscious field of the yellow flowers (which some might refer to as weeds).  However, the kids and I decided to embrace the outdoors and frolic through our beautiful sea of yellow.  Logan, especially, thought the dandelions were the most spectacular flowers ever!  Picking one every chance he got.  The gorgeous bouquet would, then, be handed to me by this wide-eyed, sweet-hearted little boy.  Who could resist such a pure and loving gesture?  Flashbacks to this moment were flowing through my mind.

Well, the day came when those yellow weeds had to go!  Time to bring out reinforcements...aka: a garden shovel and gloves.  As I took out my revenge on those landscaping destroyers, I heard a tiny, yet familiar noise.  Standing near a rather large pile of dandelions was a broken-hearted little boy.  Head in palms, slumped over in sadness, shaking his sweet little face.  Through the sobbing I heard a cry. 

"Mommy, my fowers are dead!  My fowers are dead!"

 

It broke my heart...to the point where I almost replanted those "fowers"...ALMOST!
 

 

 

Those Two Little Words...

Seriously, I must have fallen off the blogging bandwagon.  Not intentionally, but more so due to the fact that I have no idea where time has gone...or where it is going!  Someone please grab hold of father time's horses and slow them down 'cause this girl can't keep up! 

And since my Project Life album has become a mere figment of my imagination, I want to pick up on blogging our everyday life.  Ya know, that way the kids will have some solid concrete evidence to use against me one day....and I know they will 'cause that's what I would do! 

In current news, Levi has learned a new word and is even using it correctly.  Pure genius, I say!  What is this magical word you ask?  Well, "uh-oh", of course.  Granted, this may be more of a phrase than a word, but who's calling the grammar police? 

So give me a moment, and I'll share with you a few instances where he's shared this new means of communicating with the rest of the world.

1.  Levi is currently learning to point to various facial features when prompted by a word like this...

Levi, where's your eye?

He quickly points to his eye (which almost results in a trip to the ER seeing how he practically wedges his chubby little finger all the way through to his optic nerve). 

Levi, where's your ear?

He furrows his brow thinking "Man, that one's tricky."  Then, he giggles and grabs his entire ear...and hair.

Levi, where's your nose?

To which he gladly responds by touching the tip of his nose. His finger slowly gravitates towards the middle of his nose where it lands oh so nicely inside a nostril.  Once there for a moment, he gently removes his finger from said nostril and eagerly declares while staring at the tip of his finger...

"UH-OH"

Yep, there's a bit of problem, son.


2. While on the phone (and I'm sure the phone call was quite important as it always sometimes is), I notice our youngest has managed to remove both his pants and diaper.  Of course, he thinks this is the way life should be lived and decides he must prance around the house all the while squealing at the top of his lungs.  Me, being the best mommy to ever live, laughs with amusement 'cause nothing cuter than a squealing neckid baby.

Remember, I am on the phone so I'm trying to stay poised and calm so the person on the other end doesn't think I'm a complete lunatic.  (And hopefully, they don't read this blog for my cover may be blown.)

As he runs from room to room with pure joy, I decide that it's best to end my phone conversation and capture the little one before anything happens.  All of the sudden, I hear a sweet little voice utter the infamous words...
"UH-OH"!  Knowing that he's standing in the bathroom, my mind begins to frantically wonder about the countless possibilities as to why he'd say "uh-oh."  As I approached the said toddler, I see him staring down at the floor. 

Once again, he squeals as the words "uh-oh" roll off his lips.  He looks up at me with a slight smirk as if to say "I'm the cutest baby to ever live!  I'd never do anything wrong!". 

I look down at the floor where he'd been standing, and sure enough, he relieved himself...without wearing a diaper...AGAIN!   Yep, I'd say "UH-OH", too!

3.  And lastly...at least, I can say he truly understands the meaning of the word (or phrase)...UH-OH!  Now the question remains as to what his next word should be.  Suggestions are welcomed...and encouraged!

What Does That Mean...

What an infectious smile!!!

As I was fulfilling my motherly duty of making lunch, Logan decided it was quite important that I help him with a particular game.  I paused while assembling the bread and cheese in order to pay attention to the said little boy and his game.

As Logan demanded, I came to his aide.  I tried to maneuver a small figure through the obstacles and over a mountain of bricks.  I fumbled around a bit realizing soon I would be of no help to this spunky three year old. 

In the midst of my concentration, an extremely hungry boy yelled out "Me hungry, mama!  ME HUNGRY!"

I sat down the game and got back to my routine of making some sort of meal out of bread and cheese.  Aww...the beauty of  a cheese toasty.  Yes, this IS the correct name for a toasted sandwich made out of bread and cheese.

Completely appalled that I couldn't juggle both lunch making and game playing, the said boy declared that I needed to gain some multi-tasking abilities.  Okay, these weren't his exact words, but this was my interpretation as he played some exhilarating game of Charades that entailed shouting, gasping and shrills of disbelief towards my inability to make him a sandwich while hopping through some never-ending maze on his hand-held game.

I turned to our young man and calmly explained "You'll have to WAIT a moment.  I need to make lunch.  Then, I can help you with your game."

His feeling of shock filled the room as he gasped and looked at me in disbelief questioning the words that I uttered.

I repeated myself saying "Just give me a minute.  Please WAIT one second."

His brow furrowed.  Then, he paused and innocently looked up at me. 

With uncertainty he replied, "WAIT?  What does that mean, mommy?"

If I only knew, son.  If I only knew!



*So if you're an inspirational blogger/writer, which I clearly am not, you could take that last statement and run with it.  I mean, seriously, can't you imagine where that could go?  I saw a bit of myself in Logan as he responded.  I've often questioned the Lord above with "You want me to do what?  Wait!  What exactly does that mean?".  I seriously have no patience.  Thanks for the reminder. Kids always know how to say it bluntly.

**Are all kids like this?  I mean, really...wise beyond their years!

Our Little Treasures...

 

These pictures make me smile!  You want to know why?  Well, of course you do.  If not, just humor me!

It's a simple moment in time when special memories were made.  A instance that went by so quickly, yet is forever frozen in time.

They are embracing the company of one another.  They are creating. They are learning. They are simply being children.  Their love for life abounds.

Our little treasures!

Granted, there are days when I wonder if I'll make it through in one piece.  Times when the chaos causes my mind to whirl out of control.  I walk around like a zombie lost in a dense fog with no direction.

Then, moments like this occur, and I praise God for all of the little blessings.  The special memories that are made each and every day.  The countless hugs and gooey kisses that are shared by these little people.

To see life through their eyes would be magnificent.

Their insurmountable courage could take you over the tallest mountains and across the largest oceans.

They see a world full of endless possibilities.

Their excitement for sidewalk chalk and bicycle rides is contagious.

They have a zest for life, which I hope they never lose.

Life is simple.  Life is now.  Life is worth living.

Thank you for helping me to remember the simple things.

Live, Laugh, Love...

Children make the world go 'round. 

They see life the way it should be seen.  The live life the way it should be lived.

A tiny stream of bubbles makes a young child scream for joy.

 

A plane flying overhead leaves their innocent eyes in awe. 

A nearby swing causes shrills of excitement to fill the air. 

Beautiful garden flowers are gifted to loved ones just because. 

Little boys want to marry their mommies.  Little girls adore their daddies. 

Their courage is insurmountable. Their enthusiasm is contagious.

Children possess unending strength and undying love through the toughest times. 

To a child the world is simple.  The world is beautiful.  Every being is important, and every moment is glorious. 

Children know the secret to life.  Children are the secret of life. 

They live. They laugh. They love.

Nothing more.  Nothing less.

*Linking up with Rebecca at Simple As That blog.