Can I really get 2 for 1?

As you well know, if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, I have been working diligently on potty training Brannon for the last year. Just in the past few weeks, we've finally made it. He is consistently doing his thing on the potty. Now, over the past week or so, when I get Tierney undressed at night for her nap, she likes to go sit on the little toddler potty. She tells me, "I potty mama." I was pretty sure she didn't even know what she was supposed to do. Tonight, she had been sitting there for a few minutes, chatting away, when I took her off to put her in the tub and lo and behold... there was all kinds of stuff in there. I was SHOCKED!!! She did in that potty what took us a year to get from Brannon! I immediately started making a big deal about it and then she looked in there and burst into tears. In fact, she was terrified. She saw her big "deposit" and freaked out! Her whole body was trembeling and she cried and cried. I am not sure why but after talking to my mom and grandma, have learned this can be a normal reaction. So, here is a picture of Tierney when she realized what she did. We were clapping even though she wasn't so happy about the situation. I am now having dreams of not only getting one kid out of diapers, but dare I think 2!!! Oh the money I'll save......

And this is why I pray.....

I have found this blog is to me, very therapeutic. It is for this reason I post about what happened to us yesterday.
We had our final walk through at our house yesterday afternoon (we close today.) We were leaving and Ben buckled the kids in the car for me (we had Brannon and Tierney with us) while I stood in the driveway asking the builder a couple of questions about the care of our landscaping. About 3 houses down the street was an 18-wheeler Allied moving truck, moving in one of our neighbors. After Ben got the kids in their car seats he came up to us in the driveway (our van was parked along the curb) and was shaking hands with our builder when all of a sudden the semi truck goes by us, backing up. The next thing that happened was like watching it in slow motion. The semi did not back out correctly nor did it seem was he paying attention. It then started backing into the side of my van right where Brannon was sitting!! Ben and I immediately were screaming and running towards the semi- me towards the back (I think all the adrenaline in my body and thought it could just push the semi off my van) while Ben ran towards the driver. My real estate agent and builder were right behind us running and screaming as well. The driver had 2 mexican guys at the rear of the semi waving him back. When they realize the semi was running into my van they just stood there with dumb looks on their faces. I was screaming at them, "My babies are in the car, STOP, STOP!!!!!" The semi though didn't realize it was doing anything wrong and just kept easing into my van. The sound of the metal scraping and screeching and all the screaming from the 4 adults was ringing in my head. Somehow the dumb-ass driving the semi realized he was hitting something, he pulled forwarded and I was in the van immediately. My poor babies were screaming their heads off. The kids were unharmed, but very scared. I scooped both of them out (I don't even know how I had them out of those car seats so fast) and I was holding both of them in my lap on the ground and we were all crying. Brannon asked me the rest of the night why that big truck was trying to run into him. :( My throat still hurts this morning for all the yelling I was doing at the top of my lungs.
All the stuff that happened next took hours: police came, the mexicans guiding the truck backing up disappeared before the police showed up (and I mean literally they ran into the woods and were gone which means they were ILLEGALS, kids crying lots, van is in bad shape, 2 hours later we got to leave, Ben had to argue with Allied moving company's insurance and that conversation will continue today. They want to wait until next week to do anything but our back left tire is now flat and we need them to give us a rental car now because it's our only vehicle that fits our family and WE ARE MOVING TODAY AND SATURDAY!!!!
Every night before I go to bed, I go in and touch each of my kids on their heads and ask Jesus to keep them safe. I truly believe this prayer kept them safe yesterday. Now I am praying that God will help us get through the next couple of days without me having to do a stint in the insane asylum! Thank God my parents will be here this evening to help me!!

Happy Birthday Tierney!

My sweet baby girl is 2 today! She loves Elmo so we are having an Elmo themed day! I can't believe it's been 2 years since she was born! Wow time goes fast!

Halloween and random thoughts.....

We finally made it out of our candy coma today. Although, if Bran sneaks anymore candy, he's heading right back in it. Last night was really fun for the kids. We slummed for candy in one the sections of our new neighborhood. The part I am moving into currently has 2 occupied homes so we couldn't go there! The kids had a great time, although Tierney got quite nervous as the more scary costumes came out. Thanks to my friend Kim, she got the cutest ladybug costume. Brannon insisted on being the same dragon he was last year (the costume was big on him last year and barely fit him this year) so that made that one easy. This is the first year that Wes wanted to be something scary instead of a superhero. He was quite thrilled with himself but his sister and brother didn't want to get too close to him. On Thursday Bran had a costume party at his preschool and on Friday Elmo came to the galleria so we took the little ones to see him before trick or treating. Tierney was slightly afraid but it was priceless seeing and hearing her reaction. All 3 of these events are depicted in the photoshow:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

And now for some random thoughts:
*Tierney's second birthday is Monday. I have so many mixed emotions about this one. On one hand, I love the 2-3 age, it's my favorite. On the other, I am sad that my last baby is not really a baby any longer. I am also having the mommy guilt. She doesn't have any little friends, like the boys did at this age, so we don't have any other little kids that are going to come over and help her celebrate. I can't help but think that if we were back in Mansfield she would have tons of little friends to play with.....
*I am so scared of this election. I know emotions are running high and I hope through all of that people are clearly voting on facts and not emotions. I still have yet to hear from ANYONE a single reason why Barak Obama should be/can be President of the most powerful country in the world. I think his election will be a mistake of monumental proportions and I worry for the future of this country. The last few days are like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I can only pray that people are finally starting to realize he's all fluff and the current media darling, and that does not make a good President. And, I know some of you who read this won't agree with me but too bad, it's my blog. :)
*My 3rd random thought that feel I just have to express is how much I HATE Walmart. All the reasons why I hate Walmart are too long for this post. Let's just say that I think that store is destroying the American economy and it always smells like pee and it deludes people into thinking they are getting a good deal on something when all they are getting is cheap crap. Ok, I'm done. For now......

Photoshow of our New House!

Here are some photos of the new house. I am so excited to finally have a home!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

October 24, 1998- October 24, 2008

Wow! We did it! 10 years!! When I think back of all we've accomplished, done, gone through, over the past 10 years, I am so humbled that someone so wonderful has chosen to put up with me!
To the most wonderful husband in the world: 10 years ago today we stood in front of the most important people in our lives and you promised to always love me, care for me, and move me all over the country! You have fulfilled every promise! Like every married couple we've had our ups and our downs, but you never wavered in your love for me. I don't know what I would do without you, you are my best friend above all else. Because of the love we have for each other, I have my 3 beautiful babies. Thank you for marrying me! I love you!

Is it Thursday Yet?

It's one of those days. It actually started yesterday when I went to pick up Brannon from pre-school. Brannon for the first time, asked to wear underwear instead of a diaper. This is my 3 year and 8 month old child who has refused to potty train. I was so excited because he can pee in the potty but WILL NOT poop in it. So, he really wanted to wear underwear to school and so I thought that was the motivation he needed to poop in the potty. I dropped him off at school and the teacher made a big deal out of him in underwear. Something that you need to know is Bran is a hider pooper. He prefers to go hide when he poops. When I picked him up yesterday, the teacher had told me that he peed in the potty fine but she was determined to not let him out of her sight. If he can't hide, he won't poop. I pick him up at 1pm. At 12:40 they were on the playground and a little boy fell down. When she helped the little boy up, she then quickly tried to locate Brannon. Sure enough, he seized on the opportunity to go into the tunnel slide, and poop his underwear!!! So, when I arrive at 1, they had just finished cleaning him up. I was so disheartened. Attempting to potty train Brannon has been a lot of work and frustration. He has never had the desire to do it and has fought it every step of the way. I finally thought we had broken a barrier, but obviously not. So as I am loading him and Tierney, who I had with me, back in the car, my cell rings. Wesley's school is calling to tell me he is sick and has a 102 fever. Wonderful.
As soon as I get Wes home, he throws up. Luckily he got MOST of it in the toilet. I get Bran and Tierney down for their naps, get the remaining vomit cleaned up, attend to Wes then clean myself up.
Did I mention Ben is out of town????
I finish off the day just trying to cope: Wes had thrown up one more time, the fever kept coming back, had to attempt to keep the other 2 away from him in a very small apartment, while trying to fulfill all my other mommy duties for the evening. I finally go to bed last night completely exhausted. I didn't get much sleep though because Macy decided last night would be a good night to attempt to sleep on my head or when that failed, play with my hair. I got up at 1am- Wes' fever was back so I woke him up and dosed him with Tylenol. He then woke at 5am whining, fever was back, I drugged him again and climbed back into bed praying to all that was Holy that I would get some sleep. No luck.
Wes comes in my room at 6:30 because he says he can't swallow. I get out a flash light, and when I looked down his throat I was not shocked to see that it was huge and red with white pockets on it. I no sooner get him in my bed, when I hear Tierney in her room talking. What the hell? It's 6:30. She's ALWAYS good until at least 8:30 if we don't wake her before that. I tried to put the pillow over my head but she kept talking. Now she has woken up Brannon who is in my room telling me that Tierney's room smells. I go into Tierney's room to see what is wrong, open the door, and I was almost knocked dead by the smell that assaulted my nostrils. Then, I was greeted by the artistic abilities of my daughter, who had taken off her diaper and attempted some sort of art with her own poop. It was all over her crib, and her body and her walls. I wanted to run, far far away......
One hour later, the crib materials are in the wash, the crib and Tierney both have been disinfected, and I was silently cursing Ben for having the good sense to leave me when all hell was about to break loose.
The rest of the day continued down that path. Here's the summary... all 3 kids fighting while I was in the shower to take Wes to the Dr, Brannon threw a book at my head while I was driving them to the Dr, long wait at the Dr where Brannon knocked over a small table that had books and pamphlets all over it, Wesley has Strep throat, Dr checks 2 other kids for good measure and both of them have the beginnings of strep, antibiotics for all 3, long wait at Target pharmacy for drugs, while waiting we are shopping and Tierney grabs glass on shelf while I am getting bread and drops it and it breaks everywhere, Brannon threw a temper tantrum because I wouldn't buy Lightening McQueen band-aids (we already have some), Tierney then joins in screaming because a) she always cries acappella when someone else cries and b) waking up at 6:30 has finally caught up with her and she is tired and hungry (it's now 1:00), I drive home and there are no parking spots near my apartment so I have to park far away and haul 3 kids and groceries into apartment, while giving them some lunch Brannon drops his soup on the floor- I have to clean up.....
Ben is still gone. It's 4pm, little ones will be waking up any second and I have to get through the rest of this day.
God help me.