You've got a friend in me

When the road looks rough ahead

and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed

Just remember what your old pal said:

Boy, you've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too.

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you.

We stick together and we see it through.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

Some other folks might be

A little bit smarter than I am

Bigger and stronger too

Maybe

But none of them will ever love you the way I do

It's me and you

And as the years go by

Boys, our friendship will never die

You're gonna see

It's our destiny

You've got a friend in me.

this past week...

I was uploading pictures and realized that I hadn't documented this past week of life just yet!
oh my!  ;)

So I will start where I left off last...
(pre the Valentine's Day post)

My sister agreed to watch the boys last minute for us, and Lance and I went to the awards assembly for the Fire Department.
(It wasn't a dressy-gig before you get to judging my attire!)

I will share a mini-story from the night...

After leaving, I went into a gas station to buy a newspaper and get cash to pay my sister.

The clerk said (and I {embarrassingly} quote), "you are gorgeous." 
Of course I responded (very confused like), "me?!"
To which she said, "yes.  You are very pretty.  I bet you get that all of the time."

I told her that I have actually never gotten that, but I thanked her for making my night life.

When I got back to the truck I told Lance what she said...

and he responded (again, I will quote), "she must really like to compliment people... she told me she liked my boots."

I thanked him for being so kind.
(please insert sarcasm)

He apologized because "he really didn't mean it that way"
He explained that I compliment people a lot, and it really is a nice quality to have.
Whatever!
I forgave him.

Because I have told you before, he really is the worst compliment-er alive.
I know he digs me.

...and my new MAC eyelashes I sported that night!

He's just....

Well...
Lance.
I'm immune to it!! 
(and I love him)

Sunday, my mother-in-law came over and we finally swapped out our Christmas gifts.
Maddox has worn his football uniform every day since he got it.
He swears he catches better and throws further when it is on...
He may be right!

Wednesday, Lance and I both were off work.
We decided to go to the Fort Worth Stock Show and see a few animals.
Little did we know, there are days that there are actually no animals in the building.
Of course, we went on *that* day.

We still made the most of the baby animal exhibit.
We got to see a few rabbits and chickens on display...
and we walked through the shopping exhibit.

This year, your ticket to the stock show also gets you into the museums.
Lance had to leave for a class he was teaching that night, but my mom met me at the science museum and we played a little more.

Maddox could have spent hours in there playing...
and luckily he now can.

Mom split the cost of a family pack, season pass with me....
so we have many more days of play in our future.
(and it gets in up to 5 people, so our friends can benefit too)

With the pass, you get into the Stock Show this year and next year for free as well...
so now we also get another chance at seeing some animals!
(hopefully next Thursday.)

Thursday, we had CiCi's for lunch.

This is a random story, but cute. (to me)

Maddox got a kid's cup and it was green.  (they all are) but he thought he lucked out, and was uber-excited.

Then, I ordered a special pizza so they gave me a number.

We somehow managed to get his and Lance's favorite number 3...

Maddox thought he had struck gold, and asked me to take a picture for my computer!
(the blog)

Today, my dad came over for a visit.
I did not think to get my camera out, but he visited for a good while.

I was not feeling well, and after he left I took a 2 hour nap while Lance watched the kids.
It. was. so. nice!!!
Rare, but so appreciated!

Finally,
the last news of the week...
Beckham turned 9 months old on the 22nd.

He has 3 teeth and is days away from cutting the 4th.
He stands alone for long periods of time but will not take a step unless he can make it with just one, and he gasps and laughs and gets super excited about his big adventure!

He loves to push and walk behind all of his toys, but does not have the control, just yet, to walk.

He sleeps well these days, from about 10:00pm to 8:00am, but he has thrown a few curve balls with this teething-business.

He says "momma", "bubba", signs "milky", and says "ba ba" (rhyming with da da) for daddy.

He is a eater.
He still loves his booby-milk, but there's not much he won't eat, food wise... and now that he has mastered his finger-grasping, he wants to feed himself.

He is such an easy, happy little guy.

We really lucked out in the baby department with both boys, however, Maddox was a mild little soul too.

And then he got bigger.

And rowdy.

The poor thing has bruises and scratches all over him because he will.  not.  stop.  jumping.

I hear it is a stage.
But it doesn't mean I can't wait for it to pass!

His new helmet may just serve to protect him from himself, rather than just football!

He's a mess!

Valentine's is approaching...

Lance has a crooked sense of humor...
In the beginning of our marriage, I considered him funny, eclectic, and our humor was what set us apart.

There are times when I consider it straight-up annoying... and the demise to any adult conversation that I crave.
It has been the root of many arguments.

Lately, I consider myself blessed.
My husband really is one of the funniest people I know.
I'd laugh, even if I hadn't married him.
He's just funny.
(hang in there... I'll be annoyed soon enough.)

Anywho...
Valentine's Day is approaching.

Lance has always done it up right...
flowers...
a card...
dinner.

Always predictable, but exactly what I hope for each year.

Lance knows that I would hate a heart shaped thing full of disgusting chocolates...
he understands I'm 25 years too old for a teddy bear...
and he's well aware that I think a single flower, aside from when it is a part of a boutonniere, is creepy.
Just my opinion.

I want dinner.  (doesn't have to be nice-- I just don't want to cook it.)
I want flowers.  (colorful, cheap and atypical)
I want you to tell me why you love me.  (even if its only 3 sentences long in a Spanaish card, because that's all that they had left at Kroger.)

However, if he thought he could slyly do any of the 3 above, and pull it off as if he was serious...
he would try.

His reward only being a tiny laugh, silently within his head, knowing I was thinking, "what the hell???" but uncertain enough to not ask and hurt his feelings.

***
But now he has an accomplice.
***

I know some think Valentine's Day is a "Hallmark holiday"...
but thankfully, the Erwin's don't buy into that theory.

Even if it is a made- up holiday about love--
I am married all year long-- cleaning, cooking, loving, and  most of the time, being unappreciated and over looked for the day-to-day things that are part of this title of wife.
Show me the love...
on this marked day--
mainly because I deserve it.
[But also because no one wants to be the girl who doesn't get flowers...]

***
So...
I share all of that...
just to show you what I got today.

From the sweetest little boy, who couldn't wait for me to eat every one of them.

I ate them one.
Because he's my sweet tiny boy...
and I know he isn't in on the joke.

But that's okay, you see...
Two can play this game.

I think Maddox will agree,
Daddy needs new cologne.

And Maddox and I will remind him every time we think he needs a dash, that his $2 English Leather is waiting for him.

Happy Valentine's Day, My Love.

We have a full 3 weeks left in this game...
And there's more where that came from.

yesterday

The boys and I went to the park for a couple of hours to soak in some of this crazy January weather we were having.

I tried taking some pics in manual, but I suck at it.

I need to practice... I know, I know.

And I am going to have to get a real editing software, since Picnik is closing down!

[I am a bit bitter about this news, as you can tell]

But I might as well finally learn my camera and all, while I am forking up the money to edit...

My pal, Kristen, has promised me a crash course, and I plan to take her up on it!

Here is what I got yesterday.
(other than a major case of the sneezy-sneezies, a headache, a dose of antihistamine and an empty Sonic cup!)

Once we got home, Maddox wanted to play with the neighbor kids.

He loves playing with them so much but it does a number on my anxiety, so honestly I tend to make excuses so that we can't play.

Example::  a few days ago, one of the boys was kicking and hitting the other kids and Maddox was just taking it. Lance was watching it and finally told the culprit to stop.
They're kids... I wasn't mad.  Boys are just rowdy.
But back inside, Lance gave Maddox "a talk" about taking up for himself, and told him he needed to hit him back!
Maddox responded, "Mommy says to never hit, that I just need to tell the mommy."
I was proud, but Lance still disagrees.
I get what he's saying.... but what's the right answer?
The second kid is always the one who gets caught-- besides, hitting is just not acceptable parenting advice!

Yesterday while playing, my allergies were bonkers and I was on call, so Lance was out again, watching them.
One of our neighbors called Lance down to his house and another mom said she would keep an eye on them.  When Lance came back, they were gone.
All of them.
The big sisters had taken them a few houses down, and across the street, to another kid's house.
Needless to say, Maddox was in a heap of trouble.
Probably the biggest trouble he has seen in a long while.

He knows to stay in front of our house...
and he certainly knows to never cross the street without one of us holding his hand!
His rebuttal::  "I wooked both ways!!"

Punishing him was the right thing to do....
but you can't blame a 3 year old for following the crowd.
And a 10 and 12 year old, to him, are adults.

I am honestly not trying to make excuses, but the next time you hear from my neighbors that I am "stuck up", just realize it is honestly just a difference in parenting styles....
And some things I can't lower my guard about.
Like the safety of my child... that's a big one.

On another note, The Mom of Boys blog from yesterday made my little ticker at the bottom, there, hit 20,000 blog reads. 

I put in on there in June 2009-- and am well aware that about 300 are just from Pinterest to the Belly pics. 
--But I am still going to call it an accomplishment, even though I really don't get anything for it!!

20,000 is a lot.

Finally, my husband got a random phone call yesterday that is going to take some household thought and prayer...
I will blog about it again, once we have dissected it down to its final thread...

Until then, please pray that we hear God's word.

Happy Saturday Folks!

We have an awards banquet for the fire department tonight, and still no babysitter.

Yay us.

you might be a mom of boys

You might be a mom of boys....

• if you have been told "I love you" via dinosaur rawrs.
• if you have had to use a Mator shaped loofah to bathe with because your pink one has some way made it away from the tub... probably converted into part of a cannon.
• if you have stepped squarely on a 2" hard plastic, Handy Manny  figurine while carrying a sleeping child and did a silent-cursing-dance without waking anyone.
• if you have forked up the money for name brand jeans-- finally long enough and skinny enough to fit your stickly tyke-- only for him to cover the knees in grass stains 30 minutes after wearing them.
• if you have been called a beautiful princess, from a set of brown round eyes and they meant it.
• if you have said, "if a magic eraser or oxy clean can't fix it, I am certain it isn't salvageable."
• if you have prayed for a good wife for them, who includes you in their children's lives, and treats them with love and respect... even though that is a good 25 years away.
• if you have more matchbox cars than you can count... more tractors than the local dairy... and more balls than most gym classes.
• if you have pulled over the car to see a helicopter land.
• if your kisses have to power to heal the world.
• if one year you worry about a crown and talks of being a princess, but exactly a year later-- that same little boy-- puts back on the same crown, this time up-side-down and claims to be a knight [the spikes::  his "under armor"] and you feel like a fool for ever worrying.
• if you have contemplated buying Yo Gabba Gabba Vans just to prove you are the coolest mom around.
• if you have prayed for nap time.
• if you have said, "calm down"... "quit jumping"... "did you just flip off of the couch?" all within a 5 minute time frame.
• if your splurges in life are now on Cars fruit snacks, Toy story crackers or green waters!
• if you have driven to the airport, just to watch planes land.
• if you have asked another mom of boys when this "weeney talk" ends... to be told, "it hasn't yet..."
• if you have ever had a Buzz Lightyear stuck atop a ceiling fan blade.
• if you have ever judged another mom for allowing her child to eat ketchup as if it were a food group but then one day, you are sitting with your child in a restaurant and he is silently licking the ketchup off of his tiny fingers and your squirt more onto his plate... because he is finally quiet... in a restaurant.
• if you have ever cried over the selection of girls clothes vs boys clothes.  [okay, maybe I was pregnant.  Give me a break!]
• if you have ever had a black lip from a super-suctioned-powerful kiss.
• if you are proud to say that you love breastfeeding... and are well aware that it is weird to much of the world.
• if you have had surprise permanent marker on your kitchen table, pen on your couch, chalk on your chest of drawers and poptart crumbs in your bed.
• If you hate winter but you get excited for snow. 
• if your favorite past times include, talking, tickling, snuggling, laughing and playing hide and seek with a person still dependent on training wheels.
• if you have ever cried, watching them sleep in complete amazement of God's work.
• if you live with a super hero, a cowboy, an astronaut, a baseball player, and a monster; at any given moment.   (and occasionally a mixture of all of the above)
• if you say "I love you" so much that it could fall into the category of a tick.
• if you have pulled your toaster out of the cabinet, to find a nerf dart stuck to the side of it.
• if you can make an excellent fort.
• if you plan birthday parties at night, when you can not sleep.
• if you can recite Gnomeo and Juliet word-for-word.  {Who's your Gnomey now?!}
• if you have been amazed at the simplicity of their thought process, bringing the world into perspective with a tiny, simple, prayer.
• if you have even been washing dishes, humming, "you've got a friend in me."
• if the PB&J is a staple in your house.
• if you are reminded, often, when you say something 'not appropriate.'
• if your biggest worries include broken bones and chipped teeth.
• if you have a difficult time deleting pictures... even bad ones with silly faces, because, after all, if was a face that your child made-- and you love them all!
• if you have ever pretended to be on a rocket ship and mistakenly given a planet rings... but was corrected by a 3 year old, apparently smarter than yourself.
• if you have ever had a moment of deja vu, realizing you finally understand your mother.
• if you would take a bullet, square in the gut-- day after day-- if you could guarantee they could stay this blissful and innocent from now until forever.
• If you can't pass up anything green or the with the number 3 on it... because though they may not have been your favorite before kids--  his excitement over the two, have converted you.
• if you can pick out your child's cry from an entire room of crying kids... and have had that 'ear' since the day they arrived into this world.
• if you complain often about the amount of "me time" that you no longer have... but in all actuality, you pass up many opportunities to take a little, because that's who you are.  A mom.
• if you drink enough caffeine each day to fuel a Mac truck, just to keep up.
• if there are books in your home, that you can read with your eyes closed.
• if you know that Nick Jr is channel 169, but you have to scroll down to find BRAVO.
• if you are terrified of a love this big... dissect the things that you could be better at... plan for future trials... and savor every stage.
• if you have been pooped on, peed on, vomited on and cried on-- and none of it sicked you out.
• if you have said, more than once, "these.... are the greatest days of my life."
• if the greatest sounds you know include: baby laughter, "I love you, mommy", and quick steps of pitter-patter, as you walk in the door from work.
• if you find yourself thanking God for even your most trying days, because it is exactly what you dreamed it would be.

{I know some of these are for moms in general... and there are many things for you 'moms of girls' to list as well... I just don't have any pigtails in my house, so I can't pretend to act like I know what fills your days... or your hearts!}

I am going to need to win...

So...
Remember like 37 minutes ago when I did an entire blog about things I hate?

Do you remember one of those things was "vote for my kid" type contests....

Well, it is still true.
I still hate them.

I can't really explain why I hate them... other than that I don't want anyone to lose.
And I don't want to be at fault for someone's feelings being hurt.

It is kind of like when my kids have a cold...
I never pray for God to "heal them" because I don't want to waste a prayer.
I use the skills He gave me to nurse them through and a salvage my "heal them" prayer for a day that hopefully never comes.

I know that isn't the way God intended this all to work...
And maybe that was a bad comparison....
but that's the way this mind of mine works!

With that said, Candi entered me in a contest for her best pictures from 2011.

I told her that I should have won it for just the amount of pins my pregnancy pics have mustered up on Pinterest... (which is far more than any other pictures she has pinned-- just type "maternity" in your search bar, it is now a "top hit", and see for yourself)
but apparently that's cheating!!  ;)
So I am going to beg like the others are already doing within the contest.

Here goes::
Against all that I stand for...
If you have a Facebook, I need you to vote here  by simply clicking "like".
It is a popularity contest after all--- and I cringe even writing that.

Literally, I think I may have an anxiety attack worrying about it.
Mainly because I am not "popular".
But I do need your help to even try and hang with a few of these girls.


I deserve to win...
A.  Because we are more poor than the other people in the contest and if I win, I get Beckham's one year pics for FREE.
B.  Once I get them... I will post them on here and I know you want to see what cute things I have brewing in my head-- so in turn, you win too.
C.  Because I don't want to be a loser.  Losers are, well... losers.  And who wants to be that?!
D.  For ever 'like' on my picture, a baby seal is saved.

*maybe that was a lie.   
 but I would appreciate your vote... if you have a second.
Just click here
and look for this pic!

Thanks chicks.

I'll never ask again.

A BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Friday night, me and a few of my greatest girl friends went out to celebrate 3 of the girl's birthdays.

We had the best time and laughed until our faces hurt.
Literally.

We had a few drinks... dinner... coffee....
and then like true-blue creepers...
we sat in my car and talked even more because we felt bad taking up any more of our waiter's table.

I can't describe to you what kind of friends mine are...
but they're great.

No they are better than that.

Like always, we promised to do it more often...
even "once a month"...

But in reality,
we are all moms...
and the chances of it happening soon,
are slim.

Happy birthday girly-girls...
I love you all!

Saturday, we celebrated my father in law turning 60, with a surprise dinner at Logan's Roadhouse.

Family, friends and co-workers all came to celebrate,
and he was so surprised.

We had a great time...
(despite my husband telling me he hated my shirt.  --I swear, he has never even noticed my attire.  He is the worst compliment-er of all time... but he rides that wave right through the center.  He has also never claimed to hate anything I have worn either.  For the record... I didn't change.  Annnnnd I made him take a picture of me, once we got home, so that I could tattle on him here, as well!)  ;)

Back to the party...

My sister in law did a lot of work making sure it was perfect...
And I don't think she was let down.

The boys were excited to make Papa the perfect card...

My brother in law kept me 'in the know'...
and together, I think we threw a great gig!!

Meal planning board

One of my 2012 goals, if you remember, was to cook more for my family.

After looking through Pinterest at some of the awesome meal planning boards that other mommas have made, I decided to make my own.

Mine is no where near the creative factor that the ones I pinned are, but I am an instant-satisfaction kind of girl, and I didn't want this to be a work-in-progress kind of board.

I  got in a bad habit of waiting to ask Mr. Indecisive what he wanted for dinner... throwing out ideas... watching him turn up his nose to all of my ideas... and then deciding it was a fend-for-yourself type of night.

He and I have already discussed the new "eat it or starve" plan... but I will do my best to make more of the things that he loves, that I may not be a fan of, as well.

I truly feel that this board will hold me more accountable in the kitchen.

Here is what I came up with:

 This is what I hope it will look like by the end of the month:

It is raining here today, so I have smothered steak going in the crock pot, and I have already placed today's magnet onto the board!
Beckham is down for a nap...
and I am taking a break from teaching Maddox, and letting him "just color" like he asked.

For the record, I could have never been a teacher.

My child is brilliant.  [spoken from a true mother]
He soaks in the craziest information like a sponge...
Just yesterday, he told Lance his training wheels work like a "stabilizer", keeping him on the bike and stable.

He has been able to identify his colors, letters, numbers and shapes since before he was 2.
He can count to ten in Spanish-- as well as know his colors in Spanish.

He does simple math.

So why...
why...
Please explain to me why...
the child can not write a letter.

Not one.
None.

It is like watching a noodle attempt to draw a straight line...
and the moment he flips his wrist just right to make some barely recognizable object, he starts explaining why he really just wanted to color a feather, or ear, or spoon.

It makes me want to pull each hair from my head.

just let him color Holly, it will come.

lately

I feel like I have been absent.

I'm just in a rut, you know.

My face looks like it was caught in the middle of a Roman candle war.
I don't know that I have enough Kat Von D concealer in my makeup bag to mask this mess.

My substitute Yoga instructor, worked me over good on Wednesday and my entire body is sore.
I am still by far the youngest, smallest but worst person in my class.
I keep thinking that I will get better... but I don't.
She tells me that I have incredibly open knees-- but I can't even touch my toes.
So somethings tight.

I'm just taking the class for strength mainly, not to lose weight-- or become a contortionist.
I just thought I would clarify since I was told that I needed to stop breastfeeding because I have gotten too small and unhealthy looking.
Which blows my gourd... would you tell an over-weight person that they have gotten too fat and unhealthy looking?? 
It's in my genes, yo.
Back up.

I have a cold and a head ache and my face hurts.
Lance is sick too.
Beckham actually slept until 8:30 yesterday morning but I didn't get to enjoy the rest because my head was pounding too hard to sleep.

My kids both have diarrhea...
post snot and fever.

Maddox pooped his pants a few days ago.
I thought it would have wrecked him, but he just matter-of-factually explained that it "must have been a really big toot".
The poor thing couldn't get off of the toilet on Thursday and his hiney was terribly irritated.
I had to pull out my secret stash of "big boy cream" because that baby cream wasn't getting anywhere near him!

Last night, he came into my room at midnight because "he needed to go right now" and while helping him to the potty, I said, "I'm sorry that you have been sick, baby"... to which he replied (rather proudly), "it's okay mommy, I finally learned how to tee tee out of my hiney like a big girl."


Maybe mommy needs to start pottying alone?!

Beckham has the diarrhea too-- but no where near Maddox's severity.
He's a bit clingy-er than usual.
But happy.

Yesterday, despite how terrible I felt, I scrubbed this house good and had big plans to finish today--
but I am spent.
I think I am taking the day off.
ish.
Off-ish:  I'm still a mom.
And a control freak.

The Christmas stuff is finally off of my kitchen table-- but I may have threatened divorce to get it done.
Don't fret, it has been threatened multiple times this week.
And we are still married.

I think he is self-centered, and annoying and selfish. 
He thinks I am bitchy, a nag and mean.

We may both be correct.

We have gone round and round since Wednesday and he forgets that I still don't like him when he tries to make me laugh or snuggle me up.
I remind him.

Tonight we are going to dinner with a few of his co workers...
With our kids...
This could go either way...
I'm hoping for a miracle.

And a better outlook.

Here goes!

Happy 2012

Lance and I both had to work New Years Day, meaning that we had to keep NYE fairly low key.

[the above was written to make us look less lame... even if Lance and I didn't have to work, we still would have done the same thing!  ...We're home-bodies.]

Anywho, we had a small get together at my mom's.
We made lots of yummy dips and snacks and finger foods.

My brother's family left early....
and a fire near my sister's boyfriend's house had them leave as well.

Lance forgot the games at home,
and the boys didn't track hogs.

So basically we did nothing...
but I still thought it was fun.

[right up until I realized that Lance was only going to get 3 hours of sleep before work, and me; less than 6.  I love sleep.  I need sleep.  Starbucks helped me feel like I had more than I actually did.]

A few days before NYE, Lance and I had a conversation about our goals for 2012.

[I prefer 'goal' rather than resolution.... being the commitment phobe that I am, it makes things not so concrete.]

Last year I encouraged myself to 'let go'.

Of pains... of resentments... of hurt feelings... of harder times... of anxiety... of stress... of things I can not control... of my walls... of trying to please everyone.

I feel like I have come leaps and bounds in the past year-- and my husband agrees.

Like everything else in life, I still have a lot of work to go...

And I will continue working on this. 

So it is time to reassess-- and talk about where we can improve.

Lance said his goal was "to be better".

That annoyed me.

So he clarified, "I just want to be an all around better person."

What?!

"Physically, mentally, spiritually, at work... at home..."

I still kept digging, because I hated that he threw out such a vague resolution goal-- there was no way to track your success, this way. 

But then it made me realize one that I need to add to my list of goals...

• Quit trying to control everything.

As well as...

• Cook more.
• Make healthier food.
• become members of a church.
• be on the computer less-- play outside more.
• read to the boys more.
• keep my car cleaner.
• take time away from the boys to make my husband feel loved.
• find an outlet to give myself to others.
• Read more for myself.
• tell Lance how special he is-- rather than just thinking it [or blogging it]. 
• {finally} learn my camera, and take better pictures.
• become a certified CPR instructor.
• Praise more and discourage less.
• Continue Yoga.
• Take Salsa lessons with my SIL.
• Get a daily devotional... and stick with it.

And my big one.

• LIVE IN TODAY.

I am terrible about worrying about the future... or being so excited to "finally being back on our feet"... that I push through the days, trying to get ahead.  Sometimes, I feel that I miss out on the precious life at my feet, because of this. 

I will be better in 2012.

***

Yesterday, my mom made pork loin, black eyed peas, cabbage, macaroni and cheese, and corn bread... New Years day food competes with Thanksgiving in my book.

After a quick bath in the sink, we went home for the boys to nap.

For three hours. 

Slept all night...

and then Maddox woke up today with fever.  [103.8 now]

He has said his head hurt... his tummy... his "froat"... but mainly he just says he's hot!

[but refuses medicine.]

Beckham, so far, is clear from illness.

However, he did learn how to say momma yesterday!

Momma ma ma ma ma... all day...

I love it.

Happy 2012, y'all!