Ben and his Pee-Pee

Ben is very proud of himself these days. He has discovered that he can get things wet. That liquid will flow out of his body at random moments and drench whatever is in front of him. This is incredibly funny to him. Good times. Good times.

Since his discovery, he has experimented with his pee-pee ability in several ways. At first, it was something he did in the bath as soon as his little feet hit the warm water. Then, the pee-pee started the moment his diaper came off and the water was still running for his bath. We of course whipped out the potty to show him what he should do with his pee-pee. He has been fascinated with sitting on the potty but he needs to stand to make (and watch) the pee-pee come out. So, for the time being, we have no pee-pee in the potty. However, we have had lots of pee-pee in other places.

After he got comfortable with his pee-pee happening right before bath, he decided to see if it would happen if he was not in the bathroom. This resulted in pee-pee on the carpet in his room and in the hall. Apparently, this was great fun for him and he decided to up the ante a bit before Mommy caught onto his new experimentation. The other night, as soon as I got his diaper off (water running for bath), he bolted out of the bathroom laughing. He has been into me chasing him lately so I didn't think anything of it. I also didn't think he would get too far since that required him to slide down the carpeted stairs with no diaper. I was wrong. After 3 seconds of faint giggling, I heard him yell "wee!" as he slid down the stairs buck naked on his tummy. So, I decided to go after him. Before I got to the top of the stairs, I hear him yelling "Pee-pee! Pee-Pee!" and laughing as hard as he can. By the time I got down stairs, he had pee-pee everywhere. The dogs were watching him in amazement. He had pee-peed in the hallway, dining room, hall to the garage and den. So, I scooped my giggling little boy up and brought him to his waiting bath and then I promptly cleaned up the evidence. I was sure to get a good teasing from my husband over this one. Well, about two minutes after I got it cleaned up, my husband arrives home comes upstairs and asks me why there is pee-pee all over the downstairs. Apparently, I underestimated my little Ben's abilities and didn't get all the evidence. My husband was quite proud and I am again reminded that I am living a life sentence in a locker room.

Christmas Programs

Sorry that it is long. I only put one song from each kid's performance in there. I think they are adorable- but I am their mother! Remember to turn off the blog music.

In a Cabin by the Woods

For entertainment purposes only. Turn off the blog music before viewing. Scroll down- its on the right.

12 Nights Before Christmas

‘Twas 12 nights before Christmas and all through the house,
all creatures were stirring, even the mouse.

Our ornaments and stockings were all hung up last night,
Then Ben found them and broke them or hid them from sight.

Our presents were wrapped in paper, ribbons and sacks,
Then Ben found them and hid them or fed them to Max.

Mom was in a panic and Dad in a rush,
as relatives made plans to come visit us.

Chaos was rampant and moods were quite heavy,
as winter concerts and programs made us all very weary.

The house was a mess and Ben was not well,
The dogs were always barking and Ben liked to yell.

Between breathing treatments and laundry, Mom was quite busy;
she dreamed of the day when life would be easy.

As we shop for presents with our dollars stretched thin,
we have visions of maids, nannies and a lottery win.

But, as Christmas comes near, we cannot lose sight,
of the peace, promise and hope of that night.

We pray that as we lay down for our long winter’s nap,
Peace will fall over us and we will have our sanity back.

Lori's Big Announcement

Take a deep breath. I am NOT pregnant. I have made a big decision. Gerry and I have been struggling to make it work financially since we gave up my job and half our income. Instead of going back to work, I have decided to open up my own home childcare business. I am excited about it. I feel this is what God is leading me to do. I really like this plan of his because I really don't want to go back to teaching full time. My babies need me at home. I plan to open in May. I will be keeping little ones during the day and maybe a few elementary age kids before and after school. The website is still under construction but you are welcome to visit it now if you like www.loveandlaughterchildcare.blogspot.com. If you live near me, feel free to pass along my info. Thanks!

Big Gerry's Big Award

In addition to being runner up in this year's 4A state honor band competition, Gerry is going to be the recipient of an award from UIL. This award is given to UIL sponsors who are outstanding not only in encouraging and supporting their students in UIL competitions, but also leading them to success. For those of you who know Gerry, you know how hard he works and how much he cares for each and every one of his students. It is nice to see him be recognized for his efforts and success. This award is given to only 12 UIL sponsors in the state and Gerry is the only recipient from the Dallas area. The Dallas Morning News will be doing an article about him. The superintendent from Frisco ISD, all the Frisco ISD board members and representatives from the state UIL office will be at his winter concert to present him with the award. Next time you see him, be sure to offer him congratulations. This is definitely a huge milestone in his career and we couldn't be prouder of him!