Thankful for our cold....

Did I get your attention? Yes....you read that right. I am thankful today for the cold that we have. Not because we all feel a bit under the weather (who would be thankful that?), but because it has provided us the excuse needed today to stay home, take it easy and just play. As I type, I am sitting on a blanket on the patio in the backyard....a sultry breeze is rustling the leaves on the birch trees and my beautiful children are engrossed in play beside me. It was at the moment that I decided to blog that I recognized today is just a simple illustration of God bringing forth good out of something not so pleasant. He always promises to do that, you know. And today...this moment....is no different. It is BECAUSE we feel icky that we chose to take it slow and enjoy each other today. And we have been blessed by it! We have even been just a tad bit productive too! :)

This morning, before the real ickies set it, Luke and I washed my car and fertilized the flower beds out front. When Ellie woke from her nap, I took a long while to teach her to descend the stairs (I'll try to post some of the pictures I took too), we ate a leisurely lunch together, and while the kids napped (not very long, I might add.) :( I worked on sorting through pictures from a shoot I had yesterday. And now, here we are, blowing bubbles and eating graham crackers in the afternoon shade! :) We have played a few minutes of baseball in the front yard and I learned from my son that Daddy is a MUCH better pitcher than I am (I got a chuckle out of him telling me that because it is SOOOOO true!), Ellie has learned that grass doesn't taste all that great (!) and is, at this moment, smiling at me from across the yard as she inspects a row of bright orange flowers.

Perfection. Life is measured in moments like these!

Peeking through the banister at brother....

So proud of herself for making it halway down!

Do I dare go the rest of the way???

Outside blowing (eating!) bubbles...

Lookin' for shapes in the clouds...

Just being silly...

Pluggin' along......

Not much to report this week. It has been a pretty 'normal' week 'round our house! I feel blessed by this, as I know there is so much going on for so many of you! Normal is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!!!

So what did we do this week?? Hmmm...let's see. Monday was typical...a day at home cleaning up from the tornado that typically wrecks havoc on our home over the weekends! :) LOL! I took a long walk with the kids, played at the park and returned home to do the laundry, house cleaning, etc. Normal, normal, normal.

Tuesday was preschool and Luke's open house! He is doing GREAT now at school and very much looks forward to going each day now. Gone is the trepidation of a few weeks ago, and now when I drop him off, he kisses me goodbye and is off running with his friends before I can say "I love you!" :) It is so good to see!! The Playschool held an Open House on Tuesday, and since Ty had a long travel day that day, Meemaw joined the kids and I for the evening. Luke ADORED showing Meemaw ALL around his classroom, the playground, and especially all the artwork he has done! The last month has been filled with lessons on sea life and the ocean, and there are now some very beautiful sea creatures adorning the walls in our playroom! His class does some pretty neat art projects, I have to say!

Wednesday....hmmm....well....I really have NO idea what Wednesday held. LOL! Probably just a repeat of Monday, I'm assuming. Laundry....laundry and more laundry!!! With dinner, grocery shopping and some play time thrown in there for good measure. :) Oh! NOW I remember! We actually had a fantastic visit with an old family friend, Anne Marie. She had never met Ellie and had not yet seen our new home, so obviously it had been quite some time since I had seen her. We had a great visit and the kids took immediately to her! Though Luke played his shy-guy act a good part of the time she was here, he gushed over her afterwards and told me how much he liked her and that he thought she was pretty! LOL! :) Sweet boy!

During our visit, I got the opportunity to hear of the amazing story of how the Lord has called her to be a organ donor for a woman who is in stage four renal failure! It is an incredible story of God using circumstance, proximity and His perfect timing to bring these two women together for the purpose of what we all hope to be healing and new life! If you would join me in praying for the surgery, which is scheduled for October 13th, I know both families would be immensely grateful!

Our remainder of the week was much akin to the beginning....with the exception of Ellie coming down with a cold on Thursday evening. :( Poor baby just DOES NOT feel well...feverish, runny and then stuffy nose....and crabby as can be because of it! Today seemed to be a bit better, although now it would seem that I might be getting a touch of it too. BUMMER! Tomorrow marks the 'official' beginning of my fall family portrait season (although I've had about a shoot a week for about a month now), so I have little patience for a cold. Hoping it is short lived, if it transpires at all! We shall see.

Guess I'm going to wrap this up for tonight. Sleepiness is creeping in and I am having a hard time staying focused enough to type. Makes me think I AM getting sick. :( But to leave on a VERY happy note, I am beyond thrilled to be able to report tonight that Angel was discharged from the hospital yesterday and spent his first night in 68 days under the same roof as the rest of his family! It has been a little bumpy of a transition, but I know that Sarah and Nick couldn't be happier to have their son home! What a wonderful blessing!!! They also covet your prayers for continued health and recovery for Angel, as this journey is far from over!

Off to sleep for now.....more in a few days. Night, friends!

Belly-Boo

My Belle turned 13 months just the other day, and since my last few blogs have been mostly about Luke, I thought that a few cute photos of Ellie were in order! These were taken yesterday afternoon...completely impromptu. I had a photo shoot during nap time and since all my things were set up, I thought I had better take advantage of it and sneak in a few pics of my sweet girl when she got up!

She is so much fun! As you can see from these images, her demeanor is happy and lighthearted....full of smiles, giggles and silliness! She is now talking incessantly, although the vast majority of the time it is just babble. SHE knows what she is saying though, and acts as if everyone else can understand! LOL! She will point out the window or at something around her and go into a full explanation of what she is seeing. Just wish it made sense to us! :) Every once in awhile, a familiar 'word' will pop out. She has been fascinated with Tess recently and has pretty much mastered "dog". And her second favorite word is "mom". She now forgoes 'mama' for a much more grown up (and brother-inspired) 'mom', which she frequently will call out from anywhere in the house just to be sure of where I am! :) "Maaaaaam?" Mom? Maam!" Its pretty cute! (And at times, a little grating when you hear it a ba-zillion times a day!) LOL! A friend of mine and I were teasing the other day about how we think we should change our names to Gertrude or something tough to say, just so that we could have a break from the jibber-jabber! :) LOL! Made me laugh! But honestly, I will take 'mom' or jibber-jabber over Ellie's more recent phase of squawking/crying over nothing at all....just to get my attention. Girls! And the drama begins! :) LOL! Still love her to pieces though!

Sweet girl!

The Fire Hydrant Story

Just a quick little story to share today, because Luke touched my heart and made me giggle. We were on our way home from preschool, and as we entered into our housing development, Luke spotted a bright yellow fire hydrant.

"Mommy! Look! A fire hydrant!"
"Yeah, baby! Wow....would you look at that." (can you hear the enthusiasm in my voice? LOL!!!!)
"Can you find me another one, Mom?"
"Well, I bet if you keep looking out your window you'll probably see another one."

So we continued on several more blocks, all the while Luke was glued to his window, pining for another hydrant. (I'm not sure what spawned the fascination with the hydrant today, but whatever.) As we pulled onto our street, I noticed the hydrant that resides just out front of our neighbor Kristin's house and I pointed it out to him.

"Can WE have a fire hydrant outside of OUR house???" he asked.
"Well, honey..." I said, thinking of how to explain this to a three year old, "when they built our house, they put a fire hydrant where it is now. We can't just move them...it has to be put there BEFORE a home is built."

Luke was silent for a moment as he pondered this and tried to find a solution to his dilema. He then exclaimed..."I can ask GOD for one!!"
"Well, sure honey. You can do that. You can ask God for anything, so I guess you can ask him for a fire hydrant too."

And from the backseat, in the quietest, tiniest little whisper I heard Luke ask "Please, God. Can I have a fire hydrant?"

I had to hold back my giggles at how SWEET my boy is, but my joy was evidenced by the grin that spread from ear to ear on my face!

"So...did you ask God?"
"Yup."
"Hmm....okay. "
"But he already told me "No.", mommy."
"Oh, is that right? "
"Mmmm-hhmmmm."
"Well, that was quick!"
"Yeah."
"That's the thing, honey. God ALWAYS answers us, but sometimes its just not with the answer we had hoped for. Sometimes he says no because he knows that the thing we are asking for isn't the best thing for us."

I realized that this little lesson might have been well over his head, but I said it anyway. And Luke's response (an affirmation, really) was...

"Yeah.....sometimes no is better."

Wisdom beyond his short three years! And a good lesson for us all to keep in mind. Not only that God always knows what is best for us, but also to pray about ALL the things that are important to us! God tells us in Phillipians 4:6 that we can (and should!) pray about everything. Even the things that we may initially feel are unimportant to God, like Luke's fire hydrant. Because, the truth is that God cares about even the smallest details of our lives! He even knows the number of hairs on our heads!! (Matt 10:30, Luke 12:7) I love that even a lesson such as this, (that we, as adults, sometimes try to over think) can be made as simple as a three-year-old's interest in a fire hydrant! :) Love that!

Sshhhhhh!

.....Shhhhhh!! Don't tell anyone (of-course I know I'm telling all of you, but just play along!) but Luke and I shared a piece of cake this morning....at 11am! :) LOL!

We had been together in the office...Ellie was napping....I was working on the computer and Luke was hard at play, when we both decided a little snack, a little break and a little mischief was in tall order! And CAKE was the perfect solution!! :) I had made a little cake last night as a special Sunday night dessert....and of-course there were leftovers today! As we walked to the kitchen I said "Hey Luke...how'd you like to do something silly? Let's have cake! It's 11 in the morning, and we will have lunch soon, but hey! Let's live a little! Okay?? But sshhhhh! Don't tell Daddy!" LOL! Of-course Luke was all for it! And of-COURSE I had to make it even more fun with a few photos! Hehehe! It's these little moments with my kids that make life rich...and full...and vibrant! :)

G.I. recheck....

We took Luke to see the gasteroenterologist on Tuesday (remember, I told you I would tell you more about that in my last post???) We were meeting with him in order that we might get some much needed clarification on the possibility of Luke having that colonoscopy and to review his lab work. Ty and I went into the appointment from the perspective that should the doctor feel that the colonoscopy was absolutely a necessity, then we would most certainly go ahead with it. BUT...we also felt very strongly that if there was any way that our doctor believed it would be alright to delay or dismiss the procedure, then that is what we would prefer. Primarily, we felt this way because of the trauma Luke would go through in preparation for the procedure and the effect of that on his little 3-year-old heart. He just seems so young to us to have to go through something so yucky if it isn't absolutely necessary! And prior to the appointment, I believed that the preparation entailed quite a lot more than what it actually will/would be, since my only experiences with pediatric colonoscopies were from when I worked at the Children's hospital. (More on that in a minute.) Secondary to the trauma, but also weighing on our minds, was the fact that the procedure itself was going to cost us upwards of $1600 to complete, which is quiet a hefty chunk of change for us! We would absolutely spend the money if the test were warranted, but we wanted to do our due-diligence and make sure it was first!!

In support of our wanting to wait, all of Luke's lab work has come back clear, with no indications of infection, inflammation or the like in his bowel. Further still is the fact that he has not had anymore episodes of that toilet-filling kind of bleeding that he had a couple of times prior to seeing our GI guy! He still has tiny amounts of blood on the paper after he goes potty, but that is more indicative of the small fissure he still has rather than the possible polyp(s). So......with all those things in mind, the doctor agreed with our desire to hold off on the colonoscopy until if/when he shows further symptoms. He seemed perfectly okay with our assessment of the situation and did not seem as concerned as he first was, I think mostly because the bleeding has not persisted.

The doctor does want us to alter Luke's diet just a smidge...no cheese for a few weeks, to (hopefully) allow that fissure to heal. Cheese is binding, you know, which can cause more straining, which in turn leads to tearing that fissure open again. Ouch!! So, not a big deal in the scheme of things!

And as for that preparation I was telling you about?? Well, at the hospital where I used to work, colonoscopies most often entailed the patient having to ingest large amounts of a fluid called Go-Litely prior to the procedure to 'clean out' and prepare the bowel for the procedure. And if the child was unable to drink the liquid (we are talking about A LOT of fluid here...not just a cup or two!) then an NG tube (nasal-gastric tube) would be placed. And THAT procedure is DEFINITELY not fun! I've watched many-a-kid receive those.....BLEGH!!!!!! It is horrible! Gagging, retching, screaming...thrashing! Its a miserable experience! So you can imagine our dismay at the thought of this happening to Luke! When I voiced those concerns to the doctor however, I learned that LLUCH does it a lot different than our doctor! In actuality, Luke would only need to drink a couple of ounces of a medication/fluid (I think it was called Miracel?) the evening before and morning of the procedure. A couple of ounces!! Not massive amounts!! (Phew!) Then, of-course, he would need an IV for the sedation he would be getting, but that seems like a cake-walk when compared to what I thought might happen!

Good news all around! So for now we will wait....and watch....and just see what happens. Luke seems happy and healthy and does not complain about pain or discomfort. What more can we ask for?

Priorities

I got a very clear lesson in priorities this morning. But before I get to the lesson part, let me set the stage for you as to how my morning was going. Beware, this is kinda long!

4:15....up early to exercise (Yes...I know I am a tad crazy, but really it is the only time available to me to get the exercise I need). After my work out, I downed a cup of hot coffee and scrambled up the stairs for a shower. Luke had a doctors appointment at ten after 8 this morning (more on that later), with preschool immediately after that, so I had to be right on 'schedule' this morning to get us all up, dressed, fed and out the door by 7:40, in order that we would be on time. Ty was home this morning too, so that he could go to our appointment, which was a nice change. Anyway....here I am, in true 'gotta be on time' Kris form, rushing around before we left, and, as my husband lovingly pointed out, stressing out over the little things. (I love you, honey, and I know you were right, even if I didn't tell you so then!) We made it to the doctors office with three minutes to spare.

Phew...on time. Check.

(Mind you, we waited 45 minutes to be seen, even at that early hour and Luke was 25 minutes late to preschool because of it, but oh well, right?!) Once the appointment was over (and after I grumbled to Ty in the office several times about how annoying it is to me when people run late!), we drove Luke the 2 blocks over to his preschool, rushed him inside (yes, again...I was rushing) and settled him in.

Phew.....he's there. Check.

Now, with Ellie strapped back in the car, Ty and I made our way back home so that he could get things ready to leave for work. He was driving, which meant less rushing, which was probably good, 'cause if it had been me, I would probably have been speeding. (shhhh...don't tell my mother! LOL! Just kidding, Mom. I know you're reading!)

At home, the rushing continued. With the phone attached on one ear as I talked to a photography friend, I laid Ellie down for a nap (more on that in a second), hustled downstairs, saw that Ty was on the computer and silently grumbled again, because I had plans for get some photoshopping done during my precious hour naptime.

Okay...can't check that one off, I thought.

Laundry. I'll get the laundry started while he's on the computer.

Laundry sorted. Check.

Once Ty was off the computer, I hurriedly loaded up photoshop and got to work. Just a few more images left to do, and then I can be done with this shoot. (aka, another check mark off my list!)

I begin plugging away at my work. Ellie fusses from her bed, obviously not interested in napping much, so I run up the stairs to return her binky to her mouth (she likes to throw it 'overboard' as a game). I lay her down, snuggle Snuggie into her neck and bid her nigh-night.

Baby down. Check.

I return to my work on the computer. Except this time, a small, quiet nagging thought keeps revisiting my mind. "Your husband is home. It's the middle of the morning. The house is quiet. Why don't you go spend some time with him? You're always wishing you had more time together. What's your priority? Work or your husband?"

Now I'd like to be able to say to you that it was the first time that thought crossed my mind that I closed my computer screen and went to the family room where Ty was, but that would be a lie. No. I kept working. Just a few more clicks...let me just get this one part done. THEN I'll go. Sadly, it took about three times for that quiet little thought in my mind to get the better of me and I went to sit beside my husband on the couch. As I walked the hallway towards him, the thought came to me, "Priorities. What ARE yours??? HE comes first. Not your work!". And as I honored that, the rushing, anxious 'gotta-get-as-much-done-as-I-can-in-my-short-little-time-this-morning" attitude faded away. The to-do list dissipated. The need to rush ceased. And I was met with a happy husband because of it!

And as if the lesson wasn't already pretty clear, God showed me part two a short time later. Ellie continued to fuss and stir in her crib during this whole time. My normally easy-going child who can be laid down for a nap wide awake and usually goes RIGHT to sleep, fussed a TON this morning. It appeared that she was NOT interested in napping. So after a time, as it was closer to when Ty needed to leave for work, I climbed the stairs again to Ellie's room. I found her wide awake, sitting in bed with all her stuffed animals, Snuggie and two binkies laying on the floor around her crib. I scooped her up in my arms, apparently not completely learning my lesson in priorities from just a few minutes ago, because my thought at that moment was "okay baby...it's bedtime! Hurry up and go to sleep. I need to get some work done." And this is where God drove the message home. But I must first give you a little background.

At each nap time and each bedtime for literally months now, Ellie refuses to snuggle in my arms longer than a minute or two. She will cuddle into me for a moment, but then makes it obvious by her pushing away that she would much rather be in her bed to fall asleep. She really has very little interest in snuggling at these times. And it has been only recently that this has become bothersome to me. For I realize, as I watch her grow bigger and bigger, that the days of her even possibly falling asleep in my arms are numbered! There WILL come a time when she is simply too big. And it has been this thought that mas made me sad and secretly wish, as I cuddle her for the moments she will allow me to, that someday...just once even....she would let me hold her in my arms while she sleeps again.

Fast forward to this morning. Remember, I am rushing to get her to SLEEP (!!!!) so that I can get my work done. I scoop her up in my arms and just like any other time, she nuzzles into my chest for a second. Okay....I think. I'll put her down in a minute and she'll FINALLY go to sleep. But UNLIKE any other day, today, she chose (or more accurately God chose) to allow me the luxury of having her fall sleep in my arms as I swayed and kissed her there beside her crib!!!! I was in complete disbelief as I looked down at her peaceful, pudgy little sleeping face and realized what was happening. As clear as day, I understood and the lesson was driven home. Priorities. I had to make a choice right then. Was I going to continue to rush through my day, aiming to check things off of my to do list, or was I going to put the things first that should be first and relish in the gifts and little moments of joy such as these? What's more important? And as I rocked Ellie in my arms, hearing her quiet, rhythmic breathing and stroking her silkened cheek, there choice was clear....as if there was never even a question to begin with. No matter what......regardless of the work to be done or the chores to be accomplished, or the clients waiting for their pictures.....my family must come first. Always. And I realize, that as I hold fast to those priorities, everything else will naturally fall right into place. Without me worrying about it! So....I lingered there, beside her crib, rocking her and cuddling her for a LONG time.....soaking up the moment that I will likely not be blessed with again.....all the while offering up prayers of gratitude for this simple pleasure and important lesson!!

Ten thousand

Just a fun little tidbit for today.......

Today my little ticker on the bottom of the page told me that I have reached 10,000 visitors (page views, actually) since I began my blog 18 months ago. Kinda cool! I can't tell you guys enough how awesome I think it is that someone....ANYONE actually reads my blog! Most of you, I know personally....some of you I don't, but either way, THANK YOU for peeking in on us from time to time (or every day as I know some of you do!)! YOU make it worthwhile to blog and share the everyday, the momentous and the mundane. It makes my heart happy knowing you are out there reading, and oftentimes praying! Thank you!

Booked!

As of today, Ty and I have two...(yes TWO!!!) separate nights away booked for the month of November! One night for a friend's wedding in San Diego and one whole weekend for our special anniversary minimoon! These little getaways will be our first time away from the kids overnight in two years! Yaaaahoooooooooo! Knowing that there is a little mini vacation ahead of me (even if it is still in 2 1/2 months!) makes my heart happy! :) Just wanted to share!

He did it!

After a zillion nights of waking Luke from a sound sleep before I head to bed so that he could use to the potty (and avoid a nighttime accident), Luke got up on his own tonight for the first time ever! Ty and I were downstairs watching TV (btw....we have finally entered the year 2008 and actually have a DVR now!) and heard the wonderful sound of tinkling up in his bathroom! It was 10pm! I hustled upstairs to find my very sleepy boy, wobbly and half dressed standing in front of the toilet! I am so proud of him! And I'm pretty sure he was proud of himself too, although it was hard to tell through his sleepiness! What a big boy! He's back asleep in bed now, but I'll be sure to talk up his awesome, big boy feat tomorrow!!!!

Following suit....

One of my good friends was having a pretty rough day yesterday and much like me, posted about it earlier in the day. But when I went back to check in on her last night, her new post convicted my heart and God spoke gently to me. Her post was about working in the opposite spirit and against the grain of what she was feeling that day and trying to focus on the things she was thankful for. What an awesome way to react to suffering! Her post was a reminder to me that I need to focus in on the positive things and not the irritations of my day, which is what I was doing yesterday. I had a hard time letting go of my frustration yesterday!!

Now don't get me wrong, I know that having an 'off' day isn't a bad thing per se, and I certainly don't feel badly for sharing my angst here. I know that its okay to vent and share and that, oftentimes, it is a good way for me to move past my grouchy feelings. BUT....it is ALSO good for me to keep it in perspective. On Sunday, our pastor was teaching on this as well (Do you think God is trying to tell me something????) and among the many things he spoke about, he asked "How often do we count our bummers instead of our blessings?" He cracked a little joke about that, but the essence of what he was getting at still lingers in my mind. So.......today, unlike yesterday, I am going to count my blessings......here they are!

• I am blessed that each day is a new day and that today is a MUCH better one! :)

• I am blessed to have two beautiful, healthy children who I get to watch grow and change each and every day!

• I am blessed with an amazing, loving, loyal (and handsome!) husband who works so hard to provide and care for our family! He is my best friend and an awesome teammate!

• I am blessed with more than a handful of very close, very dear friends who make up my 'inner circle' and get me through, and I am also so blessed to have so many MORE friends that support and love our family!

• I am SO blessed to be able to stay home as my children grow and that, financially speaking, it works!

• I am blessed by the simple hug and "I love you, Mommy" from my sweet boy, who may behave 'stinky' at times, but more often than not teaches me about real love!
  

• I am blessed with a beautiful home, a wonderful neighborhood and neighbors who I call friends.

• I am blessed to have this little photography business of mine that helps to pay for extra things like preschool and Christmas! :)

• I am blessed that BOTH my kids still nap...AT THE SAME TIME everyday! :) LOL!

• I am blessed by the comments you guys leave here...they make me feel loved!
  

• I am blessed to have the support and love of my family and sisters who have grown to be friends.

• I am blessed by the contagious giggles that rise through my house when Ellie pets Tess!
  

I am blessed....yes, I am blessed indeed!

Honeymoon???

So I'm thinking that Luke's awesome first week of school was just a honeymoon. The last two school days have been so rough! From getting ready and out the door in the morning, to kissing him goodbye and then picking him up...all of it has been tough this week! Argh! This morning, he was so crabby and argumentative....EVERYTHING, even down to putting his shoes on, was a fight! Had it not been for our need to get out the door so as to not be late, I think he would have spent a lot of time in 'time out!'. And on both days, when it came time for me to say goodbye, he teared up, glued himself to my leg and has just had an all-around rough time! I know that its normal, and I am sure that it will pass, but what makes it so hard is that with Ellie in my arms, I cannot easily scoop him up to console him or comfort him as I would like to. And even my words and/or preparation don't seem to help. But the teachers tell me that once he settles in, he is fine. That's good to know!

This afternoon, as I came to pick him up, Dr. Jeckle turned into Mr. Hyde! (is that how that saying goes????) He was a whole different kind of beast! He was busily playing in the spaceship (a really cool, wood-shaped space craft thingy) with several other boys. I was happy to see him happy! But this mama had a whole Costco trip of groceries beginning to roast in the car in the 95 degree weather and had to get movin' back home pretty quickly! When I told Luke that it was time to go, he hollered "No!" at me and attempted to hit the air (like he was really wanting to hit me, but was just too far away.). Hmph. Ok....knowing that it probably wasn't fair of me to not give him a warning, I restated my request. "Okay....well....it really looks like you're having a lot of fun. So....you have 3 more minutes, and then it will be time to go." I was met with the same response. So I waited the three minutes there in the hot sun, with a very tired infant resting on my left hip, and when it was time to go, what did Luke do? He decided it would be fun to play chase, in a not-so-fun, naughty kind of way! The class was lining up now, and even Mrs. McCann had to tell Luke that it was no longer playtime. But his little avoidant game continued. For several minutes!

And here I am, trying as hard as I can to remain calm, but feeling my blood begin to boil as both embarrassment and frustration surge. Oh how I HATE moments like that....when you KNOW everyone must be watching and all you want is for your little monster to turn back into a prince just until you get to the car!!!!! But he didn't. Oh no! Once I finally got a hand on him, he 'collapsed' to his knees, and I resorted to carrying him to the car (or at-least I attempted to, but it wasn't easy to wrangle my flailing preschooler with Ellie on the opposite hip!) His shoes fell off once along the day, he was crying, Ellie began to wail because Brother was upset, and I was fit to be tied!!!! Yeah....it was one of those days!

It really hasn't gotten much better either. :( But on the bright side, there is only 4 more hours until bedtime! :) LOL! Tomorrow has GOT to be better!