AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Life is insane right now.  I have 18 hours this semester.  I have 18 hours, three children, and a pastor husband.  18 hours was a LOT when it was just me and my cat!

There are so many things I need to post on here, but I have ZERO time.  Like right now, I'm in the computer lab at school, not sitting in front of my computer at home with a cup of coffee with hazelnut creamer.  Oh, to sit at home and relax!

Here's one worth remembering though...

Parker and Jackson preach to each other all the time.  Parker was "preaching" the other day and said, "IF YOU'RE NOT SAVED, YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! AND (pointing to imaginary parishioners) THAT'S YOU AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU!!!"

As funny as he is, Jackson is equally sweet.  I fell down the stairs recently (a whole 'nother blog post in itself), and seeing my bruise, Jackson went to the refrigerator, got a piece of ice, wrapped it in a napkin, and put it gently on my arm, "To make the bruise not so bad, Momma."

And as sweet as Jackson is and as funny as Parker is, Simon is just...well... Simon.  He's PRECIOUS, sweet, smart, cuddly, and BOY does that baby have a temper!  Like I said about the stairs thing, that's a whole 'nother blog post in itself! 

Back to work....  Gotta read and write papers. 

I can do this.  I can do this.  I can do this. 

Nah, he's not greedy.

What Parker just said:

"Momma, for Christmas, I want every kind of toy there is.  Yep, every kind they have in the whole entire world."


Good gracious, that kid!

:)

On the way home from Louisville, we were all getting tired of riding, so Wade, with a hint of exasperation, says, "Are we there yet?"

Parker:  "You're the one driving!  The one driving can't say that!!!"

Burning the Candle at Both Ends (and in the middle too!)

In that About Me... section up there, you can see I'm in school.  Well, right now I'm not just in school, I'm IN. SCHOOL.  I have six hours this MONTH.  Between three children, church, the house, Exceptional Ed 330, Math 205 (Number Theory for Teachers), and all the other stuff I think I have to do, I'm (as they say back home) WHOOPED!  Worn out.  Exhausted.  Overtired.

But you know what?  It's all good.  

No, I'm not getting enough sleep and am living on sugar and caffeine to get through the days.  It's okay though.  When I go to school, I get a few hours of nobody constantly wanting something, no poopy diapers, and nobody screaming, "I'm telling!"  I get to be Valerie and not Momma.  (I had almost forgotten I have an actual name!  LOL!)  But when I get home, I'm glad to be here.  I'm happy to see my little men.  I'm emotionally rejuvenated.  (Physically?  Well, not so much.)  :)

Okay...  so here is what I've missed telling you....

Simon:  His high fever was caused by Roseola.  It's all gone now, and he's none the worse for wear.  He never did get to have an actual birthday party, although we did have cake and ice cream at Wade's parents' house.  His temp was about 103 while he was eating cake.  Poor little fella.

Parker:  He is SO STINKIN' EXCITED about going to preschool this year.

Jackson:  Not as excited about going to first grade, but still ready to go.  The Back to School Bash was this evening, and they both seemed happy about school.  Jackson is concerned about Wade's parents' house having termites.  He said that they might crawl up on the kitchen table and eat Grannyma and Poppa's toothpicks.  :)

As soon as my classes are over (August 11), I'll have more time to blog.  Things happen about every day that I want to put on here, and then I forget them before I have time to log on.  My brain can only hold so much right now.  It HAS to hold school stuff and where Parker's blanket is.  Everything else is negotiable.  :)

Parker...

Caillou's song, "I Like Looking at Books" was just playing.  Parker says to himself, "I like looking at books sometimes, but best I like digging and riding bicycles."  Yep, that pretty much sums up Parker.

I think I Shall Call Them "Chunkheads"

Here's a little back story...  This morning, I didn't go to church.  Simon was up with his gums hurting just about all night long, plus I had a raging sinus headache, complete with dizziness.  I got up, dealt with Simon, took some sinus medicine, and went back to bed.  Fast forward to this evening.  I felt better so we went to my ladies meeting at church and choir practice.  The boys get out of the van.  I see something that looks odd on Parker's head.  There are three chunks taken out of his hair all the way down to the scalp, one of them being right in the smack-dab front of his head.

Me: "Parker, come here.  What happened to your head?"
Parker: "Are you gonna be mad?"
Me: "Well, I'm gonna be a lot madder if you don't tell me what happened right this second."
Parker:  "Jackson did it!"
Jackson (apparently listening in and determining how much trouble he was going to be in): "I did not!  I didn't do Parker's.  I just did m-...." (trailing off and realizing that he just implicated himself in this deal).
Me: "WHAT DID YOU DO, AND YOU BETTER TELL ME RIGHT NOW!?!"
Parker: "I cut my hair, and Jackson cut his hair."

Now I look at Jackson who also has some little chunks out of his hair.

Jackson: "I didn't mean to."
Me: "You didn't MEAN to?  How do you cut your hair and not mean to?  You just told me a lie.  If you put the scissors to your hair, did like this (cutting motion), and hair fell down, you meant to cut your hair.  Now, you better tell me the truth."
Jackson: "Okay, I meant to."

Later on I asked them where they cut their hair.  Bathroom?  Their room?  Nope.  It was in the living room.  I can't get these kids to pick up their own feet, much less their toys, and they cleaned up every last smidgen of hair and evidence of their little barbering party.  The ambition of a sneaky child is something to be admired.

Ehrlichiosis: Two Years Later

Two years ago today, Parker was admitted to the hospital with some sort of tickborne illness.  Our wonderful Superdoc thought it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and began treating him aggressively.  (Thank goodness!)  Two more days later, Parker's counts were dropping to critical levels, so Superdoc, being the wonderful man he is, called Vanderbilt and said, "Now what?!?"  They said to get him there ASAP, so we went.  Parker and I rode in an ambulance, lights flashing and sirens blaring, to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.  It was determined that Parker had Ehrlichiosis, a tickborne illness that is a lot like RMSF.  So, long story short, he made it through none the worse for wear.  He has no lasting damage at all.  So today this momma is thankful for her "Middle Little."

But today also I'm thinking about two other mommas.  You see, while Parker was at Vanderbilt, there were two other children there who also had Ehrlichiosis.  They didn't go home.  Two out of three children who were there died.  My baby was the only one who made it.  Now if that doesn't humble you and make you grateful to God, nothing does.

So thank You, God.  Without Your mercy and care, I would be mourning the loss of my precious boy, and instead, I'm relishing in all the sweet and silly things he does.  Help me to be a better mother.  Please draw all my little men close to You, God.  In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.