It's Fun Around Here.

Totally normal to watch TV this way, buddy.

I want to make my sister cry, so I am going to get inside her baby's crib and sit on her baby.

Are you kidding me with their cuteness right here? Sebastian LOVES Despicable Me.

Could I get this in my house please?

Haircuts are dangerous for everyone involved. I always apologize up front and go during nap hour so no one is there.

Just about everyday, Cealy "reads" to her brother. I love them so much.

Sebastian is 2 1/2 and Cealy is 4 1/2. Great ages! We went to Great Wolf a couple of weekends ago, and dare I say it was easy? and fun! Sebastian pees on the potty, backwards. It is so awesome. Now, Cealy wants to pee backwards. Hey, whatever works.

Sebastian turned a corner, and although I am very busy, it's easy over here. Yes, I said easy. And it is fun! Can I live forever like this? They are so much fun. I spent so much time barely keeping a tidy home, that I now savor those times of rest with the two of them.

We read together. All 3 of us. They each grab books and we stack them and read. It is such a beautiful thing. I love staying at home. My cousin called me the other day. She is about the cutest mother ever. She was talking to me about her feelings of guilt over quitting her job. I told her it never gets better. Believe me, I love staying home. I also miss my students. I miss my co-workers. The stomach hurting laughing so much because one of my students cracked me up again. But I so much love my life right now. It is so worth it. I am so grateful.

Sebastian holds my face now. He kisses me and tells me how much he loves me. I cannot even express how much he makes me smile. He wants to be everywhere with me, and I love it. He also provides much humility. Parents staring.  Jaws dropped.  "He just slapped you in the face."  "Oh, yes I know.  My face is still stinging." Ahhhh, the judgement.  Really it is good for me.  Possibly, because I judged a parent or 10 while I was teaching.  He is my lesson on judgement.  He is getting much better at listening, but only at home when no one is around. In public, embarrassing me is top priority.

I understand the 'I'll give you anything you want, so that you don't throw a fit here' parent.  Sebastian's tantrums have names.  My favorite is the snow-angel tantrum.  Arms flailing above him.  Legs kicking.  If there was snow around, his snow angel would get first prize.  I had never truly experienced a tantrum before.  Dreamboat Cealy didn't throw those.  (Don't worry, I am keeping a close eye on her.  I am really excited for her teen years, insert wink.)

Sebastian weighs his options.  He is bright, this child.  He knows the consequence, but for the moment in time, it is worth it for him.  She put me down.  I am running like the wind.  And he is gone.  Pier One- he is gone.  I am at the doors, face-flushed, asking one of the adorable store clerks to help me find my son.  And then telling myself that I will not be buying the rug I came to buy, because he will inevitably break $300 worth of things.  I put him down at Target.  He looks at me, and before I knew what was up he went at lightning speed down the isle, to the doors.  He is laughing.  I am yelling.  Running for him, Cealy is running behind me.  Everyone's eyes are on me.  And when I catch him, all 38-pounds brings me to my knees, because he does the back-bend tantrum.  Have you ever tried picking up a kid in a back-bend? Goodbye back.   

His smile and his facial expressions will pierce you.  Just ask my friends.  One of them always says, "Now, its horrible that I have a favorite with you all, but Sebastian takes the cake."He goes everywhere with me, and always says, "Mommy, don't weave me." Ummm, okay. Because you are that cute. He also eeeks people. This is when he comes up to you and squeezes your cheeks and says, "Eeeeeek." Cealy usually allows it, but there are times she is running around the house screaming, "Mommy, tell Sebastian to quit eeeeking me."

He asks for Jesus stories. He runs to me with his bible and asks to read about Jesus. I am the proudest mommy at this moment. He loves, loves, David and Goliath. And we could read this 100 times and he would sit still next to me and listen. 

All kids are different.  I have learned that lesson now.  My kids go just about everywhere with me. Soon school will take over, and I want every moment with them now. And at times, we all leave in tears, but hey, we've got great memories!

You can't stand on your seat and eat Sebastian.

His, "I'm sad."  Why you sad Sebastian?  "Cause I don't wike this wunch."

God Made Me This Way.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Cealy about life. She didn't want to go to school because it was show-and-tell and she couldn't talk to her class. She said, "Please mommy, I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I cannot talk in front of my class." My heart was so sad for her. I am trying to build her confidence.

"Cealy, God made you the way you are. He made those little blonde streaks in your hair. He made you quiet and shy and sweet and compassionate. It is okay to be shy. It is even okay to not want to share anything at show-and-tell. God made you this way, but I want you to be confident with who you are. Be confident being shy."

Well she ran into my arms after class last Thursday, and whispered I talked to the class and shared Teddy (which is really a Koala-but besides the point). I high-fived her and she walked out of school feeling pretty darn confident.

Fast forward. This chick has gone too far.

Cealy, you cannot wake up at 3am and jump into my bed every night.

"Well, that's the way God made me, Mommy. He made me want to get into bed with you every night."

Wait what?

Cealy, you just ate 3 snacks and cannot have another.

"Well that is the way God made me, Mommy. He made my hungry all the time. I have to eat. God made me this way."

Hold on a minute.

Cealy, you are the world's messiest eater. Seriously, how did you get spaghetti all over yourself and the floor?

"God made me a messy eater mommy. I can't help it."

Super. Glad we had that talk.

Let's Build A Garden.

The Love More Foundation is starting a new project.  $5.00 will go a long way here, friends.  I believe in this foundation.  It is small, and every member is incredibly hardworking.

Last year, students learned about waste management and started cleaning up their streets. The Love More Foundation bought trashcans and placed them all over. The students learned a great lesson, and continue to put that into action today. (You have to check out the pictures of this on their website-they are awesome!)

Currently, they are learning about nutrition and want to build a garden! Building a garden will be a lifelong lesson for them. Schools here do not have any direct funding. Please help. This is the season of lent. If you give up eating out for one small meal, you can donate just $5.00.  Thank you!!

When Divorce Strikes Your Parents and You're An Adult.

Second to our adoption, my parent's divorce was the most heart-wrenching time of my life.  There are times that heartache doesn't leave me.  I'm blessed to have my own family now.  My kids keep me busy, thank Heavens.  My sisters are ridiculously awesome, and completely understand that agonizing sadness.  There are times, I watch my dad walking out to his car alone, and tears well up in my eyes.  Is he lonely?  You think about all your mom went through, and wondered has her heart healed?

My parents divorced when I was 22.  Did I know it was coming?  Probably.  Was it hard on my sisters and I?  Hell yes.  I was talking with a friend the other day while our kids were playing.  She mentioned her husband having a hard time with his parents separation.  My heart sunk.  I knew what he was feeling.  It is so hard, I told her.  It will be hard on him. 

I remember my sister calling me one morning as I was walking to work in New York City.  She was crying on the phone, and I was crying with her.  It feels like a death, but in reality few people around you understand your grief.  As an adult, dealing with your parents divorce can be very lonely.  Truth is, no one said a thing to us.  Nothing.  Our lives would be so different, and we wondered if anyone knew how hard it was on us.  And yes, even at 22 and 27-years-old, we were heartbroken.  I guess no one knew what to say.  "Are you handling everything okay?"  We didn't have teachers asking if we needed a support group.  We didn't have therapists reaching out to us.  We felt alone, because we were adults, and our parents were divorcing which to us meant, "Get over it, at least you had them together while you were kids."  And hearing people talk about your parents.  It doesn't matter how you feel about them, hearing someone else talk about them making you want to punch them.  Yes, I said, punch.  A word to the wise, don't talk about someone's parents...ever.  It takes away a piece of who they are. 

I am just here to tell you it's okay how you are feeling.  Sometimes, you just want to hear someone say, "I'm sorry."  I am sorry you have to go through this.  It will be hard on you, because truth is, all you can do is think about how your parents are feeling.  And divorce is life-changing for everyone.

It does get easier in some ways.  My mother moved on and I love her man.  He added more flavor to our family, and my mom is so very happy.  I learned a great lesson, and I am sensitive to others with divorce.  One of my closest friends is divorced, and I always make sure her children know that I care about that part of their life.  Because that matters.  Because showing you care matters.