The Belgiano Crew

Crazy In Love

2010-12-07T10:51:00.002-06:00

What do you say when you get home and your 4 year old son asks, "Wanna see us dance Crazy in Love?"...the only thing you should - Yes. (and grab the camera) Enjoy the moment as we did. One of the great features is how each of the boy's personality comes out as he attacks the performance. This is a good example of pretty common family dance parties. Enjoy....

If You Leave It They Will Come

2010-11-05T14:18:00.004-05:00

Road workers - thank you for leaving some of your construction vehicles and drainage tubes at our park! Every boys dream come true! My boys and their friend were not alone in passing up the playground.

Da' Boys

2010-10-22T12:28:00.005-05:00

More Good Times From MASS

2010-07-28T08:15:00.001-05:00

Fishing in the Quban Reservoir!

Thankful for Chris and Jen's Pool! We spent most of our time swimming all day long. When we had those days that reached up to the 100's even the grown-ups jumped in! Pool baseball, categories, Marco polo, and of course cannon ball contests (Ian blew everyone out of the water with his!). I did not capture many pics since I joined in on all the pool fun:)

RI Ocean...met w/squeals of delight

2010-07-16T08:22:00.007-05:00

The Waves! The Waves! All the kids loved the waves! The first 30 minutes was filled with high pitched shouts of joy as the kids stood in the crashing waves tossing them about the beach. They all learned to ride the wave, which was even better since you could avoid the wave breaking on top of you and throwing you to the shore. After a few face plants and one struggle to keep swim shorts out of the under toe the deeper waves became our preferred ocean space.
Of course the beach is never complete with out a few holes dug and a few sandcastles built.
A few highlights...
Taatjes riding his Orca in the waves when we first arrived. Although he was supposed to wait for the adults his "I live in my own head full of adventure" kicked in and he was off, in the surf, riding his Orca, screaming, wild eyed, overcome with joy! (No pics since the adults were rather terrified with his excursion, which caught them quite off guard.)
Trey had spent a good hour collecting sea shells in a bucket when a wave came crashing down on him emptying his bucket of every precious shell. Oh the tears that came! He felt his entire sea shell collection; of such great importance to him for future show and tell days; was lost forever. Once we were able to get him to open his tear filled eyes and see the many other shells waiting to be collected, the hunt continued.
Teague loving every bit the ocean had to offer...as long as dad was with in reach:) Didn't enjoy being thrown around a bit by himself on the shore. But, jump into dads arms to be thrown and knocked down; this is something to laugh and shriek about. Poor Justin and his knees. Holding a "solid" 3 yr old in the waves and trying to keep your balance is not possible. His knees took a beating. I think his little boys laughter helped him push through and come up laughing with him.
Greer conquering her fear of loud crushing waves! She started the day crying at the sight and sound of them. After a few swims with dad she was able to walk around by herself next to the same loud crushing waves. Back to her rough and tumble self.
Becca was wave rider extraordinaire! Her body literally morphed into a dolphin, or so it looked to me as she navigated the waves with delight and ease. She could have spent the whole day diving, jumping, and surfing out there. But we needed her digging abilities to build sand castles too:)

The Beach Crew

Ice Cream in Mystic - a fav pic
Thanks Ian and Alyssa for making my Ocean Dreams come true!

HeeHaw and The 3 T's

2010-07-16T08:03:00.004-05:00

4 of a kind!
And, for Grandma - the 2 things most requested! Oh and Tike:)

Coming...Our Wonderful Trip Out East Filled w/Family and Friends

2010-07-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

"Here Fishy Fishy Fishy" - Ernie

2010-06-08T18:52:00.006-05:00

If you were raised on sesame street or babysat any kids who were, you too are reading this title with the picture of Ernie in his fishing boat with his good buddy Burt calling out for fish "here fishy fishy fishy".
The boys have been fishing a lot these days. Our current favorite spot is loaded with catfish. Every line that goes in comes out with one. A few of there great hooks. No worries we are a catch and release family:)

Just The 2 of Us (meaning Shafer and Belgiano Crews)

2010-06-07T21:26:00.004-05:00

It is always great to add another mom and dad to the mix, our good friends the Shafers. Even more fun is adding 3 more adorable, fun, loving kids to the mix. And for me especially a GIRL!!!! Aviel I miss you! Well actually they added us to the their mix. Thank You Shafers for a wondeful Memorial Weekend. We felt like we blended right in with you and our kids just love yours! Will, Cal, Aviel you were so good to the boys! Thanks for sharing your Gator!!!!! Thanks for taking us to your favorite spots. The beach, ice cream, MATT'S with their amazing mouth watering Jucy Lucy, and your frisbee glof course! We all had a blast. These pictures are a few favorite moments. Drew and Jamie specials thanks to you for sharing your life with us and as always helping us feel normal (as parents) when we are together.

The Kids

"Us" This chicken was amazing!
"we can make it if we try" - thanks Will Smith for giving the us theses amazing lyrics to use as we wish every now and then:)

Crocs and Fishing Poles Together Again

2010-05-26T16:20:00.004-05:00

You know it is almost summer when the crocs and the fishing poles are always at the front door!

Just waiting for the next Fishing Excursion!

Cousin Greer Comes For A Visit!

2010-05-25T09:40:00.002-05:00

(Oh and Auntie Alyssa too of course!)

Big thanks to Alyssa for flying by herself, at the crack of dawn, with her baby (and one in her belly YEA!), my niece Greer to come all the way to WI from MA to stay the week with us!!! The boys were thrilled and had a wonderful week. Minus the part that Taatjes spent throwing up for a day and night. So glad Greer escaped all that though. All Alyssa and I could imagine was her worst nightmare coming to fruition and spending 2 flights home with a baby vomiting on her lap! Phew, only a nightmare!
The boys love their cousin Greer. At times a bit too much. The statement that I had on repeat for the week was "Space, she needs some Space"! They followed her around everywhere, kept jumping in her face making their silly faces to get laughs, and constantly interpreting Greer's every wish and desire to her mother. Alyssa handled the information overload beautifully, thanks! Greer would just look at the stairs or the fridge and sure enough the boys would yell out to Alyssa, "Greer is hungry and she wants to go up stairs to our room". They were very involved. I think Greer loved it though. She is super social. Each morning when she woke she gave everyone a huge. She was constantly waving Hi to us during our meals from across the table. It is super cute to see how strongly she desires to love others. Great example in the picture above. She fell asleep while sitting in Taatjes lap getting a little love during TV time. I have never, ever seen a baby sleep in another child's lap! It was too cute! We loved our week with them and the boys are still arguing over who Greer likes more (even though I keep reminding them she loves them each equally).

Family Night

2010-05-24T16:23:00.001-05:00

Kung Foo

The 3 Kung Foo Masters

The boys got together and picked this past weeks Family Night. Of course Kung Foo was immediately agreed upon! Alright all in for Kung Foo (American style that is). We cut up old shirts to make black belts and head bands to match. The boys gave the parents an "interesting" lesson in Kung Foo moves. The old saying of give them an inch they take a mile, came into play here. Before every move we tried we were required to kneel down on one leg, bring our hands together, and say "yes Master" to them.
Some Asian food was in order. This is where the American part comes in and we picked up Chinese food. Noodles, egg roles, wantons, sweet and sour chicken, and it just wouldn't be a real American/Asian dinner without our trusty fortune cookies!
Dad pulled out some card board for the boys, that is the Kung Foo Masters, to practice their chops and kicks! They were pleased to get a proper Kung Foo work out.
We ended our evening with a viewing of Kung Foo Panda as mom slipped out the door to spend some time with a few other moms...ahhhh.

Update - Sorry = Buddies

2010-05-24T14:38:00.002-05:00

Trey did it! He made a great robot card for his apology note. Inside he also included 2 things he likes about this child. 1) "I like that you a very good at basketball and baseball." 2) "I like that when you talk to me you are very funny." At this age (7) you take what you get:)
When Trey arrived home from school he was thrilled to tell me that this child loved the card! That they hung out during recess, played basketball of course, did an art project together, and laughed a lot during lunch! Trey's smile couldn't be bigger as he told me how his day went. He did it and he loved the results. He is happy to have one of his "buddies" back.

Getting Into the Hard Stuff

2010-05-12T17:15:00.002-05:00

Today when I picked Trey up from school his teacher had to talk to me. Yes insert a large lump in my throat and the instant feeling of needing my gal bladder removed! When she has good things to tell you she usual writes these things to you in a beautiful email. When she takes her time at the end of her very long day to "talk" to you it only means one thing, your child has had a color change! Alright, I'm ready to listen. After all this is the biggest part of the "job" right? Right. It is the part of the "job" that is nerve wrecking and heart breaking and at the same time character building and humility seeking.
So there it was the dreaded color change and I needed and wanted to hear about it.

His teacher began to tell me 2 incidents that happened with Trey during school. The first, came about because Trey gave some answers to a few kids sitting at his table. This is not allowed and he knows this. The second, and the one that was extremely hard to hear, Trey was involved in a group of kids who "telephoned" to another child that he was "a nerd". This boy ended up crying and was of course very hurt! I almost started crying right in front of his teacher. My heart sank to hear about my son harming and hurting another in this cruel way. What, why, how could he,is all I could think. I reassured his teacher that I would be talking to Trey and taking measures to ensure that this will not happen again. Give me a moment here...I know this will happen again, and again, and again, but I have to believe that I can take Trey to a place where he chooses to not be a part of things that harm others. I want him to be a person who brings love, and fun, and words that make friends feel good about themselves. Phew, it's going to be a journey.
This is the part of life where we are "getting to the hard stuff". Trey and I did have a very long talk. We both shed tears! Trey does see that he hurt someone and made them sad. He now has to work through the consequences of a color change at school too. He will be writing two letters tonight.
One, he has to say that he is sorry to his teacher. For "cheating and not following the rules". There is no giving answers. He has to be able to communicate to her in this letter that he wants to be a student she can trust and follows the rules.
Two, he has to say sorry to his classmate. He has to write out why he is sorry and tell him that he is sad he made them sad. He also has to write out a few things he really likes about this child. And in his own child like way he asked if we could buy the child jolly ranchers because they are a favorite.
And, my own humility being put to the test. I will be walking him into his class tomorrow to watch and ensure these letters get delivered and he apologizes with his words as well.

(Deep sigh) This is rough. My heart is so very heavy thinking of the child whose heart was broken today. Who had to go to his teacher in tears. Who will be going home to his own family in tears. Tomorrow is a new day though and a chance for Trey to attempt to repair some of the hurt he did. He too has been crying knowing that he has hurt someone and understanding how hurt he would feel if he was the recipient of his own message. He also came to the conclusion that next time he would not pass along a mean message, rather, he would take a stand and say that he does not want to speak words to someone that will hurt them. Let the refining work begin.

Family Night

2010-05-11T09:04:00.007-05:00

Bug Night

Our Family Night was loaded with all things Bugs.
We started our evening by making our own creepy crawlies. The boys were really into it and made quite a few.

Our food was of course filled with bugs as well.
Bug Juice / Chips and dip beware the spiders hiding / Worm Dogs / Ants on a Log

The Great Bug Hunt with a thrown in Magical Frog
The original idea was to head out to some near by woods and hunt for bugs. That was a huge no go due to a rainy, chilly evening. No need to worry when you have a few glow in the dark spiders and dad's fabulous idea of one magical frog. Once you found 2 spiders you could look for the magical frog. If you found the magical frog you got to hide the spiders and frog on the next turn. The boys loved it all the while screaming with joy for the "magical frog". We played for hours! It was such a hit we have been playing it daily since. ***Check out the picture with Teguae holding up the magical frog. You can see Taatjes in the back face down, pounding his fist into the couch. He was so upset he didn't find the magical frog the first 2 turns. This is a highly competitive group!***

The Grand Finale - EATING DIRT
Mix 2 scoops Mud (chocolate pudding) with 2 scoops Dirt (crushed oreos) and add a few Worms and Spiders (gummy ones)
Rule for eating dirt - tell everyone how gross it tastes while you shovel your mouth full with it.

Yum! Nothing like going to bed all bugged out and full of dirt:)
Already looking forward to our next Family Night.

*Thanks to Lisa for turning me on to a great blog with tons of Family Ideas*

Because Ninja's Love Boxes

2010-05-10T15:40:00.007-05:00

When I walked into the garage and saw this I did not flinch or even contemplate the idea of stopping them. Instead I thought how resourceful, the moving boxes have been re-purposed. And of course I know I am not alone in the thought - this will keep them busy for a few hours, now what can I get done!
Teague has no idea just how fun his life is! Younger siblings have it made when it comes to adventure and constant activity. There is no way I would have ever let Trey do this when he was 3.
And yes my boys really do think they are Ninja's when they get to scale and jump from boxes. Because this is what the "real" ones on TV do. Thanks off the beaten path Sports Center show, Ninja Challenge, that "all" the boys in this family love. All!

That's How He Rolls

2010-04-24T16:54:00.003-05:00

It is never a surprise to us when we find Taatjes at the end of the day looking like this. Blue mouth from a candy he picked out while shopping. A little pop corn still rolling around in his mouth. And yes, those are pen stripes you see on his arm and across his forehead. After all when you are a tiger stuck in a boys body you find it necessary to apply the stripes you were missing back on. Those stripes continued across his entire body including toes yet minus his back for "he couldn't reach". This is the real Taatjes. He can be a real challenge during times he chooses to draw on himself and I still have to take him places and deal with people saying things and asking me what happened. But, it all seems worth it when we come to the end of the day and I take in his sweet face and I see this - A boy who's imagination is alive and full of potential. A boy who loves the color changing effect of candy so much he spent the first few hours home in front of the mirror giggling and making faces with his wonderfully new and improved blue mouth. A boy who does not feel the few kernels crunching around between his teeth because, well, he is far to involved with just being a boy (insert growls and tiger hunting and apparently the fact that "tigers are really good with rope swings"). The real Taatjes is just to much fun to take the pens, the candy, and the who knows what will pop out of or off of him he's a down right mess, away. Because, that's just how he rolls.

*He's so cute with how much he loved his blue mouth pointing to it for the picture. Also I should have taken more pictures of his stripes but in the moment it did not cross my mind due to the fact that this is not a new thing for him to do. It only came to my mind when I posted this. No worries though, I know there will be another chance! Oh and this is not a daily thing or the pens would most likely be removed:(*

Greer A Girl On The Go

2010-04-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of getting away, by myself, to go see Ian, Alyssa, and of most importance Greer! I had so much fun with them. Greer is a ball of energy. I can see that Ian and Alyssa have many busy days in their future with Greer! She is a girl on the go! She has this great jump/clap that she likes to do when she hears music playing. She can go and go and go screeching and screaming for joy for hours on end. It is a riot. Alyssa tells me she is small for her age and when you see her in her jump/clap action it makes perfect sense. In fact she's got me thinking of adding it to may daily routine to burn as many calories as she is:) Another wonderful thing about Greer is that she loves everyone. She amazed me when she let me get right in her face, laugh with her, chase her, and snuggle with her when she really does not know me yet!!! She smiles all the time, she keeps herself entertained, and she makes her way around and into everything. A small story that truly captures Greer's personality. Alyssa, Greer, and I went out to lunch one day. We sat a a table close to the door which turned out to be the place Greer needed to be. Every person that came into the restaurant was greeted by Greer and they loved it:) She smile at them and waved and basically made every ones day. Old and young she had to meet them all and let them know, hey how are you, let me see you and let us exchange a little friendly greeting (this is what I imagine is going through her little head). On the receiving end; there is nothing quite like seeing a baby smile at you weather it is yours or not it can instantly melt your heart. I loved being apart of Greer's greetings and seeing her change a persons mood and face the moment they walked through the door. What a fun, loving, friendly little girl Greer is becoming. Such a joy to those who love her and those she will soon meet. I miss her!

The Face Plants!

2010-04-03T10:56:00.000-05:00

"Alright who dares me to put my face in this cake!"

2010-03-24T13:58:00.002-05:00

Trey turned 7 and he asked to have his Basketball friends over for a party. We told him we could have a party here of course! But on one condition - no presents from his friends. He said ok and off we went on planning the party. Trey said all he wanted to do at his party was play football/basketball, watch sports, and he had promised his friends that they could decorate cakes, NOT CUPCAKES MOM! Sure, we can pull that off! The basement was cleared out for sports, Sports Bloopers was purchased (not as funny as we thought), and 6 cakes were made with all the fixings on the side.
Let me tell you - I received a Thank You from most parents for the "no present part"! They all have multiple children and get invited to many, many Birthday parties. They were so excited to have their boys just come over and celebrate Trey! I was nervous about this decision. Now if you are reading this thinking poor little Trey:( Don't worry he was spoiled plenty by his family. He got tons from us and his grandparents, and great grandparents, aunts/uncles, and great aunts and uncles. Football card collection (binder and tons of trading cards), electronics, Patriots Jersey (Go Pats!), Toys R Us Gift Cards, and Roller Blades, and some cold hard cash! That is plenty. We really want him to learn that his friendships and the fun they bring are more important than the "stuff" they bring.
Back to the party. All 7 year old boys came to the house for a 5-8pm party! Whoo Hoo! Treasure hunt we made up - check they asked to play again! Sports played -check. Bloopers watched - check and disappointing. Sardines thrown in - check they loved it! Now onto cake decorating - check, check, check the boys absolutely loved this! The title to this post is the main reason why.
"Alright who dares me to put my face in this cake!" This is what Trey said during cake decorating. And oh boy did every boys face light up! All were in! Faces plunged into each and every cake! Tons of laughter, tons of "Look at me", and one boy even shouted, "let's make this your Birthday tradition"!!! We got the whole thing on video. Justin hooked the recorder up to the TV so they could see how they looked. Definitely the highlight of the party. They could barely contain themselves, jumping up and down laughing hysterically at how funny they were! They kept saying "watch, watch, wait for it, ahhhh, I'm awesome", as they each saw themselves dunk their face into their cake. 7 year olds are crazy! But that is why we love them!

Taatjes Runs A Muck through Chucky Cheese!

2010-03-24T13:29:00.008-05:00

Taatjes turned 5! I have to be honest here and tell you that being new to the area and his school I did not know a single one of his classmates to throw him a party. It would have been too awkward! So we asked him if he would like to go to Chucky Cheese? That's a big yes from the 5 yr old boy! I dread Chucky Cheese!!! Extreme loud meets gross pizza meets snotty kids running around meets parents who tune out meets I can not stand this place! But I know that everything running through my mind during a Chucky Cheese visit is completely absent from a child's mind. So off we went. To my surprise if you go on a Monday evening to Chucky Cheese you may be one of the few people that go. It really did turn out to be a lot of fun. The boys were able to be crazed participants, bouncing from game to game to game. Taatjes loved it, which was all that mattered. He now loves being 5! Taatjes was also spoiled on by his family. Again Us, grandparents, aunts/uncles, great aunts and uncles, and great grandparents!
Red Wings Jersey, hockey card collection (binder and tons of hockey cards, toys r us gift cards, animals, roller blades, and cold hard cash!
A parenting highlight for us - the guy working the toy counter at Chucky Cheese, the place you turn in tickets for plastic, gave the boys extra toys (plastic) because he thought they had the best manners! (Insert one tear welling up in mom and dads eye) He told them they were very kind boys and thanked them for saying please and thank you!

Bathing Ninja Meets Inevitable Fate!

2010-03-17T09:12:00.006-05:00

Last night was bath time for Teague or should I say a little Ninja named Teague. To begin this little story I will tell you the end result was not one clean little Ninja. You see our little Ninja decided to enter his bath by way of one super cool, high flying, every real Ninja must have one action packed "heeyaw" move! He jumped from the edge of the tub and planted his little Ninja forehead straight into the opposite edge of the tub! Fortunate for me Dad was the one in the bathroom and snatched him up and immediately covered his bloody head. I heard the crash, and to be honest was crossing my fingers hoping it was Justin who slipped and fell on the ground and not Teague who I knew was getting in the tub. When I heard the screams and Justin yell "MICHELLE I NEED PAPER TOWELS!", DRAT, I knew it was Teague! So off we went. Pictures below tell the rest of the story.
Teague with his homemade head wrap (from mom and dad) in the ER waiting room. What a trooper with his smile!

All stitched up! They gave him some numbing cream on his wound and some oral drugs to make him nice and loopy. This morning he said the stitches tickled him when they did it - great:)

Showing me his Ninja move that landed him with a split forehead.
He did great! Not once did he move or cry while they stitched him up. In fact he did not cry the entire time we were there (4 hrs!!!). They were amazed at how brave he was and thought he was their best patient that night! I think the Valium may have come into play, thank goodness!
He was so cute as he kept telling all the nurses and doctors that he got hurt because he was a Ninja! Love this stuff, kinda:)
Extremely Important Side Note - Justin was fixing the shower/tub spout and had no idea what Teague was about to do!

I will miss this some day!

2010-03-09T09:44:00.002-06:00

Even though these are the same toys that have ended up piercing my feet at night, wedged in my vacuum, and clunking through the washer at times...I will miss not seeing them played with like this someday! "We need everyone we have to defend the castle!" Even the Santa globe made it in for the defense. Most likely a Teague placement:)

Things I love and Things we need to work on.

2010-02-03T16:24:00.015-06:00

As the 2 oldest boys birthdays approach and we look at 7 and 5, my analysis of the boys heightens. SO I decided to get down in writing a few of my thoughts for each boy.
Things I love about each boy and things that I see need some work.
*When I say work by no means am I looking for perfection in my children. Impossible. I am just looking to be consciously aware of my boys flaws, which we all have. I do believe that our greatest flaws can often lead to our greatest strengths when we let others in around us to bring out the beautiful side of them.*
Trey
He possesses an extraordinary ability to make friends with anyone. His whole being is rooted in friendship. He breathes "hello's" with his face and smiles and eyes. When he encounters new people or neighbors out for a walk he can't help but talk with them, let them know what he is up to and ask them what they are up to in return. It is his every thought to have fun and laugh with his friends. He reads books to be able to share ideas and information with his friends. He learns sports to be able to be a part of a team and grow his friendships deeper. When he was 18 months old and we moved into a new house I remember telling my mom that I will soon know everyone on my street thanks to Trey! And sure enough I did. Trey possesses the ability to talk for hours. Give him your attention and he will go and go, changing from this subject or that effortlessly. He recently entered into his new school and the teacher has many times said what a charmer he is and how one could never tell from the outside that he is a new student. It is my absolute favorite thing about Trey! His ability to make friends and turn them into to real friendships.
He has a flaw that is not so uncommon to other members of his family:) His competitive drive is rarely if ever off. There is no 1/2 effort that exists in his mind. He does not turn off the tackle mode with ease during a football game with his younger brothers. He does not turn off his will to beat a 3 yr old at the simplest of card games or board games to see the beauty of letting someone less than you win. In fact if he so happens to lose he will immediately erupt into tears. Another key example of this intensity to win comes when watching a football game with him. He will flip and flop cheering only for the team that is currently winning. We sit there and argue the point to him of picking one team and cheering for them the entire game no matter the loss or victory. It amazes me to see the physical battle going on inside him as he chooses a team at the beginning and struggles to cheer for them the length of the game. There is no doubt that this will be his life long challenge - to desire the best, but not at the loss or hurt of others. He himself is aware of this challenge and is working at it daily with his brothers.
Taatjes
He is the most determined boy! He was the earliest of all 3 boys to walk at 9 months. He has always had a look in his face when he wants to accomplish something of intense focus and concentration. His ability to keep up with Trey at physical activities all comes back to his determination to just do it. He learned to ride a bike with no training wheels in 3 passes down the parking lot! He is the best goalie at soccer and hockey with his tight scrunched face portraying a stop it at all costs look! I was ready for him to cry after his first hockey practice and refuse to go back. He calmly admitted that it was hard but he really wanted to be a hockey player and stick with it. He has not once cried out on the rink during his many falls and hard hits (many other children do)! In fact he hardly cries at all when he is hurt. He puts it quickly behind him so he can get back in and keep going. We are never in doubt if he is really hurt because of this. He is often referred to as my worker. :) He will stay out with me the longest to shovel, rake, garden, whatever the job may be...he just wants to work. He is the boy who always asks to help make dinner or unload the dishwasher. This is my absolute favorite thing about him. He works hard and does not give up easily! He is one determined boy!
The best thing about Taatjes goes hand and hand with the things he needs to work on. His determination can cross the line into a strong will/temper. While his fuse is long, when he reaches the end of it...kaboom, he is done and he lets us know it. It can be seen in 2 ways. 1)When he wants to learn something and it does not come fast enough for him - explosion! Turning into hitting something and grunts of frustration. i.e. He has frequently banged his hockey stick into the ice after a fall (kind of a John McEnroe type). 2) Direct reaction to his brothers taunts and teasing - explosion! Turning into a full body tackle or punch to the back. We are often stunned to see Taatjes have zero control and lash out by punching his brother in the back! It is extremely hard to watch as a parent and not give out extreme punishment - which we do but we are also seeking to address the underlying issue. His will! His communication! Speak boy, speak! Tell someone what is bothering you! This will be his life long struggle. To not just put his head down and expect others to know what he is trying to do. To verbalize his expectations and communicate to others what they are. He is also learning to be aware of his breaking point and communicate this to brothers.
Teague
This is difficult. Teague is 3 right now and I have learned that nearly every 3 yr old is defined by the same traits. Tantrums, single minded, stubborn, are things I find in common with 3 yr olds:) Thus it is a challenge to sift through what I see as phases and find something I truly love about just him (unique from his brothers). I think this is it though - He is extremely goofy and incredibly shy all at the same time. I simply love this combination, let me explain to you why. While at home Teague is our goofiest boy. He runs around crashing into us and furniture yelling "Mayday, Mayday"!!!! We are not surprised when he yells out "poop" or "stinky bottom" while eating dinner to get a laugh from his brothers. Or he will just look at one of them and roll his eyes, scrunch his nose, and pull his lips apart making silly faces for them. A favorite for Taatjes who always cracks up at their appearance! This is his main goal - make my brothers laugh at me:) However, go out in public and this all changes. Most people do not believe me when I tell them he speaks, yells, and laughs at home. He barely looks at another person in public. Many of my friends will celebrate the smallest of looks from Teague in their direction. I can bring him anywhere. Volunteering in the boys class, not a problem with Teague - he won't make a peep. Take him to listen to stories at the Library, not a problem - he won't leave the front of my feet unlike many other children who run around and touch the book and get in the readers face. I have received many a compliment for this behavior. Many other moms say to me, "how did you get him to listen so well and behave so well?" As much as I would love to pat myself on the back with a smug, "I'm just that good.", I tell them the truth; "He is way to afraid to make a move or a sound!" Super, super shy is why! The boy just makes me look good and I love it! This combination is my absolute favorite thing about Teague!
We have a another "know-it-all" on our hands. Trey also posses this temperament. But, Teague's "know-it-all" temperament soars to new levels. He could go for hours arguing "no" to his brothers if he thinks they are doing or saying something the wrong way. He will not back down. If I am able to convince him to yield his position, I will see him minutes later run over to his brother and whisper just one last time "no you're wrong". Unbelievable! Another classic Teague line which is currently something he enjoys saying to his parents often - "See I told you so". This statement is said to one of us during a run back and forth between the 2 of us looking for miss information quest. Which by the way is inevitable. 2 parents equals 2 different ideas many times. Tegaue has recently become a master at divide and conquer. He will find dad up stairs coming home from work and ask something like; "can we have ice cream?". Dad will say "no" because we have not had dinner yet. Then he will run down to the kitchen and find me to ask the same question; "can we have ice cream?". I typically say; "Yes. We can have ice cream if you finish all your dinner". Poof! He is off running back up stairs to deliver his favorite message - "See I told you so! Mom said we can have ice cream!" To see his body do a funny little shimmy as he says these words adds to the complete "know-it-all" look. He loves it. He's thrilled to say it. It is funny now. But, we know it won't be so funny in the future. He will not successfully keep many friends with it, he will not be let in on many conversations between his brothers, he will not be a person you can easily share your thoughts with. This one is more for us as parents. We need to work on it. Be on the same page. Show him through our own actions of listening and not always answering. And simply tell Teague the truth. No, you do not know everything. We're good at that one, we have been saying that to Trey for quite some time now:)
As I read back through what I have written I can't help but think "Yes, I am simply crazy about these boys"! I am immeasurably thankful that God has gifted them to us. I am thankful for the things I love and the things we need to work on! The gift is in each one!

Winter Sports

2010-01-25T11:56:00.005-06:00

Basketball for Trey. Basketball at such a young age is simply painful to watch. Maybe it is because I used to play??? I haven't figured it out yet but I just can't help but wince as they run with the ball no dribbling, never passing, and shooting the ball from almost half court!!!! Don't worry though I would never say these things out loud:) Really it is fun and hilarious to watch for all those reasons. They are just beginning to learn the sport. You want to make sure they enjoy it as well and not implement to many rules. Really the only rule is the out of bounds line. It's working too because Trey loves Basketball right now!

Hockey for Taatjes! Oh my my my! How do I begin to explain Taatjes first hockey practice. Let me tell you that I was almost in tears! Not him mind you just me! He could barely stay up on his skates. He took fall after fall after fall. He used every once of energy just to pick himself up over and over again. I thought for sure he was going to come off the ice crying and telling me he never wanted to come back. Taatjes proved my thought wrong! When he was finished he did say it was very hard, but, he really wants to be a hockey player! He couldn't wait for his next practice! And so we have continued and Taatjes has been skating 4 times now and walla he's got it! Side note - Putting on hockey gear makes me sweat! So much gear and making his laces tight enough is going to break a finger some day!!!

So Justin...

2010-01-20T09:53:00.003-06:00

On Trey's 1st day at his new school I asked Justin to write him a little note to put in his lunch box. He gladly wrote the note and placed in the box. I knew Trey would just love to open up his lunch as he sat at a table filled with new faces and see something from his Dad.
So at the end of the school day we picked Trey up. I just let him talk on the way home about whatever he wanted or needed to get out. He spoke about the kids, especially the boys who like football:) He spoke about his new locker and recess and lunch time. When lunch time came up I was waiting to hear mention of the note Dad put in. But nothing...um. He just kept going and going, if you know Trey you know what that is like:) When we reached home and were all getting out of the car (a moment of silence finally)I asked him if he liked his Dad's note? He said, "oh yes of course"! I asked him what did it say (I had not looked at it yet). Trey, "Well, I didn't really read it, it was just too much. I just read Trey and Dad". In my head, too much, I wonder what he is talking about??? Of course I grabbed for the lunch box to open it and see what he meant. This is what I found.

This is soooo Justin!!! I laughed a bit as Trey said; "now let me read it". Too funny, classic Justin:) ***Now I must tell you that I am not hurting Justin's feelings by writing this. And, he is fine with me posting this:) Something else that is so Justin is the remarkable ability to laugh at himself when he goes a bit "serious" with his boys. Which is exactly what is so Justin about it. He was a bit "serious" with this note. It is not that Trey couldn't read it. It is that what 6 yr old boy sitting at a table with new kids, who loves to talk as much as he does, takes the time to read this note:) This doesn't take away from the fact that it still meant a lot Trey to see a special note in his lunch from dad. He loved it and when he read it at home he had a big smile. I just love this about Justin! All he needed to write is something like - I love you, or, Have a Great Day, or, Have fun making friends! He knows that, but he has so much he wants to tell his little boy on such a big day for him. The note came from his heart and Justin's heart doesn't work with little words or phrases. He wanted to make sure his boy understood that he was routing for him, praying for him, and thinking about what a great friend he is to others! It is just So Beautifully Justin.
When Justin got home that night he asked about his note. We laughed together as we thought of Trey opening his lunch box and thinking, no way am I reading all that:) We also reflected on the time we took Taatjes out for finishing his 1st year of preschool. The time Justin was giving him a very long speech about how proud he was and Taatjes starred off out the window:) (Sigh) Gotta love him for it!
Let me just say that some day a note like that from his Dad will be a highly cherished possession! Our 3 boys will love him for them! We are glad he is "So Justin"!!!

The Daily Grind

2009-12-29T08:23:00.002-06:00

A few daily statements and questions from the boys over the break.

Teague - (through out the day) Typically at various points during the day one will ask Teague to pass something or if he wants a snack. To this he promptly replies with a snarl to his voice and face "that's not my name! I'm Avatar!" or replace Avatar with, "I'm Batman!" or, "I'm Buzzlightyear!". You see he constantly changes, I believe in his own clever way so he can keep his snarling voice and face he loves so much. By the time I'm going for my next "Avatar, can you come eat your lunch?", the snarl rears around and says, "I'm Batman!".

Taatjes - every morning he slips me a little note. I take it and read it already knowing the words on the page. "Can I please have a cat"? Then he passes my direction to verbally remind me he has a birthday coming up:)
This ones my favorite I wrote it down immediately after the conversation occurred. Taatjes tells me- "I know what you get to eat and drink when you go to heaven!"
Mom- "really what?"
Taatjes- "You only eat bread and drink wine. God makes the wine!"

Trey - A sign of the times...Trey's daily request for a phone and his physical jaw dropping response when I tell him "No"!
Another conversation that we have had a few times now.
Trey - "I do not believe in Santa because I wanted a (insert whatever he happens to think of in that moment. today it was...) radio and he didn't get it for me so he can not be real. Plus he has never given me a real Penguin!" Apparently a life-long request of his that he just informed me about. Really I just can't win with that stuff!

Snow Shoes All Over Town

2009-12-27T16:25:00.000-06:00

What is that noise? Where is it coming from? Oh it's the new people:- Yup, it's the Belgiano's and we don't care that we sound like a pack of Moose emerging from the forest. We got SNOW SHOES for Christmas and we are coming out to play!!!
They were pretty loud on the sidewalks of suburbia until we made it to the snow packed park. The boys just loved the snow shoes. Trey now wants to enter a snow shoe marathon:) Hey it's possible now!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:10:00.003-06:00

Warmest wishes for a very Merry Christmas to you all.
The Beligano Family sends it's love from our new home in Madison, WI. We are knee deep in snow and loving it:) We are spending our Christmas making snow men, snow forts equipped with icicle cannons, and eating pazzelles!

The Crew

2009-12-14T07:55:00.007-06:00

(Thanks Lisa)

Birthday Party w/Cousins! The Best!

2009-12-04T10:09:00.002-06:00

We were able to celebrate our 3 fall birthdays all together this year! Christian - 10, Jazlin - 6, and Teague - 3. They were so excited to party with eachother:)

He's 3 and He's Buzz Light Year (to the rescue)

2009-12-04T09:59:00.000-06:00

Nov. 27th our Teague turned 3!!! Having 2 older brothers, this 3 yr old was more than thrilled to be getting up their in numbers:) The Buzz Lightyear gear was a huge hit for his birthday. He now refers to himself as "Buzz Lightyear" and runs around saying "to the rescue"!

Everyday he walks out the doors and this is all I used to see...

2009-11-25T08:47:00.004-06:00

Hi Mom! (Pulling my eyes upward and pretending that flames are not coming out of my ears) Oh Hi Trey how was your day?!

I don't know why but some days I am hopeful that he will walk out of his school and his pants will not be full of grass stains. It just isn't so:( Every morning I try to give him a gentle reminder, even though I know it is lost on him. He simply nods his head as I say; "do you think you could try to stay on your feet playing football at school?" Ya right, no way, it just can't be! This request stands in direct opposition to very nature of the game 500. You are supposed to be the one to go full out and catch the ball when it comes flying at you. He can't possibly think oh wait I know the ball is coming at me, but, it is a bit out of my reach, and I might have to dive, which will in turn cause me to completely wreck the pants that I am wearing, and this will make my mom upset! Its funny because under any other conditions I would be telling him; "if your going to do this sport then give it everything you've got!" How confusing for him. I mean who's problem is this really. Is it mine, or is it his. We have 2 competing "desires". A boys desire to be a BOY. And, a mom's desire to be well "Sane". (If you have been here you know what I am talking about.) Which desire wins? I hold the "power", authority if you will, to impose my desire to be the winner. I do also hold the "power" to relinquish my desire and allow the full Boy to escape him without the "upset" mom pay back at the end of his day. Here is where I currently stand. I have surrendered my "desire" for clean pants. I have given over to sending him in sweat pants and sports pants, and well right back in those stained up pants. In turn, hoping that I have empowered him to be that Boy dying to get out on that football field. I can't fight it. I don't want to. I have conquered my gaze and redirected it towards his face, full of smiles, reaching my arms out to hug him and tell him that I am glad to have him home!

Just Teague and Mom...

2009-11-19T12:51:00.003-06:00

...and peace and quite:)

A little glimpse at something Teague and I get to do while the brothers are at school. Build train tracks in any direction he wants them to go (not so easily done with brothers around). Use any train you want, and drive it in any direction you want. We also go to the library once a week by ourselves. I love it! Not only does my head get to stay in one direction, I get a real chance to pick out some of the books I want! Now don't get me wrong; all 3 of them together has different benefits (like laughing hysterically at the things they tell each other or the games they come up with). Just sharing a bit of the peaceful side of our life:)

Some Pay Off

2009-11-12T18:47:00.003-06:00

(Deep sigh of releaf) What a beautiful site! 3 boys raking leaves, playing in leaves, and topping it off with bagging leaves! Yes all this was done without me. Well to be honest just the front yard. I did have to rake the back yard by myself. However the front was enough for me this year. It was a truely wonderful moment. Doesn't take much these days:)

And there it goes...

2009-11-12T08:20:00.003-06:00

Taatjes front tooth made a good run. Maybe you remember his biking accident of 07? I certainly do! That summer while on a walk/bike ride Taatjes fell and knocked 2 of his teeth out. Lucky for us they were sitting in his mouth when we showed up to our pediatric dentist!!! We spent a pretty penny to have them placed back in and wired to his other teeth (and removing the dead roots - so awful). It was well worth it. They held in for 2 yrs and saved the space for his next tooth to come through.
Let me share Taatjes new look with you.

The event took place at school. He knocked another boys head (that poor boy was probably in more pain than Taatjes) and pop out came the tooth. We won't go into the part where the school called and I was to busy test driving cars to hear the phone ringing in my purse - whoops. His teacher is amazing and they took care of it all. (Again Lisa I want the mom of the year award for this one!) He was so excited. He told his teacher that he was either going to get a feather or a dollar! So cute, we have left feathers, "dropped from the tooth fairy", by Trey's bed when he has lost a tooth. Had no idea Taatjes thought that was awesome:) Sure enough when he awoke he was thrilled to see 4 feathers sitting in his bed! It took him a minute to check and find the dollar under the pillow. He is such a sweet boy. He shared his feathers with his brothers and us. We will have our toothless wonder for quite a while. It's cool with him cause looking like a real pirate is every little boys dream come true!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-03T09:31:00.006-06:00

Ninja

G.I.Joe (who lost his helmet)

Knight

The boys went wild trick or treating this year. We ended up with 2 rounds of it. One at a friends costume party and again in our neighborhood. Justin was down with the flu so it was up to me this year to get everyone dressed and out the door for candy time! This is typically his role and I stay to pass out the candy to all the kids. I happen to love seeing every ones creative ideas and smiles when you put a bunch of candy in their bags:) Oh and poke fun at the teenagers who come to the door with no costume. Well, it was fun to see my boys super excited yelling trick or treat and having someone fill their pumpkins. (This is the first year Trey noticed the older kids using pillow cases. Causing him to make a prompt request for trading in his "small" pumpkin for a "big" pillow case next year!) They also had a blast answering our door once we came home. Taatjes double-fisted candy into bags which brought out shrieks of joy from the kids! He was also yelling out to them "I gave you a treat not a trick!", such fun! Great memory and now onto the daily grind of 3 kids begging for candy at every turn in the day.

The Spoils

Another thought from Teague...

2009-11-03T08:23:00.002-06:00

"I wish mom was a dad so we could have all boys in our family!"

Ummmm interesting? (ouch)- It's rough being the only girl in the house sometimes:)

A few words from Teague

2009-10-27T10:55:00.002-05:00

This is a daily one - "Let me pick first cause I'm the littlest in this family!!!"
Cracks me up every time he says that:)

After a trip to Cabela's (with Dad) - "I wish our house was Cabela's!!!" Um you and Daddy.

Another "rules" boy - (this one is typically yelled) "Follow the rules!!!" Or - "Mom said so!!!" Again, these are yelled multiple times during the day.

And, in classic nearly 3 fashion - "NO, No, NO!!!" To pretty much everything, yes, even good things. He just has to say it. Thank goodness I now know this is a phase. Just took me 2 times through to learn it:)

Down on Didier Farms

2009-10-27T08:02:00.001-05:00

Taatjes' 1st field trip! He was super excited to get to the pumpkin farm with his class! Even better was that his friend Ethan got to come with us:) Oh yeah, and he had to drag his little brother along:) Teague loved it as well. Hay ride, petting zoo, doughnuts, maze, and pick your own pumpkin. All coming together to bring huge smiles, giggles of joy, and sugar filled bellies! That's a field trip win.

(In sad news - Trey is missing his Pumpkin Farm field trip this day because he has come down with the flu. He was bawling his eyes out this morning when I had to break the news to him:( I hate this part of parenting, the breaking his heart part. But unfortunately I know all too well this is only the beginning of a few more broken heart moments!)

Gymnastics Show

2009-10-22T10:19:00.000-05:00

So this year I asked Taatjes; "what is something new you would like to learn?". He picked Gymnastics! Well great we can do that and I think you will love it. Needless to say Taatjes did love his gymnastics class. Taatjes really loves anything that is rough and tumble. He did really well but Justin and I noticed something with him. He is wild and just too crazy for gymnastics. He did listen and do everything he was taught. But we feared he was going to break his neck doing all of it. He just runs full on, jumping of the mats, grabbing the high bars, doing front flips right off of them, and not landing gracefully. I don't think his teachers quite new what to say to him. He did it, but oh my was that "wild"! He is our "Wild Card" for sure:)
We are thinking he is more of a hockey/football/rugby kind of kid! It's all full speed ahead and if I think I can do it I am certainly going to try. You never know what the "wild card" might do!
These are pictures from his gymnastics show for the parents.

The Big House

2009-10-22T09:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks Papa Doc! Yea the boys got to head back to Michigan for their annual UofM game with Papa Doc. It was Teague's 1st game and Papa Doc bought him his first Michigan hat, he was thrilled! The boys pretty much sang the Micihgan fight song the entire game. Really haven't stopped yet:) The best thing is that Michigan won, thank goodness!

With the victory came a spacial visit to Blimpy's! On Guys' list of Diners, Drive-in,s and Dives helping Justin add a check mark to his list:)

Fall Hike in Wisconsin

2009-10-14T17:28:00.009-05:00

We got to hike with our friends and all 6 of our children ages 6,5,4,3,2,1). They did awesome! 3 miles! It was a beautiful hike. Fall colors beginning, lake in the middle, and a brisk chill in the air. Actually it was so cold the kids wore their winter coats and I think my PBn'J sandwich was partially frozen when I ate it.
Good times, great memories, great find Joe and Tina!

A Rare Picture of Us!

2009-10-14T17:24:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Tina and Joe for taking it:)
During our Fall hike in WI.

I'm 6 and I'm looking for a say in this family...

2009-10-05T09:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we were playing a family football game; it is fall after all. It started of great. Cooperation on all sides, agreement with the game plans, and only two-hand touch for play stoppage. Alright our pre-game talk is working!
Until - (painting the image here) Trey running after the man with the ball. Teague, the man with the ball, who is half the size of Trey and trying to score a touch down. Trey meeting the man with the ball, Teague, and completely leveling him to the ground so he will not score a touch down! Shock and horror on the parents faces. Teague now screaming and Trey a little unsure of why his team is not cheering at his great football tackling skills.
Well when it comes to Trey both Justin and I know it is a matter of time before he simply can not handle losing or running the plays he believes to be best. Also, he is the oldest, biggest, and most coordinated at this point in our family in regards to his brothers. We do realize that this is a hard place for him to be in when you combine all those things. (Special thanks to Wolgie who can offer us great insight on how "hard" it really is to be the oldest child, since Justin and I are not!) We do give him time to be 6 and play full out. We just want him to understand that this time is not when he is playing with his brothers.
So, we have to tell him to go inside and sit in his room because he did not follow the rules, he has hurt his brother, etc.
He goes inside crying and very upset.
He serves the punishment (time out and can not finish the game)
So we go in, we have a talk, and everything seems all right.
A few moments later.
Trey whips some paper out of his pockets. "Hey mom want to see what I made?" Me, "Yes, please show me". Trey; "I made 2 signs!" Unfolding his paper he reveals 2 "signs" he has made out of paper. These "signs" contain 2 messages.
Sign 1 - No One Can Put Me In Time Out!
Sign 2 - No One Can Stop Me From Playing Football!

(Again, good try, but that is not how it works in our family:))
This stuff is hilarious. It is all a part of growing up. Hey he is 6 and he is looking for a bit of a say in his family. We just need to keep working on that together to shape a nice respectful voice:)

Um you look like you need some help...

2009-09-24T09:54:00.003-05:00

(The other day while gathering things and give my marching orders to get out the door on time.)

Trey : "Hey mom if you need any advice just ask me." (In a plain and simple tone.)

Is it that obvious that I have no were near mastered this whole mom thing:)
A few possible translations

Hey mom I'm here for you.
Or
Your back and forth, back and forth, just stop and let me bring some clarity to these proceedings.
Or
He has most definitely positively received a few genetic traits from his father:)

Choose what you like, but personally, I am for the last option...teehee.

1st Grade and Pre-K

2009-09-16T12:19:00.005-05:00

Greer! So Adorable!

2009-09-14T09:46:00.004-05:00

Live for this stuff...

2009-09-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

Hamburger Night...

...I used sesame seed buns for our burgers the other night; something that the boys are not used to seeing on their bun. I brought the plates out, set them down, and immediately received a few sighs of "what is that she is trying to give us"! First Trey; "Why seeds on our bun? I don't want a bun like this!" Next Teague; "Awe!" And finally Taatjes, huge smile on his face as he scraps the seeds of his bun in silence. Me; "Taatjes stop what are you doing? Don't make a mess like that! Leave the bun alone!" Taatjes; "Mom I'm getting the seeds of so I can go plant a hamburger tree in the back yard!!!!" Cracks me up! I do live for this stuff!

Pictures of back to school coming as soon as I can locate my cord to download them to the computer:)

School starts tomorrow...

2009-08-30T21:55:00.002-05:00

...and I am the only one with a pit in my stomach:(

1st grade = full day! I will post with pictures and stories soon.

Manitou Springs Mechanical Mania

2009-08-17T08:22:00.001-05:00

Even more...

2009-08-17T08:21:00.001-05:00

Couldn't Resist

2009-08-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

Colorado...the Second Week

2009-08-12T07:59:00.015-05:00

(Pikes Peak)

After all our adventures in Denver we headed down to "The Springs", in local terminology a.k.a. Colorado Springs. Our great friends the Smiths hosted us and took us on many more amazing adventures! Green Mountain Falls hike, Garden of the Gods, Manatou Springs, and a great park perfect for little boys to climb to the top of a small mountain and get the feel of "victory" up there. This place is just an one big outdoor playground! For those of you who know John Eldridge and his Wild at Heart book...he lives here!

The boys - Trey, Mason, and Taatjes at the bottom of Green Mountian Falls

Half way up

Lunch break

Mountian Lions

Tunnel adventures and crayfish hunting again:)

Garden of The Gods

Victory!

Pikes Peak view thru Garden of the Gods

Learning some rock climbing skills...plant and push!

The Dads at work! The rock climbing only worked because of them:)

The Smith's

Home from the Rockies!

2009-08-08T12:16:00.005-05:00

It is going to take me a while to choose from the 400+ pictures we have. We had an absolute blast up in the Rocky Mountains. The Belg Boys are continuing on in their quest for a "Braveheart" life. One more notch in their belt for bravery and exploration. They all hiked a good 3 miles (Teague is only 2! He blew us away with his determination to hike with his brothers!)up and down multiple days during our stay. They caught a snake, many crayfish, and rock climbed their way to peaks of "smaller" mountains along the way. What a beautiful world up in there. We all sensed our wild side come alive in those mountains!

More to come...my mind is overwhelmed right now!

Colorado Rocky Mountians....The beginning...

2009-08-08T12:00:00.019-05:00

Our first half of the trip was with the Wolgies; Denver part of the Rockies. Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park were the highlights. Cub Lake and Fern Falls were the 2 hikes we took and left us wanting more of this beautiful Mountian range. Snakes, fish, and water falls kept us parents on our toes to say the least with 4 children in toe ages 6, 4, 2, and 18 months! After all our hiking in the up ward direction for a couple days we decided to head over to Castlewood Canyon for a hike in the downward direction and a bit more river exploration (as in crayfish catching). A few pics coming your way...

We call them "The Wolgies"! Thanks for hosting the Belg Crew Rocky Mountian Exploration! We had such a great time with you!

Inside the Canyon.

Our swim stop!

Malia and the boys:)

*Warning* To the grandparents - some of these pictures look a lot scarier than they really were, thanks to some clever staging:) We did not at any time place your grandchildren in harms way!

Colorado Road Trip

2009-07-24T07:35:00.005-05:00

So I just returned from Massachusetts 2 weeks ago and now we are headed off to Colorado!!! The trip is nearly the same distance, Colorado a bit closer. We will be attempting a stop at one of "Guy's" (from Food Network) Diner's, Drive-in's, and Dives! So excited! Definitely a highlight on the drive out.
Our last trip went so well. I think this one will be great too. I just love all the funny stories we are collecting this summer from our trips!
Rocky Mountains here we come!!!!

Catching Fire Flies

2009-07-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

I love summer nights!

A Broken Heart

2009-07-17T20:38:00.003-05:00

And a mom who was not fully listening to her sons request gone wrong. Poor Taatjes:(
Taatjes fell in love with Tike while we were out visiting Grandma and Heehaws house. One day while we were all in the kitchen Taatjes asked if we could "take Tike home with us". I in my half tuned in state of mind heard; "can we take home a kite". I quickly responded with a yes (now be on your way attitude) answer for him. He seemed extremely pleased. Nice, that was easy enough. Uh not so. My mom quickly chimed in, thank goodness; "did you hear what he just asked you?" Um yes he said something about a kite. My mom, "No he asked if he could take home Tike!" Oh my goodness no of course we can not take home Tike, Taatjes we will never be taking Tike home! Crack...went the small heart inside his small chest and out came the whales of disappointment. I felt terrible! Real nice move! He just loved Tike always giving him treats and unfortunately for Tike cuddling him to death. Classic listening blunder. Sorry Taatjes is was at the expensive of your hearts fondest wish.

Side note: As I am writing this Trey passed by and saw the pictures. Let me quote him. "Look Taatjes and Tike the buddies!"

I think I like these fake teeth the most...

2009-07-17T20:33:00.002-05:00

...and yes, I have worn them out myself!
This time accompanied by little christmas butter knives the boys found in Grandmas drawers. Just like the "real Peter Pan" has!

Andrew and Becca We Love You! (Chris and Jen too of course)

2009-07-16T07:53:00.004-05:00

We miss you all so much already! The boys are now pretending you are still around and playing with you! Kinda sad though:(
Thanks for letting the boys swim at the pool everyday and keeping them entertained! They have asked me to bring them to your house for swimming and Sardines...wish I could!

Our new Neice Greer!

2009-07-11T19:15:00.004-05:00

She is just adorable! We are all in love with her! She already has so much spunk for a little girl. She is a mover, I can see now how much abuse she was giving her poor mama:) The boys just had to have a picture of her with the monkey they picked out for her with Grandma and HeeHaw. We will miss her and can't wait to see her again soon!

This too!

2009-07-01T21:48:00.001-05:00

Pancakes and Air Hockey!

This is what Grandpas are good for...

2009-07-01T21:43:00.002-05:00

...a pair of fake teeth! All 3 boys got a pair from Grandpa. For some reason the other 2 love wearing them but will not let me take a picture of it. As you can see this is not true for Trey, he is loving them.

Father's Day Fort!!!

2009-06-24T13:50:00.000-05:00

What better to do on Father's Day than a real "Dad" project! Well, maybe not exactly what Justin had in mind but boy did his sons think he was the greatest Dad in the world for it!!! A home made fort with places for guns to stick out, a roof to climb on, and under a big pine tree for "forest like" realness:) This is just the beginning of a fort that we in vision being added on to for many years to come. Already the boys are asking for us to paint "Danger Keep Out" on it. Not so much Teague as the other 2:) A pirate flag was another request. We will have to see how we end the summer with it.

1st Day of Summer!

2009-06-16T08:04:00.003-05:00

This is only the beginning to a great summer!
Bike rides, picnic with school friends, and the pool. Off to a fun start:)

Buzzed for the Summer

2009-06-16T07:43:00.002-05:00

So, Taatjes gave me a great idea for summer hair cuts. When I found him in the bathroom with a whole cut in his hair, scissors in hand, small pile of hair between his legs, my first thought was how do we fix this. Buzz it off!!! Summer hair cuts time! Even better outdoor hair cuts...ghetto fabulous!
Taatjes loved his buzz. Trey was a little upset at first, actually, he huffed off a bit upset when it was finished. We thought just give him a little space. He always takes a while to adjust to change. After some "space" I went over to ask him what he thought of his hair cut and find out how upset he was. He informed me that he did not like it! He wanted to have no hair! Bald!!! I started laughing! Oh that we can deal with...
I was able to talk him out of premature baldness thank goodness:)

T+L Anniversary Party

2009-06-16T07:35:00.002-05:00

Lots of friends, a dance floor, Timmy, throw in a DJ, and you got yourself one rock'n party! Thanks for the party Tim and Lisa! Happy 10th! Let's do this again for year 11!!!!!!

Injuries...just add it to the list.

2009-05-28T07:43:00.004-05:00

Instant Goose Egg.
Poor Teague:( This is the result of chasing a balloon, looking up, tripping, falling, face meeting the edge of the book self. Crazy! Bad injury, lots of screaming involved! I know all the signs now of broken vs not and concussion vs no concussion.
Keep awake - check
Pupils not dilated - check
No blood coming out of nose - check
Ask questions for him to answer every 10 mins - check
Call pediatrician (have them tell me just ice it because there is nothing they can do to that part of the nose anyways) - check
Frozen Peas application every 20 mins - check

Saved myself a very long ER visit - big check!

Biking without Trianing Wheels

2009-05-28T07:38:00.001-05:00

So exciting...

2009-05-27T07:26:00.002-05:00

A few big milestones have been accomplished by our "wild card" Taatjes!

He has completed his first year of school! We took him out last night for ice cream to celebrate. Best part of the outing was Dad going on and on about how proud he is of him and dishing out the compliments and Taatjes just gives him a blank look and slowly turns his head to look for anything of interest out the window. It made us laugh thinking of what was running through his mind...ok, ok dad, so serious, I know I know hum look at that over there...I'm out:) One of those moments as a parent when you just laugh and realize short and sweet is best with a 4 year old.

On an exciting note! Taatjes now rides his bike without training wheels!!! Oh Yeah! He was awesome. He did not cry once when he fell down and he had a number of rough falls. Each time he fell he would give you a bit of a sad look, hop back on his bike, and take off again more determined than the last ride. One night was all it took for him. He can start himself and stop without falling over. I have to say he rocked it out! We were doubtful on the walk over to the church parking lot that he would be able to pull this feat off, but, he did it! We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and gladly admitted our wrong assumptions while cheering on our new bike rider:) Only problem now; you have to practically yank him off his bike at the end of the day. He has been going non-stop since Friday night!
Personality insight (I can not get enough of these as you know).
Trey - when Trey learned to ride his bike he shouted it from the roof tops. He told every neighbor and any person who walked by the house; "hey look at me I know how to ride without training wheels"! When Trey feels confident he let's you know it.
Taatjes - I asked him when he came home from school yesterday if he told his teacher he knows how to ride his bike without training wheels. He said; "No, I didn't tell her." Believe me he is just as proud of this feat as Trey was. He just handles it differently. Taatjes has a quite confidence that you have to proactively pull out of him.
They are so different! I love it! Can't wait to see Teague do all this too!
(No pictures:( Still need to replace my camera. Phone video clip to come soon!)

Trey's Concert

2009-05-11T08:36:00.006-05:00

I love these kids concerts! Trey had been singing a few of the songs he was learning at dinner each night but a few he saved as a secret! They had 11 songs they sang for us! My favorite was this Mumble Grumble Song. It was about your mom/dad/grandparents all telling you what to do! The best line - Mumble Grumble this is no fun you don't have to like it but its gotta get done! Trey was so funny! Any time he was not singing he stood there with his arms crossed and a very serious look on his face. His favorite song - Hi My Name is Joe! Lots of fun and good memories made:)

A Few From Taatjes Family Night

2009-05-06T08:26:00.003-05:00

Taatjes loves to sing!!! This is him at Family Night for Preschool. He loved singing and we loved watching him of course:) We also got to all make him this "Diego" rescue Jeep! They had a box car/plane/train parade.
We had a Diego rescue Jeep at home and this is what he requested we make for his car. When it was all finished he held the car up next to our replica to inspect. Well apparently we did not have the right color for the tires and we were missing a few animals. Good but not exact! Picky, picky, picky! Eventually he said it was good enough:) Justin and I just looked at each other and laughed...um that only took us a couple hours to tape and paint and fix all the wheels to make sure they spin and everything! So thanks for the critiques and the well I guess that is good enough response when all is said and done. The standards around here, my goodness!
We all had fun watching all the kids in the parade. The Jeep became a nice play toy too. That is until Taatjes decided to cut it up into pieces like a chop shop.
This is only the beginning of all the school projects, lovely.
Special thanks to my Dad for helping me with all my science fair projects!!!
Love ya!!!

Teague a rare 2 year old

2009-04-29T07:57:00.002-05:00

Having 2 older brothers can make for some very interesting things coming out of our 2year olds mouth. He cracks me up!
A few of my favorites...

"No one talk to me!"
"I am never going to die, I drink water!"
"I am never, never going to be your friend!"
"I neeeeed candy!"

He says a lot of cute things too; but, so did his brothers. These are a few choice statements that his brothers did not say at age 2! They say them now! Two of those are classic Trey statements and two are classic Taatjes statements. Can you guess which ones?

Wow that's a lot!

2009-04-22T08:12:00.002-05:00

The other day Trey asked Justin and I a wonderful and, apparently to him, funny question. I love when they ask things like this.

Trey - Dad how many times have you kissed mommy? 100 times?

Dad - Oh way more than 100. We have been kissing for over 10 years!

Trey - (eyes enlarged as he rolls numbers through his head) Like more than a million? You think more than a billion? How about infinity?

Dad - Maybe I have kissed her infinity times!

Trey - bursts into laughter! Oh you guys...hahahaha!

Dad - kisses mom again

Trey - Infinity and one!

A Broken Beauty...

2009-04-20T08:27:00.011-05:00

The Republic of South Africa is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. Mountains, vineyards, fields that stretch on and on, ocean, and stars. It had been too long since I had the chance to see an entire galaxy of stars in the sky!!!! Not to mention wild horses, ZEBRAS running across the open fields, and Wildebeest stare down...which I have to admit sent me running in the opposite direction of their line formation that instantly formed when we approached closer than they liked! If you have seen the Lion King you would do the same thing! Or if you live in a house of boys and you have seen wildebeest vs. lion vs. crocodile on u-tube! South Africa filled my eyes with delight at its natural beauty!
But I did not go to sight see. I went to connect with the people of South Africa. To learn more about the struggle for jobs, education, families, and children. To work side by side with people who have given their lives to see injustice be righted. To pray for women, mostly mothers like myself, who have been hospitalized and long to take care of their families. I was given a chance to open my life to people miles and miles away from me and begin a connection that will never leave my thoughts and prayers! What a gift! What a joy! To push aside things of little importance in my life and make room for people I now care deeply for!
There are so many amazing stories I walked away with and amazing people I interacted with. When Justin and the boys picked me up from the airport he asked me how I felt about South Africa, all I could say was "I feel so encouraged"! For many years when I thought of Africa my heart sank into my stomach. The only things that raced through my mind were AIDS, unclean drinking water, dirty children, orphans, drought, and down right sadness. Now, in one trip, to one piece of that Nation, new and wonderful things have begun to become a part of those thoughts! It is not that those things are not a large part of Africa, but rather, they are only a part of the story over there. I have seen incredibly gifted people working to right the wrongs of South Africa. I have taught children of that country and seen their insatiable appetite to learn and grow and be leaders in the future. I am blessed to now be a small part of the hope and light in South Africa! And let me tell you God is huge in that country! The adults praise Him, the children praise Him, even the mountains stand in His glory!
Now down to the nitty gritty...
This is the Preschool class that I taught for the week. The town that these children live in is Kayumundi the school/orphanage is called Kayusu "light on the hill". The town of Kayumundi is called the fatherless town by the locals. They have 80% unemployment rates which leads to large amounts of disease, alcholism, and unrest. Kayusu does so many things for that community. It feeds the children, provides free schooling, offers training on automobiles and building works, and has an amazing performing arts program. For me I got the chance to work with and teach the 2 to 5 year olds of that community. WOA!!! It was a gift and a frustration. First the frustrations. So many children and not enough resources for them to all partake in coloring and writing thus affecting their ability to grow in their learning and knowledge for continuing on in school. So many children that one teacher can not possibly control. And the personal side for me was the communication factor. They speak Xkosa of which I was equipped with four words - no, sit down, what is your name, and go! If they are bad, which I saw was throwing rocks at one another, wrestling, or hitting, I was informed to tell them to go. Which happened more than I wanted it to:( But onto the gift side. Children are children no matter where they live. If you touch a child and take the time to look into their eyes you will reach their heart!!! What a gift! To walk around the classroom as they colored, touch their shoulder, look into their eyes and tell them how beautiful their picture is...awesome! The smiles that escaped from their faces in turn touched my heart! Their eagerness to repeat any English word that came from my mouth that I used to describe their picture blew my mind away! To anyone who works with children and has children you can picture exactly what I am writing about. The immense warmth that can fill you and you walk away knowing that you have been touched by joy. I will forever think of the children who's names I could not pronounce, and giggled at me each time I tried, for the rest of my life. They have a place in my prayers just as my "biological" children do. The gift for me is that my heart has enlarged and was filled by children who laughed and called me teacher for a few days! It far outweighed the frustrations. Although I am now aware of the very tangible ways to help these children. Our high school students are now sending them coloring books, crayons, paper, textbooks, and best of all shoes! Things that will make a huge difference in the future of the Kayumundi children!
I have been changed and now, it is time to bring it!

Bubbles for the children at the end of class. A highlight:)

A few of the "teacher helpers" for me to communicate to the children. They were just wonderful! They loved taking our sunglasses to wear and posing for pictures. They also wanted to talk about Rhianna and Chris Brown...hilarious!

Again I'm well versed in the abilities for this lion to destroy me thanks to animal planet:) This was a very thin electric fence between me and Mr. Massive Lion here! I had to ask the man working at this lion rescue if the electric part was strong enough to kill him if he attempted to lunge through it at the humans just staring at him! He assured me yes!

The prison cell that Nelson Mandela spent his years during Apartide. Another highlight for me. We were able to go our last day of the trip. I had read a biography on Nelson Mandela before the trip and was eagerly anticipating being able to walk through this historic prison. To see first hand a place of great injustice and be reminded that remarkable change took place there and evil things had been brought to an end! Our tour guide for the prison was a former prisoner during Apartide...amazing man! Beautiful life story that he was willing to share with us!
Thank You for all of you who prayed for me and helped to support me in this journey! Beacuse of you I have this experience and these stories to share!
I have been greatly encouraged to work with wonderful organizations doing BIG things for the people who need a voice in that country. Please join me now in praying for the children they impact and their future in our world!

My Trip Through South Africa

2009-04-04T19:42:00.002-05:00

The 2nd Best 10 Days of My Entire Life (so far)

2009-03-30T00:13:00.013-05:00

(Sorry for the long-wind, but it’s my last shot to blog before I shrink back out of this “inter-web” world.)

Well, I’ve gone back and read through all of the entries – three things jump out:

Hilarious! My 3 sons crack me up. There are so many funny things that were done and said…and I captured only a fraction of it.
It now seems inadequate – I feel like so much more happened than what I actually wrote (which is true). I guess it makes me thankful for eternity, where I’m hoping I’ll be able to look at selectively edited portions of my life on a big screen.
Memories – I laughed out loud while reading and also found myself tearing at points. These are memories that, while I’m sure they will have no recollection of, I will cherish for my whole life.

Update on Goals:

Clean House – sort of. Dishes were either hot or cold. I’d like to think that any negligence was caused by a focus on the bigger things – like playing.
Major Injuries – gonna give myself a “Passing”. One close call that ended quickly….this is way better than I thought we’d do.
Veggies – Warrior Poets are honest…..totally crashed on this one. Fruit was good. Veggies not so good. A couple carrots and French fries aren’t going to get me there.
Change clothes – pretty solid. No stains out of the house.

Other Goals:

Build memories – check
Play too much – check. Too much sugar – check +.
Develop Warrior – pretty good for the weather.
Develop Poet – tell me how many Braveheart weeks you know of that go to the library 3 times (Little Mermaid?).
Mindfulness for praying for Mom – check +. Wow, did their hearts grow in this area. Even the content of their prayers.
Love on each other – star.

Summary – Part 1
I usually cringe at the horror most people have with the thought of a dad taking on his kids for a week…or even a day. It shouldn’t be that way, but I also realize that experience matters and Michelle has a lot more of it. Thus, I expected to be stretched a bit but also never doubted we would make it. I think this was the case….however, let me say:

I have such a more grand appreciation for the difficulty of the labor Michelle puts into our family every single day. It truly draws on every part of your being – physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. And she doesn’t just put enough in to “get by”/get to bed time/whatever. She labors to make their life fantastic, fun, meaningful, learning-filled, character forming, adventurous, etc.

Mind you, I didn’t have to worry about obligations like school, homework, friends, schedules – but keeping everything straight seems nearly impossible. I have noted not to give her a hard time about forgetting things or asking me to cover off on stuff while at work. I can’t keep things straight with Outlook – definitely couldn’t do it with moving parts like people.

Multiple children (especially 3) are all-consuming. There is always a need, never a break. Impossible to explain this to someone – you can only know by experience. To run our home, on top of that, is extraordinary.

Sacrifice – Michelle has committed so much to her vocation….and there are few applause. Short of feedback on the blog (which I loved), there was no one providing affirmation of what we were doing…only confidence that I knew we were on track. She has chosen to forego 9-5 in exchange for 24/7 work on a very intangible project….with no completion date or promotion. This is love.

Purpose – I was impressed with the magnitude of purpose in our time together. I could either pacify difficult situations for ease, or dig in to develop their character through it. (That wasn’t always the easy choice it appears when typed out.) The excitement came from how much purpose all of our time was drenched with…more satisfying than any work experience I can think of. Michelle lives this everyday, even if she doesn’t have a PowerPoint presentation to prove it at the end.

"I am so thankful for Michelle’s commitment to true love over self-love, sacrifice over comfort, and purpose over accolades. She embodies Motherhood."

Summary – Part 2
Fatherhood is one of the greatest life gifts that is nearly inexpressible. I simply cannot believe that I get to be one every single day of my life. I can still remember where I was sitting (about a month before Trey was born) when someone said to me, “The moment your child is born…it changes everything.” Couldn’t be more true.

Every Dad should do this. A week+ of interrupted, dad-only time. The time it affords to live life out together has been transformational – and this is coming from a guy who spends most all of his free time with his kids already.

Bonding – I feel like I have really bonded with my sons in a special way from such concentrated time. Noticing patterns in looks, feelings, perceptions, needs, and inflections that I think I overlook in short snippets or when I have Michelle to bounce off of. What a foundation to lie down…and not forget the kind of effort it takes to get there.

Warrior Poets – Brave & Heart. (Eldredge rip-off alert) Boys long to be affirmed as Men. They grasped on to Braveheart Week more than I ever expected. The tone this set was such a blast and fun to watch. Freedom to be boys and the challenge to act more like young men was craved. It’s not just eating ribs, but showing your brother that you are “listening” to him. This is strong manhood that they loved. Quote: “We need to share, because that’s what Bravehearts do!” Ask them who’s a Braveheart and they’ll tell you – “Jesus, then William Wallace.” Too true. They wanted to be more and loved being affirmed that they were becoming more.

2nd Best 10 Days Ever – Apart from our honeymoon (!!), I can’t think of a comparable time. I am walking on clouds right now and dreading that the small nuanced memories will fade. My only consolation is the hope of more to come. It breaks my heart to think I will be sitting at my desk tomorrow working on my laptop because this has been the most enriching, heart pounding, fun week of my life. Unspeakable joy!!

Leave It All On the Court – my personal goal (I knew the opposite tendency) was to go all out, all energy, all time. Don’t say “no”, “maybe later”, or “I’m tired”. Cross the finish line with the engine red-lining, smoking, and tires screeching. I wanted no regrets that I had these precious 10 days with my sons and squandered any moments being lazy (the Schindler’s List moment). I honestly believe I “left it all out there” and the boys loved it. We squeezed the seconds out of each day. They are exhausted from keeping up and I’ve never been happier…that kind of good tired that comes after a hard work-out. (To think in all that time, Michelle was going triple my pace on her “week off”.)

Best Quotes at Bedtime Tonight (un-coaxed):
Teague: “You have to go to work tomorrow?” “Yeah.”[Dad] “Awww!”
Taatjes: “Dad…Braveheart week was awesome.”
Trey: “I wish it was the first day of Braveheart Week. Can I come to work with you tomorrow?”
Dad: (to each) “Dad loves you. Thank you for the best week ever.”

If this isn’t livin’, then somebody tell me what is?!?!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change." (James 1:17)

To the Giver of every good and perfect gift…..
Have I said what an incredible, undeserved, life I have?

The Britsh are Coming! The British are Coming!

2009-03-27T22:40:00.015-05:00

Wow! I cannot believe it is already Friday...where has the week gone?! Well, our day of reckoning is upon us, so it was cleaning/laundry/errands/ninja day.

Cereal and coffee. I have to talk Taatjes into trying Corn Pops, instead of Rice Krispies, on the grounds that he can have RK anytime. He settles for the "blend", which sets off the trading floor under the "cap and trade" mini-box allocation system. Dad amends market rules to allow for 2 boxes per each company.
Then, all hands on deck to clean up toys that have been strewn about the house. Not too bad, since Dad cracks down on this one everyday.
A little dusting and then on to the big stuff. Sky is first up. I can't shave her to no hair, but I can at least get her smelling good for Mom. She seems to appreciate it, as well.

The car - a real cleaning, which has been a while. The faces in this picture capture the mood beautifully - 2 pouts & a fake smile. Even after an hour of playing at the park, we walk back and still have to wait 30 minutes. Boys did great, for having nothing to do sitting at a car wash. (Dad can only have his gum bubbles popped so many hundred times, and paper/rock/scissors can become highly subjective after a while.)

We went back to the park to play Ninja's in the afternoon, which can still include "forrrcefields".
Ninja Bombs - boys volunteer to clean the basement...gotta love that. We then throw Ninja Bombs at each other (hacky sacks). This quickly descends into boys whipping these things at Dad, as hard as possible. We discover they hurt so bad becasue they are actually filled with rocks! (don't ask how we discovered the filling.) :)
Wii and then WrestleMania 127 - never gets old.
Celebrate - we decide to celebrate Braveheart Week by getting some hot dogs at the "dive" diner. This is also our first "non-homemade" food of the week (that's right). Greasy food well-deserved. We spent the time recounting all of our adeventures, which was hard to keep straight from memory. These postings will be so fantastic to accurately recount the week. I love that when I knock an entire cup of lemonade on the floor, the boys actually start to sing the "accidents happen" jingle that we often sing....to me.

End the day with watching Happy Feet, which has so much propaganda in it, I spend most of my time trying to explain to my boys why humans aren't terrible.

Great quotes:

Taatjes discussing battle: "We should love our enemies, even when they're bad."
Teague: "Dad, will you play checkers with me while I'm pooping?" "How about when you're done, so I can change you?"-dad "No, I'll be d0ne in a second."
Trey: "They didn't even ask me, and I shared with them because that's what Warrior Poets do, right? It makes me happy to see them happy." (if only this could be applied the other 23 hours.)
Teague: "Can you put on the Jumping Song? This song is bowing. (r)" The dreaded "B" word....from a 2 year old.

Michelle arrives tomorrow at dinner time and we can hardly wait!!!!! Boys are praying for Mom as she flies home. "Listening eyes to God, rest, and safe...not die." All pretty good, how can you critique that?

Final Thoughts:

Michelle is an amazing Mom - she has mothered these boys with excellence - to make them the easiest kids ever, to be with. (bias recognized) :)
Thanks for all the comments - I've loved them.
I will have one final post on more complete reflections from the experience - my perspective on Braveheart Week and deeper appreciation for Michelle's life choice...but it will likely be a few days, since I don't want to take up precious minutes tomorrow.

It breaks my heart that this week is almost over. I feel like I "cook" a lot with the boys...but this was getting to marinate with them. Absolutely beautiful souls. What a pure gift to have the ability to take time off work, spend it with my sons, and have a wife who trusts me completely. I don't take any of these for granted. Gift....gift....gift.

Have I mentioned, yet, what an incredible life I have?! (It's almost to the point of absurd.)

Next Level - The Atmosphere

2009-03-27T00:11:00.013-05:00

So we began the day as the others...boys in at 6 asking for candy. Trey asking to play the Wii, then catching himself halfway through to make sure he covered off on the "good morning, Dad. Did you have good sleeps?"

Everything was already set up to make our next round of Monkey Bread, even the chairs to help. Too funny. Everyone continues to refine their mug requests - types, size, color.
Actually did some preliminary clean up - gonna take a while.
Off to the library - request for theme songs. If you haven't been cruising in sunny 55 degree weather, windows down, blasting Free Fallin', watching your 4 yr old time his lyric wailing in your rearview mirror....you have not lived, yet. give or take half a beat - Taatjes is money (& the cutest thing ever!) Trey needs a little "Rock Me Gently" - another wailing song. Librabry will have to wait as we serenade the parking garage.
We have Trey do all his own asking at the help desk, so he becomes confident with adults...and I realize Taatjes hasn't popped back for a while. Turns out he has the lady searching the computer for "Nickelodeon people/humans" - she was actually doing something!
Not a lot of picture moments - but Teague begs to hold my mug and pretend he's still drinking coffee. Blurry, but tell me you couldn't eat this kid up!

Then we set out to build and launch ROCKETS! They thought this was so cool...and that was before they saw the things actually fly.

Remember these from when you were a kid? Much cooler now. A bit less scary than I recall, too. I'm running over to adults in the field 100 yds. away, warning them of the impending launch. (They actually come down about 50 ft from take-off.)

You want to talk about Warrior Poet courage? Try clipping on the launch nodes to the flamable rocket engine, knowing Taatjes (a.k.a The Wildcard) is 20 ft. away looking down at the launch button.
Also, tough to show how thrilled they were at the first launch (it did invoke a "Braveheart" cheer after the fact, though), but here is a quick clip of a later launch aftermath.

btw...doesn't work to try to shoot them sideways. they go about 30 feet, smack into the ground, blast out the parachute, burning it into a block of plastic. (....uh...we read about this) :)

Stunt Kite

In typical fashion, Dad got a little overzealous on the kite. "I can get a stunt kite for $3 more?!" This was hilarious and awesome all at once.
They have a tendency to slice at heads when they go into a looping spin at 50mph. (ask Teague) Even I went from cheering to hitting the ground for cover in about 2 seconds.
Let me just say, everyone got it up and fought with it for a while. For all the yelling instructions thru the wind, untangling, running, ducking, cold faces.... I found myself whooping and hollering with exuberance when they succeeded. We all did. It was a rush to see them swell with joy and confidence at succeeding. It was one of those "world-freezes", "this is fatherhood" sort of moments. It shot across my mind that this is the essence of Fatherhood - and if I were to write a book, it would be titled something like - "...Because Flying Your Own Kite Isn't as Fun."

Ended the day digging for bugs and practicing casting (Bass: beware this year). And, if they are to be good, Italian, Warrior Poets - it was time - Grandma Belgiano's Meatball recipe.Things Michelle wouldn't do:

Return all of Trey's school library books to the public library, sending the "worrier" into a panic. (we're still waiting on the phone call.)
Walk around their room, picking up clothes, to look underneath for any possible sock that could join a new pair for the day.

Also, Michelle is traveling back today and tomorrow.

Is there any way to bring Michelle home and still freeze this week forever?! I still can't believe all 3 of them are "mine". All we have to do is give them back to God...and until then, we get to keep 'em?

Have I said, yet, what a ridiculously undeserved, unreal, incredible life I have?!

The Animals are Going to the Zoo!

2009-03-25T21:00:00.022-05:00

Well, I can't say it was a sunny day...or warm, but it wasn't raining - so to the zoo we went, as promised. If you don't know, I love the zoo! Warrior Poets must learn and appreciate the beauty of God's creation. Let alone, it is one of the simplest ways for kids to understand God's awe-someness and the concept of His creativity. My dream occupation is to retire and be one of the "old guys" spouting knowledge at one of the exhibits for the kids. "Feel this fur..."

Favorite moment - Bring It Boys! So far, Dad has outlasted them. All 3 were out and drooling on the ride there at 10am...fallout from the constant training as Warriot Poets.

Zoo was fun. I'll spare you my desire to post every animal picture typical of a zoo, but will say that the Brookfield Zoo is pretty cool. We have our membership now, so will be going about 25 times in the next year. Nothing like a warm stroll through the zoo.

Goose picture, about 6 inches from the stroller, is for Michelle - she'll totally appreciate this. (ask her about geese and swans sometime.)

Taatjes favorite activity at the zoo, since he was about 18 months old, has been chasing peacocks. He was reunited with his nemesis today....they missed each other. Without missing a beat...he gave the people what they came to see.

Benefits of emphasizing "obey the first time": I was with Teague in the stroller, so was a bit behind Trey and Taatjes. They kept asking why the sign by the rhinos say "watch out!". (if you've never seen, somehow the males "mark" territory straight out behind them.) I kid you not, it felt like slow motion. All of a sudden, the big rhino looking at them began to turn around...I shout "hey! Get over here!" they turn, look at me, and jog back. The other little girl was kind of freaked out by the strange man (with lines shaved in his face) yelling at her to get out of there. that rhino let loose, spraying everywhere! Boys missed it by about a foot....little girl...not so lucky. We all couldn't stop laughing!! Teague thought is was especialy hilarious. Our friend, at a calmer moment:
We had so much fun...tried to trade our Taatje-monkey for a baboon with no luck, used Teague's ferocity to "out-growl" the hyenas, and relied on Trey for mapping and all animal knowledge.
Best part: stopping at each African animal and letting the boys pray for Mom. So awesome to see their big hearts.

What do you miss most about Mom?
Taatjes: (in a blink) "All the fun."
Trey: "Going to downtown Chicago. Remember when I asked her to hold me and she let me sleep on her the whole train ride?" (you think they don't notice a Mom's love?)
Teague: "Cuhying her with my "mulaiy-toow" "What?"-Dad "He said cutting."-Taatjes "With what?"-Dad "my mulaiy-toow!"-Teague "Multi-Tool?"-Dad "yeah!"-Teague
Just so you know...I don't make this stuff up!

Favorite Teague line for the week: "Hey! You can't talk like that to me!" (not sure where he got that...probably Michelle) :)
Also - is this supposed to happen? (or...why crayons are better than markers:)
Side Note: extra credit for Jeremy Lile. He got my trivia correct (first post) - "Yawp" was the barbaric yell of "aliveness" from Dead Poets Society, the original greatest guy movie ever.

2 Final Thoughts -

(a) The boys actually prayed that Mom would be a brave Warrior Poet...like William Wallace, today. Now that's funny stuff. (b) Teague heard Trey say "Heavenly Father", so now says "thank you for my Fodder" when he starts praying. Hard to keep it in!
I am having the time of my life....but the emotional exhaustion is remarkable. I really get the benefit of either "co-parenting", or play time in our regular life. It's the non-stop conflict resolution that wears you down. I feel like quite a rookie, compared to Michelle's mastery.

If this isn't livin', then somebody tell me what is! Have I said, yet, that I have the most incredible life?!

Camping

2009-03-25T09:38:00.007-05:00

So a major disappointment in Chicago is that winter lasts until July, so camping is still too cold. No big deal - what better way to end a road trip than camping night in the house.

You think putting up a tent is frustrating? Try doing it inside a little room with the peanut gallery giving you helpful instructions and "constructive criticism". It doesn't help that our tent is probably the most difficult I've ever put together - even outside.
We ate dinner in it (carrots, too!) and then goofed around with the flashlight. One modern comfort - we laid in it and watched a "Hockey's Greatest Moments" video they've been waiting for. (Pretty sure we saw HeeHaw in the video!) Highlights for boys were all moments Red Wings.

Sleeping - too fun. 4 wide.
Longest night ever - Dad feels old because he wakes up every 15 minutes with a sore back and to re-cover tossing boys in slippery sleeping bags. Is it possible for everyone to be sleeping on me at one time?
Only down side to sleeping 4 in a tent is when one wets the bed!! Taatjes hasn't had an accident in a couple months, but picked this night...too appropriate. Dad and Taatjes trying to clean the tent at 3am without waking brothers - pretty comical. All good, we've got more blankets. "accidents happen...don't cry."
Wake-up to hunt for deer and raccoons. Breakfast at the "campgrounds".

Other notes:

Clean dishes are over-rated, anyway.
Baths will have to wait another day...or two.
Still lots of praying for Michelle: "good leader" "serve like Jesus" "good care of high schoolers" "good hugs for kids with no moms" "keep her safe" "....from reptiles...like spitting cobras and crocodiles" "...and other species" "what's a species?" the best:"help her to become a Warrior Poet." We miss her like crazy and can't wait for her to come home - she makes all this playing so much more fun.
Starting to see obedience becoming optional for Trey. :) Michelle often talks about this, but I rarely get a chance to see it. This would be the downside of independence.
We've now watched the Braveheart "Freedom" speech about 15 times.

Starting to get sad that we're already halfway through. Have I said what an incredible life I have?!

Road Trip!!

2009-03-25T08:42:00.013-05:00

So every good Warrior Poet needs an induction into the Road Trip experience...especially if he is to be prepared for college. So that's what we did - hit the open road, with one destination in mind and open eyes to rest of our discoveries as they come.

I know what you're thinking: "Road Trips must have a soundtrack!" Of course. I explained and they loved the concept. Here's the playlist we wailed out to:

Jump Around (House of Pain) - this was our "Primary" (played everytime you get back in the car...or need a charge up.)
Walk This Way (Run DMC) - Taatjes asked for this to be elected, so we made this "Secondary".
Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel), Free Fallin' (Tom Petty) - yes, I taught them to sing it Jerry McGuire style, Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler), Rock Me Gently (Ron Dante), & Jesus is Alright (DC Talk remake).

Wisconsin - a totally different state. This seemed huge. :)

Where else, but to the cheese mecca - the Mars Cheese Castle. All the best Wisconsin has to offer. Super fresh. Few things make me more proud than my sons' penchant for free samples...every last one. Even fewer things are funnier than a 4 year old boy telling the worker, "this one tastes aged." on a 5 yr old cheddar. The hype was probably bigger than reality, but it's all in how you sell it. They're pretty sure it was the coolest place ever.

We asked people at the Cheese Castle something else fun to do...and they said they Jelly Belly Tour. "To the car, gentlemen." (I had heard about this and that it wasn't actually that fun, but we were here and Road Trips don't discriminate.) Turns out you could put a kid in a jail cell and as long as you talk about, show them, and give them jelly beans - it's the best place ever. I almost fell asleep as they drove us around the warehouse (yeah) and we watched videos on how they made them, but they end it with your own bag of free samples - so awesome. We then hit up the store and challenged each other to guess flavors (all free samples). booger, ear wax, and pencil shavings were the favorites. Everything is harder now that Trey can read - never thought I'd be barking at my son "stop reading".

Pouring rain - Michelle probably would have thought to bring an umbrella on a day that called for all rain. Nothing the football hold, dragging, and yelling about being melting jelly beans can't solve. Teague also points out to me that "Mom puts on my puffy coat because it has a hood."
While I'm on the topic: Michelle also reminds me about bringing diapers - that probably would have pre-empted a 6/7 hour road trip without a new diaper for Teague. No issues occurred, but I did make the note about 5 hours in. (Have I ever told you about the hiking incident and large leaves....another time.)
Last stop - a quick 2 lane change to get off an exit (safely) after we see a whole yard of military helicopters. Turns out it's a military museum - jeeps, hummers, tanks, helis, planes. Does it get any more Warrior than this? Hilarious to watch and "older" gentleman try to explain advanced military concepts, when they just want to tell him about their friend, Aidan's dad going back to fight the bad guys (in iraq).

What a great day! Best road trip ever - no one got pulled over, no break downs, plenty of adventure, great soundtrack, great wingmen, full bags of jelly beans. We ended with a stop at the hobby shop in preparation for thursday's endeavor.

Lamenting that it's already Tuesday. Have I said what an incredible life I have?!

Another Day...Another Adventure

2009-03-23T22:45:00.020-05:00

Well...the day started out as usual - the boys coming in at 6:30 asking if they can eat some candy and Trey asking to play the Wii. (Dad - "No.") Individual boxes of sugar cereal (Froot Loops), which previously has been unthinkable, and coffee.

We headed to the Children's Museum with some friends (Aidan & Charlotte). Lot's of play, lots of water, lots of kids. Boys wanted "gel" hair, which was pretty hilarious.

Current dishes scenario - could be worse:

Cold and rainy - it's supposed to stay this way. Need one nice day for the zoo. We spent rest of afternoon coloring, Wii-ing, boxing, wrestling, and playing basketball. Teague stops the game at every injustice and tells the offender "it's a foul on you. penalty. some players don't take the ball, Trey."

Meat - It was homemade ribs night! It's a slightly barbaric feast, so the boys love it. Here's an action shot before we dig in. They are actually doing our "Braveheart"cheer. And, look closely...that's right, those are potatoes on the plate...vegetables are on the board. :)

Hair - so the great Warrior Poets have awesome hairdo's (reference the sweet locks in Braveheart). When watching March Madness, the boys noticed some cool designs shaved into some heads and wanted to replicate. That seemed like way too cool of an idea to dismiss....so here's how we capped off haircut night. They were actually coaching me through designs, which I clearly got them back to my level of ability. Taatjes reassured me he didn't want the spider and web design, anymore.

Couldn't be left out, either.

Last thoughts:

Tomorrow might be a bath day, need it or not.
I wish I could claim that any of this is really unique to boy craziness....but the truth is, I haven't done anything yet that Michelle wouldn't be totally up for. These boys happen to have the coolest Mom ever!!!
I don't know how Michelle keeps things straight, especially in a world that doesn't use Microsoft Outlook. Dad to 6,4, & 2 yr old: "Are you guys sure Mom said we were supposed to go there afterward? What did she actually say?" boys: "Yes. She really did. She said to go." Dad: "okay. let's go." The mental organization required is beyond anything required in the "business world".
Michelle & team are good and in their 2nd locale, the school for orphans.

Have I said how incredible my life is?!

Sunday - The Right Way

2009-03-22T23:45:00.006-05:00

After church, we hit up Costco for more stocking up.

You know you're with Dad when lunch is hitting up all the free samples at CostCo. (I'd like to claim this is a special occurrence, but we do this way more than we should.)
Bought fruit, hoping this may appease the vegetable vow. Bought steak, ribs, and ground beef - now we're talking.
Saw a sign for a Pet Expo and did that....totally lame. Boys just wanted to see pets and find "free stuff", which there was little of to their dismay. Too many sad dog rescue booths mixed with a hard to fathom collection of pet paraphernalia. Finally found a couple snakes and a dog obstacle thing. Strange crowd...like couples wearing matching "got huskies?" t-shirts (like "got milk") and yes, a grown man did ask my boys if they'd like to see a picture of his dog, which he had in his wallet. Hard to hold off explaining the concept of dork to them - they'll learn in time.
More casting practice - they want to do this for hours. getting pretty good. more Star Wars.
America's Funniest Home Videos has become a favorite in our house. We all giggled a lot.
Have you ever seen a Peep grow? Microwave it for 15 sec. and you can. The boys love this!
Hoping you will all support me in reclassifying bananas as a vegetable. That would be a big help. "Wow! We've never had bananas at dinner before!"

Noticeable Changes:

Michelle must have canceled our chef service when she left. We usually have veggies and awesome dinners....but those take time and I don't have that while I'm watching the boys. They occupy all your time. Must be easier when she has that gourmet chef service every night.
Also - Michelle has stacked the deck against me. She must have canceled our laundry service when she left, too. I went in to get new clothes for the boys and they were all dirty...hasn't changed in 2 days. How am I supposed to find time to do laundry?! It's much easier when it just shows up in their drawers for me. Must be nice when she has that laundry service.

Have I said how incredible my life is?!

Pray for Michelle's endurance and leadership. Boys are praying that she "serves like Jesus and keeps the kids safe." I'm sure the emotional and physical demands are taking their toll. I know she is doing awesome, though.

Mornings

2009-03-22T23:36:00.008-05:00

So on Saturday we made "Monkey Bread" together - they love this messy process and the reward. Ever since camping last year, the boys understand coffee drinking as a very manly thing to do. (One of the best parts of Saturdays for me is sitting around with Michelle, drinking coffee, and talking in the morning - total bummer she's not here.)
So, we've decided the Warrior Poets drink coffee together in the morning...with their own mugs. Every morning of Braveheart week they get to choose their mug. For those of you freaking out about the health factor - don't worry....it's not decaf, either. It's Heaven's brew....it couldn't harm us. And we're Warrior Poets - our goal is bravery, not safety.
They absolutely love this and call it their "cup of Joe".

Again, is there anything cooler than this?! Telling them we'll be doing this the rest of our lives together.

Have I said how incredible my life is?!

Quite the Start

2009-03-22T22:50:00.012-05:00

We got off to quite the start on Friday.

Parent teacher conferences. Trey is a stud. Michelle has done such an amazing job with him. (brag alert) Trey is reading at a 2nd grade level, has moved on to understanding concepts, and has really improved his focus. Michelle works really hard with him and fights the battles to get him to stick with the frustrating stuff...totally showing results. Even better though, his teacher says he is really loving, a good friend, obedient (for the most part...he's 6), is extremely responsive to correction, and is becoming very independent. Now that's the stuff you want to hear. Considering he is with Michelle 8x more than he is with me, it's totally unfair I get to hear all that in person.
Library: all about the globe and South Africa. Reading books and kickin' it. Hockey and fishing books become the obsession. (more on this later....)
To the park - after reviewing everything fly-fishing - going through all my flies, the reel, my vest and every pocket, we hit the park for some tuning. Fewer things are more important than a good fly cast for a boy/Warrior Poet. :) Other kids at the park thought they were "so cool". Trey actually got some good casts by himself. I didn't think to take pics until they were on their own spinning rods, but still pretty cool.

Star War Battle - swords and light sabers at the park. Hilarious! Teague continues to save me from his brothers by running around me putting up a "forrrrcefield". That's my guy.
New rule - sword fights on the ground only. The only thing worse than watching your 2 year old fall off the 2 foot ledge he was battling on...was watching him fall head first the next 5 feet off of the entire play structure. Scraped head, remarkably quick recovery, wants his light saber back....will not count as a "major" injury in the books.
Movie Night - what better way to kick off Braveheart Week than with a boys pajama movie night. Well, I guess we'll count this towards the Poet part. Taatjes begged to get this movie at the library...and they loved it. They were also amazed at how Dad could know the words to "Part of Your World." (I don't take the Poet part lightly, either.) What are you gonna do?

Before bed, we pray for Michelle, since she's about to wake up for her day.
Have I said how incredible my life is?!

Warrior Poets

2009-03-22T22:01:00.005-05:00

Well....since I have attempted to imitate Michelle's life for a week (minus the responsibility) - I've decided to take over the blog, too. That's right...this is Justin...making my first foray into the ominous world of cataloging life for the planet to see. I prefer to think that only you intimate few are reading. I have had these entries running in my head since Thursday, when Michelle left, but it has taken me a few days to crack the login code for the blog, so I have some catching up to do. Here it goes:

The boys have been pumped for "Boys Week" and were slap-happy when I got home on Thursday. We dropped Michelle off at the airport around 4pm and took off for our week of adventure. I'd been thinking that Boys Week was a bit simple for what we are setting out to accomplish, so embarked on a more emblematic name. At dinner, I walked them through the concept of the Warrior Poet - describing the travails of William Wallace and the bravery he displayed in the fight for justice, as well as the development of his mind and heart as the embodiment of a true leader....thus we are now living out "Braveheart Week", complete with a manly battle cry as we seek to become Warrior Poets. (still selling them on the "Yawp"... source anyone?)

A few goals I will try to keep you updated on:

Keep the house in some reasonable order of cleanliness (using new dishes for meals will be one measure of how I do)
No "major" injuries...key word is "major".
Follow through on a promise to give them "vegetables" - whatever those are...sounds different than meat, though.
Change everyone's clothes a couple times (including mine). I try to think WWMD on letting them be seen in public with that stain.

Other Goals:

Build tons of memories - Have the best week ever!!
Play way more than we should. Eat more sugar than we should.
Develop the Warrior - have battles, rockets, zoos, fishing, hiking, wrestling....
Develop the Poet - Read lots of books (we have a 100 book limit at the library)
Develop a mindfulness of praying for Mom - what else, other than safety?
Love on each other like crazy - love on others like crazy.

A couple starting notes:

We almost made it an hour before for the boys decided it's more fun to be naked. Teague following suit, dancing with glee, asking "dad, can you take my diaper off so i can be naked?" It is hilarious how funny they find doing anything with no clothes on.
You know you're with Dad when they come up actually asking for my t-shirt to wipe their nose. (I have always found the effort for tissue a bit unnecessary.)
First order of business was to go junk food shopping. YoGos are the pinnacle of this food for them.
Nothing cooler than sitting with your 3 sons, eating pizza on a blanket, watching March Madness. What did I ever do to deserve such a ridiculously awesome life!?!? (nothing)
We've set a world clock to South Africa and are monitoring what Mom is doing. They can't believe how long she flew for. I have yet to remind them to pray, since Taatjes asks to pray for Mom about every 2 hours and everyone does. Love their hearts.

So clearly, I haven't mastered the art of the short blog (rookie). More to come, hopefully in smaller junkets. Also, Michelle is safely there and the team is doing well. I've only received that update so far.

Trey's 6th Birthday Party....

2009-03-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

What a whirl wind of a party! 11 six year olds plus his brothers - wacky, crazy, really? We all had so much fun at Trey's party. Instead of stressing out, I spent the whole party laughing at all the kids running around playing games and eating cup cakes:) We played a number of games that left these kids sweating and completely exhausted by the time their parents came to get them.
Balloon pop - hilarious...they could have played this for hours. They just kept running in circles giggling not remembering the point of the game is to pop some one's balloon. After about 10 mins of this Dad strapped a balloon on and jumped in!
Potato Sack Race - no pictures of this because I was too worried that someone would fall or crash into each other to take any. We split them up into teams and they had fun laughing and racing against each other!
Pin the Tail on the Donkey - A classic! One that they loved! Each kid did so well, Justin and I were amazed at their blind accuracies! Until one honest boy told us he could see under the blind fold:)
Parachute - A huge hit for this age group too! They did not want to stop! Great team work moment:)
Duck/Duck/Goose - or rather hamburger/hamburger/hot dog....or the one we had to keep stopping, dirty poop/dirty poop/fill in the blank! We did not think they would want to play but they did! This was the game that they were cracking up so much they could barely run to catch one another. Again Dad jumped in and he quickly became the focus of the game. "Pick Trey's Dad and see if you can beat him!"
Cup Cake decorating - This is my favorite! You really get to see each kids personality. From the crazy cup cakes to well thought out designs! What 6 yr old doesn't want a bunch of toppings and the full control to create their own cup cake!

Side Note - Dad totally rocked out this Birthday Party!!! He played all the games which was so fun for the kids to gang up on him:)

Check - one 6 yr old boys party! Glad it came and it is over:)

Busy...

2009-03-03T08:44:00.002-06:00

The mad dash is on...
Trey will be 6 yrs old in 9 days!!! We will be having his party for all his friends next Saturday. I am on the move to get ready for that.
Next I will be leaving for South Africa in 16 days! I am on the move getting all my medications, meetings, and packing for that as well. March is going to fly by!
If you want you can check out one of the organizations we will be working with during our trip. www.thriveafrica.org beautiful! They have Zebras on their propriety wow!

"Friends" Birthday Party

2009-02-23T16:30:00.000-06:00

It's finally all over!!!! Parachute/Dig for Goodies in the Pool/ Paint T-shirts/ Decorate Cupcakes! CHECK!

Taatjes said it was his "best day ever"! Yes, it was all worth it:) I think all the kids had a blast. The parachute was a huge hit. They played with it for a long time. Thank you to Dad for being the best parachute instructor/motivator ever!!! Digging for goodies in the pool was also a huge hit. I filled it with candy, reptiles, balls, kazoos, etc. They all went to town and it took longer than I expected which was great. T-shirt painting...um probably not again! As you can see I have no pictures of this activity because it was far to stressful to even think of walking away to grab the camera. They loved it and walked out with some fun T-shirts. I have to say a huge thank you to the moms who helped make sure my cabinets/fridge/stove were not covered in paint (I did put a tarp on the floor)! Cupcake decorating was hilarious. We had all kinds of sprinkles, marshmallows, chocolate chips, candy stars, and of course lots of frosting. Everyone had tons of frosting and even more stuff on top. Many of the kids could not finish the bottom of the cupcake once they finally ate through the top! I have about 20 cupcakes left...I was thinking they would all want at least 3 but there 1st frosting applications left little room in their stomachs for more:)

I am so glad it was fun for Taatjes and he loved it! Now I have a little break until Trey's...yikes, his friends are bigger!

You have 4 year old muscles now and they are huge!

2009-02-17T13:58:00.008-06:00

Taatjes is 4!!!!

When he woke up in the morning his favorite thing was his new 4 year old muscles!!! His dad told him they were "huge" 4 yr old muscles! Taatjes had a great day filled with cake and presents. We had a little get together for him with our neighbors and the Cubba's. He just loved all the attention.

We have been so blessed to have Taatjes in our family. He is a free spirit for sure and we love that about him. He is a quiet thinker with a splash of reckless abandon. He is very generous with his brothers and loves deeply. He has a real flare for the wild things in life and has very little fear of anything. We love him like crazy and can't wait to see what the year of 4 holds for him.

I live for these moments...

2009-02-04T18:57:00.003-06:00

We read every day but usually they are fighting to read louder than the other or wrestling over a certain book. Not today!!! I had to take a picture of a great moment. Brothers sharing/teaching/helping. I live for peaceful moments like this these days. (sigh)

Sledding

2009-01-31T18:02:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful day for sledding! Lots of screams and giggles. Of course a few wipe outs and roll overs, it's bound to happen. All in all we had a lot of fun and mom and dad got a great work out carrying boys/sleds up the hill several times:)

"I've got it all under control."

2009-01-26T13:31:00.002-06:00

Trey was getting ready to go to a friends house the other day and I was going through my usual check-list with him.
Say please and thank you
no wrestling
no running around their house like crazy
share
get along
be a friend
He did not seem to be listening so I asked him; "did you hear me?"
To which he responded; "yes mom, I've got it all under control."
Me: "Ok, I just want you to know how I expect you to behave at friends houses."
Trey: "I know, I will."

Trey is growing up. A cool, smooth response like having it under control lets me know that he is growing up. I can hardly believe he will be 6 soon.

Attack!

2009-01-19T20:42:00.002-06:00

This was how I am welcomed into my house! How bout you?
Just ran out the door to warm up the car for my precious children so that they will not be cold on our way to pick up their brother from school. And look at what I walked back into. "Attack, get her!!!" This is what they shouted when I came in. No there is no smile on their innocent faces. But, all the seriousness of a real warrior! Lucky for me the camera was right on the ledge next to the door so I could capture this moment:) To which I received great objection because I was being engaged in a battle and needed to "fight back" to regain entrance into the home!

"Reunited and It Feels So Good..."

2009-01-14T08:56:00.002-06:00

Oh the places I have had to go back to to get Taatjes Kitty!
So I think in all the excitement and awe of mom receiving shots Taatjes left his beloved Kitty at the Passport Health office! When we realized that Kitty was missing the office was already closed and would not be open for another week! Well this did not go over well w/Taatjes, but, he understood that it was his fault (and not moms) that Kitty had to "sleep at the doctor's office":( So every night before bed Taatjes prayed that his Kitty would stay safe at the office and that they would call mommy soon to tell her to come pick him up!
Well his prayers were answered when 1 week later they called me and told me they had Kitty and are waiting for me to come get him! Of course I had to document this memory:) This is Taatjes without Kitty:( Really every night he gave us this face and some crying that he did not have Kitty at bed time. Next the wonderful man who kept Kitty safe (he told me he is a grandpa and knows how important this worn little Kitty was to someone) until Taatjes came for him. And, finally the face Taatjes normally goes to bed with as he snuggles his Kitty! Look at the joy! Reunited and I am thankful for that...now we can sleep again!
Taatjes has also vowed never to take Kitty out of the house again as to not lose him again!
We'll see how long that lasts. Kitty has been left at the park twice, Target, and now the doctor's office! I am usually good about making sure Kitty is not taken anywhere with us but my quite little Taatjes has manged to sneak him past me in the chaos of leaving the house at times!

Brrrrr!

2009-01-13T09:49:00.000-06:00

Mom has to have shots!!!!

2009-01-08T08:28:00.005-06:00

The other day I had to get 5 shots at the doctors - ouch! I had Taatjes and Teague with me for this appointment and what I saw on my boys face when I received the shots was priceless!
As the nurse placed each needle on the table Taatjes' face slowly began to rise into the biggest smile! The nurse asked him if his mom was going to be brave and he shook his head so fast up in down, huge smile, and said "YES"! I asked him; "why Taatjes you look so happy, what for"? Taatjes burst out with, "because mom you have to get shoots"!!! It hit me that I am the one who has dragged him into a doctors office for the last 4 years of his life to receive these highly unpleasant and painful shots; and now it was finally my turn! I saw his eyes widen as each needle (5) was placed in my arm! I think his main joy was at seeing that mom had to be treated the same way in which he has been, it just left him amazed. He did tell me after it was done that I was very brave!

Mom when I'm an adult...

2009-01-08T08:11:00.002-06:00

Trey has recently been informing me of the things he will do as an adult. More specifically when he is 30.
Yesterday - Trey tells me; "Mom, when I am 30 and I have a family, I am going to buy them a Wii and they will only be allowed to play it when I am home from work on a play day"!!!
"Mom, when I am 30 I am going to buy myself a lot of candy and only give you some of it!!!"
2 things that Trey currently feels wronged by! He is only allowed to play the Wii on Saturdays (which is what we call a play day because no school and Dad is home) which he is sooo upset about and must feel that others should have to live with the injustice he has had to. The candy...I recently purchased a lot of candy to make goodie bags for some girls I know and only allowed the boys to have one thing. Again, clearly Trey feels that I one day will have to experience the unjust treatment he has received! I try to tell him all the time that I have already been a kid like him with rules but no go in this situation. He wants to have a chance to dish out the "unfair" treatment!