The Jacob & Joshua Chronicles

Seashells, Dinosaurs and an Etch A Sketch

2010-07-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it, some of the best conversations I hear are the ones I'm not involved with. The boys have bunk beds and recently realized that they can carry on conversations when they are supposed to be sleeping. These conversations can range from how to build their next battle ship, to comparing dinosaurs and sometimes even their plans to get to Mars. Tonight I heard them giggling and couldn't help but peek in on them. Sometimes you just never know what you'll find them up to!

Jacob set up a tent for Joshua's bottom bunk by hanging their baby blankets from the top. This is normal however what I found behind the blankets cracked me up. Joshua shimmied a flashlight in between the top mattress and the wood slats so he had area lighting. He was eagerly working on his Etch A Sketch, creating a map to the treasure. (Per Joshua, I need a map because I keep driving past the treasure and never stop. The nerve of me...) At this point I'm still not shocked. I only became confused when I saw seashells lined up, 3 Playskool Hatchling dinosaurs next to them and a bouncy ball. Joshua explained that the seashells are the water for the dinosaurs and the bouncy ball is the magic that makes them come to life.

Mind you, that Jacob was "asleep" the entire time I was dealing with Joshua. He even humored me with a few novelty snores but couldn't help himself to take a peek when he thought I wasn't looking. Even though they were up to no good, I'm so thankful that they have nights like this to use their creativity and have some good ol' fashion fun. Now if I could only get them to do this before bedtime!!

Kiss Kindergarten Good Bye

2010-07-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's official, the bud graduated Kindergarten!! He did amazing this year and we couldn't be prouder of him. Jacob not only excelled in his academics (he's reading DRA level 28 books!) but he also did a great job of transitioning to the new demands of school. Jacob was lucky to have a great teacher who understood his quirks which played a huge part in him excelling. It's weird to think that it was only a few years ago that we dropped him off for his first day of preschool.

Jacob was super excited about his Kindergarten program and practiced the songs nightly. (He even busted out into song and dance one evening at Chickfila while I was placing our order. It was insane and hilarious!)

Matt, Joshua and I climbed to the top of the bleachers so we could have a great view of the show. Not long after, the kids filed on to stage and that was all it took to make me ball. I'm talking, full fledged "Who's the crazy mom?" kind of tears. I didn't have too much time to sulk down memory lane because Joshua accidentally kicked the flip flop off of my foot and it fell alllllll the way to the floor.

In an instant, I went from The Crazy Crying Mom to the White Trash Mom who only wears one slightly tacky gold flip flop to a Kindergarten graduation. Klassy with a K!

The kids did a really great job and I was so excited that Jacob gave me a little love while he was on stage. The best thing about Southern Boys is that they always love their mama's!

The families were invited back to the classrooms for a reception before being dismissed for the day. It was really sweet to see Jacob having so much fun with his friends. I am so blessed that he had such a great teacher and kind students to spend the year with.

HOLLER!!!

And then Joshua discovered Pixie Sticks...

I'm so proud of my little guy and can't wait to see what happens in 1st grade!! While looking for a preschool picture of Jacob, I found a few others of Jacob that I had to post. They just made me smile!!

A young genius at work!

The Preschool Ladies Man

Look how little he was and he STILL talks about Chuchi's wedding

My Little Hunter

First...and Last...time he cut his hair

One of Henry's 10,000 birthday parties

Ice Cream with the horse

Spring Break Scranton Style

Can't grow a beard? Draw one!

I am so thankful to have Jacob and Joshua in my life. The thought of them growing up can be scary but keep reminding myself of all the fun we have ahead of us!

Will You Maui Me?

2010-07-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Matt and I recently ditched the kids and went for a sweet vacation in Maui!! When we started planning this vacation, it was supposed to be a family vacation to the Florida Keys. But as the planning progressed, it turned out that my lovely sister-in-law offered to keep the boys so Matt and I could go on vacation alone.

Most people drop luggage off curbside at the airport. Us? We drop off kids!!

This is a HUGE deal for us because we don't have family close enough to use as a regular babysitter. Plus our schedules completely conflict with each other so we don't see each other during the semester. (No lie, we will go 16 weeks without eating dinner together!!) So needless to say, we needed some alone time!

We decided that we better make this trip baller because there was a lot to celebrate. First off...no kids!! Besides that, we had my birthday, mothers day, fathers day, wedding anniversary and Matt's 10 year anniversary with Continental.

Because Matt works for Continental we fly standby. This can be tricky and definitely has it's good points and bad points. Good point, after 10 years of Matt being with Continental we now fly completely free...no more $25 round trip tickets, baby! Bad point, getting bumped off a flight by Revenue passengers and then enduring insanely long layovers (I'm talking 19 hours...) Oh, and then there was the earthquake that happened while we were in LAX, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find a way to blame it on Matt!

Bad point...Hour #15 in the Presidents Club

Good point...1st Class!! Margaritas, lobster, salads, steak and made to order ice cream sundaes makes for One Happy (and bloated) Amy!!

Landing in Maui confirmed that the good points outweigh the bad points!

Matt did a lot of research and found a great apartment in Paia which is perfect because it was away from all the tourists. We quickly became regulars at a little restaurant/bar down the street and the owner joked that we even had our own table.

Our Place

Backyard

Most of the trip was low key and only involved a bikini and local beaches.

While I'm a beach bum, Matt loves mountains so that meant that we had to venture to the top of the 10,000 foot volcano. I'll admit it, the volcano was amazeballs!! (10,000 feet is the point in a flight where they tell you that portable electronics can be used!)

Standing outside in 50+ mph winds and looking DOWN at clouds. A tad creepy...

I'm a secret Geology nerd which means that we had to hunt out lava flows and black beaches. Huge sea turtles were all in the shallow waters of Makena beach and would come right next to you. Best part of all, we were the only people there. Amazing!!

We made two trips ot Wailea which is a touristy part. During the morning the beaches only had a few locals along with the life guards in training. (They ran that beach for hours. Hence, I will never be a lifeguard in Hawaii!)

Better them than me!!

See them stiiiill running in the background. Sucka's!!

As the afternoon progressed, tourists started to hit the beach so we bailed and went back to our side of the island.

The last beach we went to was again a local spot. There I met my idols, Rhonda and Randy. There were Fabule$$! I'm not sure if you know, but I refuse to age gracefully. I'm hanging on to my youth and will fight this aging-thing tooth and nail. I have no shame in being inappropriately dressed at an old age and truly believe that gold lamé is the best thing ever. Apparently I'm not alone in this thought pattern because these two ladies rocked bikinis, tall boys and Marlboro Menthol 100's as they baked in the sun. I couldn't help but think that this will be me and Kisha 50 years from now. Of course I had to befriend them and managed to talk up a storm for about an hour. They were AWESOME and shameless about being cougars! Poor Matt was almost pounced on and I did nothing to stop it! Their stories about working for Playboy the 70's were amazing but not nearly as amazeballs as their gallbladder scars. I'm happy to say that I have their phone number and will surely give them a ring when we go back next year!

Amy & Kisha in 40 years. Future looks good to me!!

So did we have a good time? YES!! It can be so hard for me and Matt to kick back during the school year. His work schedule, kids in school and me in school quickly puts a damper on any fun that we try to have. The silver lining to our schedules is that when we do get away, we have more fun than any honeymooner can! We were laughing and flirting so much that a few people even asked us if we were on our Honeymoon!!

Shuffling, Studying & Sweeping to Showers, Sun & Sleeping!!

2010-07-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you know anything about me, it's that I love (I mean really LOVE) to sleep. The problem is that when school is in session, I get very little of my beloved Zzzz's' Instead get to do plenty of shuffling the kids around, studying and sweeping up the mess we leave behind. Thankfully that hot mess of a routine is over and it's now time to reap the benefits of summer!! The goal of my day is to at some point get every person showered, soak in some sun and of course...sleep!! This new schedule has left me little time to blog so I am a bit (and by "bit" I mean months) behind. I'm going to try to catch up over the next week because it is going to rain and that freed up my time that would have otherwise been spent in the sun.

Since I'm catching up in no chronological order, I'll start with today. Eventually I'll catch up on the major life events that have slipped through my lazy blogging fingers.

We met up at the beach with some friends and the boys enjoyed playing with somebody else instead of each other. (Sidenote, my boys that rarely fight with each other are at the point in the summer where they are about to kill each other. I've resorted to turning up the music loud enough so I can't hear them and will only turn it down once they stop fighting. Bad parenting? Probably. Effective? YES!!)

The little boys (Jacob, Joshua & Nick)played in the water and the big boys (Matt & Michael) planned out hunting, camping and fishing trips while girls (Amy & Alison) relaxed and sipped lemonade on the beach. The thought of the boys going hunting made me happy because any trip that requires camouflage results in an automatic shopping trip for ME. This is exactly why I love when Matt goes hunting.

Back to the beach.... So the kids play and played and played. By the end of the day, we all have some part of our body that resembles a lobster but hey, it was worth it!

We spent the night at the boys Cowboy Grandma's. They love staying there and part of the trip usually involves a stop at the fish hatchery. They have been going there since they were little but never get tired of playing with the critters in the touch tank. (I even learned something new today. Did you know that crabs with red tips on their claws are the girls? It's like their claws have nail polish on them. Who knew they were so stylish!!)

We made one more final (and FREE!) stop at the local museum before we got on the road. It amazes me how much fun the kids have at any museum, regardless of how big or small. They played with a little airplane simulator and Jacob flew better than my husband...who works for an airline!!

We made it home safe and sound but the surprises weren't over yet. Jacob lost another tooth. He's not so excited about the actual tooth fairy, but the fact that it's "payday when he loses a tooth." What can I say, my kids are awesome!!

28 + 1

2010-06-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. It's unavoidable and happens between taxes and death...birthday. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my birthday. A whole day dedicated to me and celebrating me...well, it's fabulous! The downside is that I am officially another year older and refuse to age gracefully. I have no shame in saying that I'll be the 90 year old lady at the pool, completely Botoxed up rocking a tacky and inappropriate bathing suit.

For a girl who despises the thought of getting older, I've ironically done a great job of dragging out my birthday to a two month affair. It started in the first week of May when Matt bought me my dream camera. I was thrilled with this surprise and would have been happy if that the only thing done for my birthday. However, some other people had some plans up their sleeves!!

I woke up to a great party on my actual birthday put on by the boys. Matt had work that morning and the boys did it all by themselves. They made a banner and planned out a series of games for the party. I'm sorry, but playing Chutes and Ladders at 9am with two great little guys is a fabulous way to start any day. Seriously, those two little guys rock!

I pretty much assumed that was it for my birthday until the girls took over. We had a Memorial Day BBQ and the kids swam their little hearts out. (Well, most swam except for when Joshua fell into the deep end of the pool less then 5 minutes after we arrived. Matt nearly had a heart attack and didn't take his eye off the little guy the rest of the time!) While Matt was on life guard duty, I enjoyed chatting with the girls and was surprised by the most delish triple chocolate cake! (Trust me, I would know because I ate not one, but two, huge pieces. Kudo's to Kimberly!) The BBQ was followed by a girls night to the movies to check out Sex & the City 2. The movie was HOrrific but the company was fabulous!!

Who needs a fork? It was THAT good!!

Celebration complete? NO!! The next night was went to the Astros where we had super-sweet seats. This was my first Astro's game and I had a blast. We ate, giggled and chatted...and occasionally took a brief break to watch the game!

We don't have a picture of the 4 of us because my fancy camera was a bit much for the 60 year old man behind us to figure out. Next time, there will be two of us on camera duty!! Either way, here is my Birthday Crew!

We may not have a group shot, but I do have a picture of THIS guy. He was busting moves at random times. So awkward but so amusing.

Yes, I know I am completely spoiled rotten. The thing is that I'm incredibly grateful and humbled by everything my family and friends have done for me. The three most important things in my life are my 3 F's: Faith, Family and Friends. It's a great feeling to realize that all three areas are not only fulfilled, but completely intertwined with each other. Thank you to all everyone who not only make me feel special on my birthday, but everyday. From Pennsylvania to Texas and everywhere in between, I hope you all know how much I love you.

Time to get to bed. The Birthday Celebration still isn't over. I have a date with my hubby in Maui!!

Don't try this at home

2010-05-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

The thing with my family is that everyone is artsy fartsy, whether they like it or not. When we were little girls, my father would create amazing sculptures for us out of random objects from the workshop. He can make anything from statues to wind chimes to copper bowls.

My sister shocked everyone when she chopped of her stunning blonde hair to a short red cut in college. Apparently this, along with the vast array of black clothing options, was the way to express yourself when you're going to school for Fine Arts and Sculpture. Thankfully the red hair faded over time out but her passion for the arts and theatre never did. Our uncle also helped develop our appreciation for the arts because he's always involved with theatre. It was my dream to go to school for photography but my sister claimed the "starving artist" title first since she was older and got first dibs on it when she started college.

Given our family history (and the fact that both of my boys are lefty's) it's pretty safe to say that there will be some sort of Arts in their future! In an effort to expose them to as much as possible, we headed off to the "Cirque du Soleil" themed symphony last night.

We got there early and the boys kept busy working on their Chickfila coloring books. (What kind of mother/son date night would be complete without Chickfila?!)

Joshua channeling The Rock (Goose egg compliments home wrestling match. Jacob won.)

It didn't take long for Jennifer and Kimberly to arrive. As usual, Jacob quickly informed Miss Jennifer that she would be sitting next to him. (When we first got there, Jacob whacked Joshua when he sat in Miss Jennifer's seat!) Kimberly, aka Martha Stewart, came fully prepared with a wicker basket loaded with fresh cut fruit and delicious cookies. This spread put my goldfish crackers-in-a-ziploc bag to shame!

During each act, I reminded them that they are not allowed to try the stunts at home!

Bieber Fever struck the symphony!!

Why yes, that is two practically naked men painted bronze standing on each others heads.

Jacob, the budding photog, took his first picture with my new camera. He listed this as one of his favorite activities of the night!

All in all, it was a great night and the boys did amazing. I sincerely hope that the boys continue to love the arts as much as I do. I now understand my mothers reasoning for only one Starving Artist allowed at a time considering my sister went to a private Catholic university. The equation for Starving artist follows. 1 Starving Artist at a private university or 2 Starving Artists at a public university!

Regardless of what college Joshua attends, he'll have to take a drama class because this when he woke up and realized that he had a stuffy nose. Pathetic, I know.

Splish Splash

2010-05-18T19:14:00.001-07:00

It's officially summer in our house! The boys had a wet, but fun, day between school and swim practice. Joshua enjoyed Water Day at his school which involved a Noah's Ark themed chapel and water play on the playground.

It was so cute to watch all the little kids pretend that they were animals marching on to the "ark" before it started to rain.

The kids had a blast and I know Joshua will remember this for years to come. The kids scooted straight from Chapel out to the playground where they went wild playing in several different kiddie pools, shaving cream and paint. It cracked me up because the girls played quietly in their pools while the boys attacked the shark pool. I'll admit it, my kid was a ringleader!

This was right about the time that Joshua declared himself King of the Playground

Joshua has inherited my love of ice cream so you can imagine how thrilled he was to learn that they were having ice cream sundaes for snack...at 10 in the morning!!

Later in the day, Jacob had swim practice and Joshua tagged along. Jacob is doing so well and his little brother loves to cheer him on. (I should mention that there's a dirt pile just begging to be played with and that may have something to do with Joshua's enthusiasm for attending swim practice.)

Go, Jacob, GO!!!

I love that he is so proud of himself. He's such a little man. (Side note, check out the little girl rocking boots and shorts. Gotta love a girl with style!)

They are building a new development next to the pool and they boys LOVE the bulldozers. We park right across from them so they can keep tabs on what the workers are doing.

All of this time at the pool is making me so excited for the lazy days of summer. (Somebody please remind me of this in August when 110 degrees and the kids are about to attack each other at any given moment!!)

Strep versus Siete

2010-05-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

The boys and I were planning to kick off Mothers Day weekend with fiesta at a friends house to celebrate Siete de Mayo (not to be confused with Cinco de Mayo). Our plans quickly changed once Jacob started complaining of a sore throat and then the bombshell dropped...the boy took a nap! Napping in our house means that you better get the copay ready because there is a doctors appointment looming. I tried to get in with our doctor but that was impossible on the Friday afternoon before Mothers Day.

Thankfully there's a Minute Clinic close by and were able to get us in without a long wait. Turns out that Jacob tested positive for Strep not only by their doctor but by their newest intern, Dr. Joshua. Joshua firmly explained to the doctor that Jacob got sick because pollen got into the cut on his knee. Jacob corrected Joshua by telling him that he's sick because he didn't eat enough fruit. He also explained to them that his insides were falling out because he had diarrhea. (Lovely detail, I know.)

It cracks me up to think that the boys managed to have fun at the appointment even though Jacob was rocking a 103 fever AND my bright pink hoodie.

Taking pitiful pictures to send to Daddy

Dr. Joshua examining the patient for pollen.

One curled up boy in a now stretched out hoodie

My uncle pointed out that on Mothers Day I'm definitely going to feel needed. As parents, we try to make our children independent but the reality is that moms always want to feel needed. While Jacob may not enjoy the weekend very much, I'm going to relish in the fact that my little guy still needs me. On that note, I'm off to put another cool washcloth on his forehead. I better enjoy this "needed feeling" before the antibiotics kick in!!

7 Kids and Counting

2010-05-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

To put it simply, today was insane. A good insane, but insane nonetheless! Our day started with a birthday party with some old friends and the boys had their first try at bowling. It was hilarious! After several tries, Jacob made a spare and Joshua got the ball all the way down the lane. This was a huge deal but they were soon saddened by the news that they couldn't keep the bowling shoes. (Phew!!)

Their attention was quickly diverted to cake and then to a few rounds at the video games. Jacob may have done better at bowling, but Joshua smoked Jacob at the race car game. Although they started at the same time, Jacob had to have money inserted in his machine three times while Joshua continued to play the same game. Who knows, maybe Joshua will have amazing driving skills like his mother. (Except for when I was 3 and drove a van into a house. Or the time I hit Mrs. Finnerty's car. Oooor the time my car floated down Will Clayton Parkway.)

In the same way that a Scranton party don't stop, neither does ours! Later in the afternoon, we met up with the Seelys and Texidors for some ice cream. And as usual, the three families took up the entire kids section! (Note to TCBY, the plastic picnic tables aren't enough for our brood so please be better prepared for our next visit. Thank you.)

Our ice cream adventure may have backfired on us because we then had 7 kids all sugared up and ready to go. So we decided to White Trash-it and head on down to the local McDonalds and "borrow" their playset. Between all 11 of us, only one $1 drink was purchased (with refills!) and our kids played and played and played. We figured this was acceptable considering the countless times we went through the drive thru to get a Happy Meal and the kids didn't actually get to play on the playset. You know, something along the lines of a playset rain check.

If you are wondering, yes that is a grown woman in the McDonalds play structure. At one point or another, we all had the opportunity to climb the structure and rescue a kid or two.

After today, I'm convinced that TLC needs to make a show about us. Sort of a hybrid of Real Housewives of NYC/Atlanta/NJ/OC and The Duggars 19 Kids and Counting. Do you hear that TLC, get on it!!! Now all I have to do is think of a name... Any suggestions?

Sink or Swim

2010-04-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...Swim Team! Yesterday was the official start to the hustle and bustle of daily practices and weekend swim meets. This is Jacobs' second season and the first for Joshua. Last year during Jacobs first practice, he jumped in the pool and literally sank to the bottom. He worked his tail off all season and eventually swam the entire length of the pool. This year Joshua is our sinker and I hope this goes better than last years private lessons. (Joshua is the kid who schmoozed his little way out of swimming and ended up relaxing on a chaise lounge.)

Here they are at todays practice. Yesterday I had them in matching suits (thanks Nanny and Pop Pop!) but didn't have time for pictures because we were running late. You'll notice that Joshua is rocking Jacobs old competition suit and has a little muffin top! We are still waiting for Jacobs new suit to arrive so he gets to sport a super cute Boden suit. (Thanks Aunt Teri!)

I'm a little nervous about how this swim season will go. One of two things will happen. Either they will be super-fab swimmers and I get to relax on the chaise lounge all summer OR Joshua will continue to sink and I will be chasing him all summer. Swim, child, SWIM!!!

Tour de Woods

2010-04-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's official...I have a bike!! This is big news considering I bought (and then later sold) a Burley d'Lite bike trailer without ever using it. Much to Matt's frustration, the reason the trailer was never used was because I didn't buy a bike. My sans bike lifestyle changed the other day when I got a nasty shin splint while running. This led me to purchase my first grown up bike (so long Huffy!) and hit the trails.

Today I went out for a little roll around The Woods and caught myself thinking of how much I've changed since moving from Scranton. It was kind of like a movie playing...families walking, birds chirping, people pushing their yappy little dog in a stroller, etc. So here I am, so proud of my little suburban life and comparing it to how it would been if I never moved. Right as I was about to leap up on to my high horse, Wreckx-n-Effect started blaring Rump Shaker on my iPod and in that instant, I was forever banned from sitting on any high horse. It just goes to show that you can take the girl out of Scranton but can't take the Scranton out of the girl. Who knows, maybe if I get in stellar shape from all my bike riding I can live out my dream as a 90's gangsta rapper? What What!

A quick note that has nothing to do with bikes or 90's rappers, Joshua found a new way to entertain himself. Every day when we pick Jacob up from school, Joshua and I wait about 20 minutes in carline because we like to be early. Bless his heart, he's usually good about waiting and finds creative ways to entertain himself while strapped into his car seat. Today Joshua became a statue. This was accomplished by wrapping the Randalls newspaper ad around his head and sitting as still as possible. One would think that this would cause for some much needed quiet time, but no, Joshua managed to turn himself into a statue that talks. For at least 5 minutes, my Backseat Statue repeated over and over again "I am a statue. Don't touch the statue." Lovely.

Prada, Dolce & Ice Cream...Oh My!

2010-04-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those busy days filled with appointments and errands but we made the best of it. For those of you that don't know,I have a minor obsession with gold flip flops. They are usually cheaply made, borderline tacky and never last an entire season. That being said, I found the 1st par of Summer 2010 at Old Navy and snagged them for the bargain price of $9. (Holler!) After my deal, Joshua and I stopped by Marshalls hoping to find a cute sundress to wear with my snazzy new flip flops. I didn't find a dress, but I did find an entire row of designer shoes all begging to be tried on. So that is what we did. I tried to squeeze my fat feet into as many shoes as possible and sashayed my way through the aisle. This wasn't a one-strut deal, I'm talking a good 10 minutes of me strutting my stuff on the imaginary catwalk.

Versus

After Marshalls Next Top Model, we met up with Jennifer and the boys for some fun at the mall. We got there a little early and managed to snap a few pictures of the boys being silly. Please note that Jacob brought Henry the cow with us and I have every intention of using these as blackmail pictures in 10 years.

What's better than a healthy dinner? Ice Cream!! There is nothing quite like Marble Slabs Sweet Cream with rainbow nonpareils to make a girl smile. There aren't any pictures of our ice cream outing because I was busy shoveling it into my mouth. (I am very serious when it comes to ice cream. Once a Frosty Freeze girl, always a Frosty Freeze Girl)

Last but not least, we hit up the carousal for the best $1 entertainment in town. Cooper and Caleb were a couple rows away from us but am pretty sure that I heard some Seely giggles while we were going around. Jacob and Joshua also enjoyed it and Henry gave it two hooves up.

One last thing that made me smile, the Seely boys learned a new song at ELP and had a blast belting it out as we left the mall. It was one of those super sweet moments that just make you smile. It took everything in me not to whip out my Jazz Hands and groove on along with them.

2/26/06

2010-02-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here amazed at the fact that Joshua turned 4 today. It's weird to think that he isn't a baby or toddler but a little boy. (If you ask him, he's a HUGE boy.)

I keep going down memory lane and think how different things were back in 2006 and am so proud of where we are now. In 2006, Jacob was 2 1/2, not talking and the word "autistic" was being whispered to explain his quirks. Matt was home recovering from his back surgery which included several rods, screws, laminectomies, bone fusions and bone graphs. I was working at the Marriott and just trying to do it all.

I went to get my hair done because there's now way I was going to have a bad hair day in the delivery room. It was February 25, 2006 and my first time at a new hair stylist. (For those of you who personally know me, you would be surprised to know that my hair was looong!) I joked that I would try not to go into labor in the chair. Joshua was strangely calm and not moving much so at the urging of my mother-in-law, we went to the hospital to get checked out. The doctor looked at me like I was crazy and asked how much pain I was in. When I answered none, he looked incredibly confused and told me that I was in full blown labor. We're talking regular contractions, dilated and effaced. After a quick epidural, Joshua was born healthy and not-so-happy at 3:05am on 2/26/06.

Jacob didn't initially share our excitement about Joshua and was more concerned about going down to his Grandma and Grandpas. Thankfully by the time he came home, Jacob had warmed up to the idea of a little brother but decided that he should stop napping that day. Oh, what a cruel twist of mommy-fate!

So here we are in 2010. Jacob is still a little smarty-pants and amazes me how well he does in Kindergarten. He is such a witty kid and cracks me up when it's least expected. Thank the Lord, Matt fully recovered from back surgery and enjoying being back at work. I left my position to stay at home and finish my degree. Oh, and my hair is still short!

Joshua, oh Joshua, where to start?! In the past four years, Joshua has taught me so much about looking at the glass half full and how to go with the flow. He capable to have fun in any situation, including time outs! I love that Joshua truly believes that life is all about play and that everything is a game. At times his free spirited personality can be challenging to parent, but I truly hope he doesn't lose that trait when he's a grown up. Joshua is Jacob's favorite sidekick and so incredibly thankful and blessed to have them both in my life.

Cinderella's Shoe

2010-02-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not exactly Cinderella but I'll take what I can get. We were at the mall today, bravely riding the escalator when Joshua fell forward. I instantly lunged after him which unknowingly caused my heel to break off. I learned this when the lady behind us tapped me on the shoulder and politely asked if that was part of my shoe on the step below. Not good, especially since it's a Sunday afternoon and everyone and their brother is at the mall. This kids found my shoe debacle hilarious as I hobbled, yes truly hobbled, from the middle of the mall all the way to Dillards to buy another pair. The sales lady jokingly asked if I wanted to wear my new pair home.

Prior to the shoe drama, we went out for lunch and I was completely impressed at how diligently they were coloring the place mats. Jacob was working on his when he realized that Joshua's place mat had an alien on it. In passing, Jacob nonchalantly told Joshua that he looked like the alien! What I just realized is now is how much Jacob and my father have the same sense of humor. To give you an example of what I'm dealing with, my father works with a lady who is blind and he commonly asks her if she likes his tie! The amazing part is that the blind lady, along with those who actually get his humor, think that he's hilarious.

Later in the evening we met Jennifer for WhichWich Sunday. Jacob was adamant about sitting next to Miss Jennifer and he made sure to inform her of the seating arrangement. The sandwich was great but the company was even better.

Our final stop of the day was at Target where Joshua decided to place dress up in the accessories aisle. Once again, I was able to snap a blackmail picture and will be sure to keep it safe until it is needed during his teenage years.

Oh, one last thing. The boys were discussing where they're going to live when they get older. Jacob is going to have his own house and won't let Joshua live there. He told Joshua to build a house next to his, but not too close. When I asked Joshua where I was going to live, he quickly replied "in a tree." Looks like there's a treehouse in my future and not a nursing home!

Me & My Monks

2010-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

The boys and I had a semi-impromptu shopping trip out at the outlets today. I say "semi-impromptu" because I was tinkering with the idea all week but decided it was a go after getting the boys haircuts. This whole impromptu-thing may not be a big deal to you, but it was a HUGE thing for me. Reason being, the not-to-distant past involved attempting to get the kids out of the house fully clothed *bonus points if clean*, diaper bags, potty breaks, nursing in the car or dressing room, nap times, more dirty diapers/potty breaks...I can go on and on. Today was one of those great days that I realized that I don't have to deal with ANY of that anymore!! BRILLIANT!!! While I truly loved my little guys being so dependent on me for everything, it's soo nice for them to get ready themselves and be able to change plans on whim without worrying about naps, diapers or potty breaks. (I probably just jinxed myself and my next post will include a picture of a Clear Blue Easy with the caption "I'm Pregnant!")

From Blog

Jacob helping me pick out purses! What can I say, he has good taste!

I'm not sure what I'm more excited about, the shopping trip or the fact that continually ran into Buddhist monks! I know, only I would get uber-excited, and I'm not sure even why, but it totally made my day. My first run-in was at the Coach outlet. Any street smart woman knows to get her shopping-claws out when braving a Coach Outlet on a Saturday afternoon. My Monk friends were not as prepared for the madness. There was no shortage of woman snapping their necks and pushing each other all in the name of a good deal. I had a blast watching their faces!

From Blog

Notice the woman with 10 purses on her arm. Oh yeah, she had her Game Face on!

Out next run in was at Burberry (sad news, Tannersville Burberry Outlet put 290 to shame) where I'm sure they were amused with the three flamboyant men trying on different Man Bags. Our final run in was at Gap and was much less eventful.

From Blog

Yes, I know I'm a stalker and totally OK with that.

Oh, there was the one point where Joshua yelped out "ORANGE!! Traffic lights are orange. His dress orange!" Thank you preschool for that great lesson in colors. I appreciate it.

You're pregnant? Congratulations!!!!

2010-02-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

Turns out I'm old. Yup, I said it. I've officially crossed the line of instantly congratulating somebody when they say they are pregnant rather than my old response of "Your parents are going to freak!" I lived this experience today when a 20-something girl in class told me she was pregnant and of course, I bubbled up with excitement and started gushing out my congratulations to her. I quickly learned that she wasn't nearly as enthused as I was as she proceeded to tell me that she isn't excited, her boyfriend is mortified and her parents don't know. The best part was that I heard her refer to me at the "B*tch who is excited about babies" after class in the bathroom.

So there you have it. I'm officially a b*tch who is excited about babies. I wonder why crossing the lines from Oh Crap to Congratulations isn't covered in any of the cognitive stages of development?

Jacob, Joshua and Jesus

2010-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

The boys generally have an opinion about everything and that includes religion. Bless their little hearts, they spend a lot of time at church and have a pretty good on religion. Correction, they have their own interpretations of religion! Here are a couple of my favorites...

The Bible, Cliffnotes Version
Jacob drew this picture one day after church and it still cracks me up. For those of you who can't read Six Year Old, I'll translate.

From Blog

"Jesus was Gods son of Heaven
with Moses and Joseph and Joshua
But Jesus died on the cross
But a angel came out of
a rock with a Bible of the Ten Commandments."

There you have it, the entire Bible summed up on a single sheet of paper. (with illustrations!!)

Gods Powers
Joshua explained to me how God used his powers to create the world and all he people. He went on to say that God gave him special powers too. I bravely asked him what his "special powers" are and Joshua explained that God gave him spider webs in his hands just like Spiderman.

England, Heaven on Earth
Joshua and I were at HEB today when Joshua randomly told the cashier about his cousin Thomas and how they are family. The cashier asked him if they get to play together often and he said no because Thomas lives with God. The cashier looked stunned, assumably thinking that Thomas died and is Heaven. Thankfully I was half-way listening to their conversation and was able to chime in that Thomas lives in England, not Heaven!

Cooper, Caleb and Cupcakes

2010-01-28T20:49:00.001-08:00

Dear Seely Boys,

Just a little note to let you know how delish your cupcakes were! They were super yummy in my tummy and think that you should make them at least once a week. If Mommy says no, tell her you want to come to my house and we'll make them here! (We'll even lick the bowl!)

Thank you again for making your special treats for Mommy's friends. You are great little chefs!

The Katie Chronicles

2010-01-16T11:11:00.001-08:00

So here it is, proof positive that she is safely back in Nashville. It's been a long road for Katie and I promise you that your mom, Rachel, Jordan and I are your net and will not allow you to fall. We are going to support through whatever lays ahead and am so thankful that you are home.

Best Email EVER!!

2010-01-15T10:58:00.001-08:00

"HI Amy, I am safe. I love you so much and I am so blessed to have you, thank you for all the communication. I love you, we are going to be coming home today." -Katie

Do I really need to say more???

Power of Prayer

2010-01-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

So here we are, almost 24 hours since my last post and worlds away from the turmoil of Haiti. I'm so excited to say that Katie is safe and sound in Santo Domingo all thanks to the Power of Prayer. It was reported that today started the evacuation of Americans with only three military flights going out. I'm horrible at math, but have a pretty good idea that the odds weren't in her favor of getting a flight with only 3 flights and 15,000 Americans trying to evacuate. So many people, friends of Katies as well as strangers, all pledging to pray for their group and the rest of Haiti. I've begun to compile them on this blog to show Katie how many people were thinking of them during what may have been their darkest hours.

"WOW!! Is there anything we can do? Can we send a care package??"
"HALLL LAAA LLUUUU YAHHHHHH !!!!!" *In response to hearing you made it to the Embassy.
-Michelle Summers

"Oh, my God! Please keep us posted! I knew she was going—but I didn’t realize she was there now! How can I get in touch with her?
She is in my prayers!"
"I am sick about this!!!! We have to keep the prayer chain going!!!!!"
"Please pray for my friend, Katie and her church group, who are in Haiti!"
-Tara Lightsey (*In true Tara-Fashion, she was FABULOUS at relaying information and checking on your mom!)

"I know this has been probably the most traumatic experience for Katie and her friends, but she went there for a great cause and something she believes in. She's done something most individuals have never dreamed of doing and for that I truly admire her strength and courage during such a trying time. Please send her family my love and same for when you talk to her."
-Kisha Culver

"She will be very much in my prayers and I will let my prayer partners know."
"A Texas good day to everyone. Our daughter-n-law e-mailed asking prayer for one of her best friends who is on a Mission trip in Haiti. Amy's friend is o.k. as the group she is with. Please pray for their safety as they try to help the people who now are living in this disaster. The hand of Yahweh is so amazing as one can see He put those He chooses to be where He wants them to be for His glory."
*Yahweh is Hebrew for Jesus
-Sandra Law

"Didn't get many details. Her mom was pretty upset when I spoke to her and so I just got the info that she was ok! Her mom did tell me that she would call me as soon as they heard anything...I will pass it along!! Oh, and I'm 100% about only doing mission work in Texas from now on!"
"My best friend is in Haiti on a mission trip...please pray for them to get home safely!! It is so scary when things like this happen!!"
-Rachel Jumper

"I am still praying for the safe return of a dear friend from Haiti. If you have the means, please text the word "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts. Food and water are scarce. Please do what you can to help."
"Relieved."
"Today is a great day!!!" *After hearing about the flight.
-Jordan Lawson

"Do you know how Katie and her mission group is? I saw this and didn't put two and two together till you posted....Prayers for all impacted!"
"I have been glued to the coverage and sick with worry....."
"Katie, so glad you are safe, and many prayers for all you meet and to heal your heart after what you went through!"
-Heather Dominy

"IN MY thoughts and prayers...."
"Yeah!!! Keep the good news coming!"
"how awesome !! it really brings tears to my eyes that your friend is safe !!!! the power of prayer really works !!!!!!!!"
-Janel McPherson

"I logged on just to see what the status was on your friend. I'm very happy to hear the good news!"
-Ana McLaughlin

"I forgot Katie was there this week Amy! I'll keep her in my prayers!"
"Anyone hear any news yet today?? I was thinking about her last night wondering where she was sleeping. I watched anderson cooper live until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore!!!"
-Stephanie Putnam Witt

"Don't worry Amy your not the only one, I have gone through CNN pics like 20 times today! Our prayers are so loud, maybe she can hear us! Keep us updated as best you can! Hugs to you!"
"Please pray for a friend of mine. Katie and her church group were on a mission trip in Haiti when the earth quake happened! They are alive but need prayers for a safe return."
-Christine Lajoie Rodriguez

"our prayers are with you all....xoxoxo"
-Jamie P.

"Glad to hear the good news - hope your friend and her group get home safely and quickly :)"
-Melissa C.

"great news!" *After hearing you made it to on a flight
-Kelley P.

News Updates
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100112/NEWS01/100112099/Nashville-church-members-survive-earthquake-in-Haiti

http://www.fox17.com/newsroom/top_stories/wztv_vid_2505.shtml

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100115/NEWS01/1150364

Katie, there are many, many more prayers posts on Facebook, blogs and texts. (Jordan is my newest Facebook/Text Friend! I ironically just got a text from Jordan saying that he is sitting with Peg and Randy!!) I would like to thank everyone for keeping them in your prayers and ask you to continue to pray for those left behind.

I hope you all don't mind that I re-posted some of your posts. Who knows, maybe this will somehow bring a smile to her face and let her know that she never left our thoughts.

PS.. Just got a text from Jordan that you spoke to your mom and are coming home tomorrow!!!

Haiti, Katie and The Moon

2010-01-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here watching Anderson Cooper tell me to be thankful that I'm not in Haiti and to hug a loved one. What happens when your loved one is in Haiti? What happens when one of the most amazing people you have ever met is currently in what has been described as "hell on earth?" It's nighttime so that means that its dark there, pitch dark because there is no power and won't be for the foreseeable future. God only knows where she is sleeping, who is keeping her safe and how she is going to get home. I'm so thankful that she survived the earthquake but the aftermath scares me more. Knowing that my Pretty, Pretty Pickens is sleeping on the streets in the most impoverished country in the Western hemisphere is gut wrenching. I continue to pray, and ask all of you to continue to do so, but continue to question how this is all a part of God's plan. I believe that everything happens for a reason but I cannot process that thought when I think about where she is and why she is there.

Katie went to Haiti on a mission trip, to aid in the hospitals and spread the word of God. Ironically, she is the one who desperately needs aid and we are here praying to God for her safe return. It's almost a sick, cruel and incomprehensible twist of fate and am almost angry at the situation. I continually have to remind myself not to be angry, but put my trust in my faith and stay positive because that is exactly what Katie would do. I have to believe that her infectious smile, smart wits and faith in God will get her through this and safely get her home.

I also feel guilty for praying for her quick departure from Haiti while thousands and thousands of Haitians will continue to live, and die, in these circumstances. We are so fortunate to be Americans and have a place to escape to but the rest will be left behind. Yet another crappy twist is that, she went on this mission to help people and I am praying for her to leave there and return home. The emotions that I am feeling as a Christan, mother and friend all seem to be continually contradicting each other. I feel selfish for praying, hoping and wishing that Katie will quickly return home while the people of Haiti literally have no homes to return to.

As the night progresses, I continue to glance at the moon and find comfort that Katie is probably also looking at the moon. As far fetched as it seems, it brings me comfort to know that we are somehow connected and hope that she finds comfort in that as well.

New Years Resolution

2009-12-31T10:46:00.000-08:00

My resolution for the New Year is simple. I'm making a personal pledge to the Uber-Blogging Seely Family that I'll update my blog at least 4, yes you read it FOUR, times a year! If my fingers are feeling particularly festive, I may even increase that to once a month. Amazeballs, I know. So go ahead Seely's, check back quarterly for the most unbelievable, stunning and all around marvelous blog-reading that you will ever encounter!

Farewell, Summer!

2009-08-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

The summer is coming to an end and we are trying to squeeze every last bit out of the season! The boys have been on a boat-kick so we decided that if we were going to take them on a boat, it better be a Texas-size boat! We surprised them by taking them to the Battleship Texas and let them play with the machine guns, run around deck and go underneath to see how the crew lived and worked. I was gung ho about this little trip until I realized that there was no air conditioning on the ship!! Mind you, it is one of the hottest summers in Texas and the ship basically turned into a floating toaster oven! I was miserable but kept a smile on for the boys because they were having a blast.

From Blog

However, I managed to complain to Matt at any given chance and attempted to send numerous SOS texts to my sister but reception is sketchy in the underbelly of a ship!

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After our day at Battleship Texas (and unplanned stop at Bass Pro Shop) we spent the next couple days at my in-laws. We had a party for Jacobs 6th birthday and he decided that he wanted to decorate his cowboy cake.

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Jacob was determined to make a cowboy hat out of icing while Joshua was trying to find the fastest way to consume icing directly from the can. Needless to say, the boys were pretty hyper!!

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Thankfully the beach is only 20 minutes from their house so we spent some more fun in the sun before the boys (meaning Matt...) had the great idea to go fishing the next day. (Side note, I am deathly terrified of fish.) There was not turning back on this idea after he told the boys about surf fishing. So here I go again, doing something completely out of my comfort zone! Our 1st attempt in the surf yielded two small fish but the tide kept bringing the hooks back to shore. The kids weren't too concerned because they had more fun playing the the bait...Squid!!

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(Mind you, I was having a mild panic attack about the thought of squid chum in the water along with my kids. Jaws, anyone?) Matt then took us out to the jetties and it was n-o-t a relaxing experience! The boys are too small to go on the rocks which meant that Matt had to continuously cast out one rod, get the other rods hook that was stuck in the rocks, cast that one out and then repeat with the original rod that was now stuck on the rocks. Much to my delight, we didn't catch any fish but did see a bunch of dolphins and a sea turtle!

From Blog

Overconfidence

2009-08-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to a 3 year old who is convinced he can fly on the swings.

From Blog

So just imagine me with my busted lip and Joshua with his scraped face walking into a store. Yup, we are getting lots of looks from strangers!!