Close Calls

I feel like we have a lot of close calls with Nathan. Those moments when you think, "Oh boy, that could have been sooo much worse." Times when you see the accident coming and everything turns to slow motion and you are just 2 steps or 2 seconds behind. Today was one of those times. At lunch I was mixing up some chocolate milk (because Mondays are chocolate milk Mondays around here) and we were singing "Witches Brew". I would pause between verses to tell Nathan to settle down in his booster so that he wouldn't fall. We have him in a booster seat strapped to the chair and then we have to buckle him in (otherwise he gets up and down at least a dozen times per meal). I had just finished saying, "Nathan, stop or you are going to get hurt. If you rock that hard in your booster you are going to fall." Sure enough he starts to fall forward since he had thrown his weight back and then forward again he knocked the chair off balance and he is heading for the edge of the table without being able to bail out of his seat. He nails his face on the table just before I can get to him. The chocolate syrup ended up flying across the table as I ran over to scoop him up. His mouth was dripping blood in no time (thank goodness for yarrow) and the inside of his upper lip was pretty beat up. The first thing he said was, "chocack bop" (chocolate milk). But all in all things are fine. As far as I can tell his teeth are intact and he didn't break his nose or gash his forehead and ruin his perfect chubby little face. Little tender mercies.
At a minimum I have to rescue Nathan from choking twice a week (I guess some weeks it is only once, but others it can be 3 or 4 times, so the average is about twice). I mean the whack his back so he starts breathing again since he swallows his food whole like a snake. I wish the boy would learn to chew.
On the same note, I forgot to mention that on my birthday he and Kate got into my purse/diaper bag and rummaged through it. They (meaning Kate) managed to get open the concentrated infant Motrin and Nathan drank it. Luckily there was only about a 1/3 of it left or less, but I wasn't sure. So, I had to call poison control. (Boy, there's nothing like having to call poison control or pulling your kids off of your roof to make you feel like a fantastic mother. I'm not winning any awards this year. I'm just trying to keep Nathan alive. He is such a stereotypical two-year old boy.) Anyway, they asked me all kinds of question about him. Age, weight, type of medicine he drank, etc. When I told him he turned 2 in April and weighed 35 pounds he said, "Oh, okay." I said, "Yeah, the weight thing is going to work in our favor this time." That as well turned out to be fine. He would have had to drink about 5 times more than he did in order to have to go to the ER so we lucked out yet again. I think this boy might be part cat with 9 lives. I swear I am NOT just a bad mother.

Practicing

Eliza hates anything involving fine motor skills. She doesn't like to color, write, draw, etc. So I thought this was cute.

My Little Family

Aunt Nancy sent this up for us last week. It looks so cute on him.
The kids couldn't leave him alone. They just kept hugging and kissing him...not that that is very different from any other day I guess.

Just a few pictures before church.
Nathan is getting to that really cheesy smile stage.

Love that Tannerboy's smile.
My girls try so hard to take good care of him.

All of my boys.
See what I mean with the weird smile on Nathan? It's comical really.

I tell ya, I'm a lucky lady. My husband wears a suit 6 days a week.
I love how handsome he is in it.

Nathaniel wasn't big on kissing his son when Nathan was born.
He thought it was a little weird. This is proof that he has changed.
I just love how cute he is with his boys.

Dreams do come true.
I've got all I want right here at home.
(Not the home itself, mind you, just the people inside.)

Snow!?!

Doesn't he look like Ralphie's little brother from The Christmas Story?
This is Nathan's first experience with snow.

Kate trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue. She kept running around saying, "it's snowing over here, too! It's snowing on the car, too!" I love the wonder and magic in kids eyes.

I don't know if I'm ready for this...in fact I know I'm not. But, ready or not, it's here!
My kids are going to love it though. I guess it isn't always about me.

Secret Agent Man

Nathaniel walks Eliza to the bus stop in the morning and then, once she is on the bus, he continues on to work at the courthouse. One day a little while back he said that while Eliza was getting on the bus the bus driver asked him where he worked. He said he worked at the courthouse. She said, "So you aren't a secret agent? One of the boys told me you were a secret agent." (He could pass for one in his suit and leather jacket, I guess [boy does he look sharp!]). Nathaniel said, "Even if I was, I couldn't tell you. Really I am clerking for the judges." I thought that might be a good rumor to keep up on. Sounds so exiting! Maybe someday...

HE PASSED!!!!

Really is there anything more to say? Bring on the celebrations...

I've Broken Down

I turned on the Christmas music, turned on the heater, and started making hot chocolate. When it is 38 degrees outside, it's Christmas time. At least it feels like it to us. We aren't used to this cold weather business. If it's going to be cold, we are going to live it up Christmas style! That's what Arizona will do to you.

Jammin'

I got this for $2 so I made it into this...

foamy jam! It was my first attempt at cooked jam. I was learning. The next batch was normal. But hey, at least it set. Eliza won't eat any other type of jam. She was a little worried when I took a jar to someone. I told her we still had 10 jars and so she let it go. I have to admit, store jam has no place in my house after making our own. It feels so good to be domestic.

Emptying the Camera

Tanner is at such a fun age. He is always smiling and laughing. He sits up, plays with toys, claps, and has even waved a couple of times. He is loving the finger foods and being big enough to eat table food. I noticed his first tooth broke through when we were at Chelsea's house in Utah (Sept. 24) and his second tooth the next week.

Sadly enough, these are the only pictures I took of our weekend in Utah. These are the salt flats on the way over to Salt Lake City. I was totally fascinated by them. I really wanted to get out and run around and play in the salt, but didn't because we didn't have time. I am going to do it sometime for sure though.
We went to Utah to stay with Chelsea and her family and see Bri, Ben and his family, Chad and the kids he brought, and my cousin Darcy. It was such a fun time. The first day we were there we stayed up until 2 in the morning talking and laughing and inhaling Que Bueno like a bunch of vultures on a carcas. I love my family so much and haven't seen much of them in 3 years. I can't believe how grown up my nieces and nephews are getting. Jaymon and Nate were right there joining us in the Que Bueno fest. I think it is fun to see them turning into such fine young men. Camille and Callie were so cute with Tanner. I loved to see them playing with him. My girls loved playing with their older girl cousins. Chelsea made me the best chocolate birthday cake I have ever had. I even had some for breakfast the next day. (I love being a grown up.) We had a great time and I am loving living much closer to them. We are already planning when we can get over there again.

I have been doing circle time with Katelyn and Nathan when Eliza is at school, but this day we waited for her. The kids were acting out a story. I think it is really good for Nathan especially.

This may seem like an ordinary picture, but to me, this was a small miracle. Nathan actually played by himself for 20 minutes. He always needs me to be right where he is and play beside him. He is always at my feet when I am making dinner and whining or trying to get too close to the stove. This day I was making dinner and noticed something was different. My shadow wasn't there. Nathan had taken his truck and those little blocks and was actually playing on his own! I only wish it would have lasted longer. The very next day he was back to clinging to me. Oh well, I got 20 minutes, right?

Tanner loves his tubs. He and Nathan have quite the party in the tub. Nathan gets Tanner laughing and smiling so big. I love to see them interact and not have Tanner come away crying. When he gets out of the tub, Tanner's hair is so cute. You can style it. Once it is dry it just stands up on end...I wonder where he gets that?

I'm Still Waiting for CPS to Show Up at my Door...

I think it was on Sunday as I was doing dishes and Nathaniel was off in our room doing something on the computer when we hear the stomping of feet above our heads. Nathaniel says, "Where are the kids?" I said, "They are just upstairs running around, aren't they?" He said, "That didn't sound like they were upstairs..." And he left to go and check on them. It's a good thing he did too. He brought Nathan back downstairs with him and says, real normal and calm like, "They were running on the roof." I knew he was not calm on the inside, but he hides his emotions well. I on the other hand went flying up the stairs to find the girls and to get an explanations as to why my 3 children we RUNNING AROUND ON THE ROOF OF MY TWO STORY HOUSE!!! Eliza had apparently thought it would be fun to open the locked window (that is only knee height anyway with no screen...oh, the joys of renting) and let the fun begin. I still am in shock as to how all of this played out. They all got out on their own, but Nathaniel went upstairs before they could all get back in. Nathan was still outside and so Daddy helped him back in...which was good, of course, because if he would have slipped, he would have fallen off of the roof and landed on the sidewalk below. If any of you know me, you know that I am a pretty cautious (a.k.a. paranoid) mom. I am big on safety. I am the carseat Nazi. The lady that won't let her kids venture farther than the reach of her arm at any parking lot, store, or gathering. I won't let my kids even go back to the car at the park unless I am with them for fear they will be kidnapped. They can't play in the yard themselves...you get the idea. I am not a lenient mother. I am always worried about their safety. But here they are, running around on the roof of my house all careless and carefree. There's only so much I can do I guess. I prepare, prevent, worry, and watch as much as I can, but as soon as I turn my head...kids will be kids. There were some things that worked in our favor in this horrible scare. The part of the roof that they climbed out onto was flat, then after a few feet in slopes upward, not downward toward the ground, and their deaths. This roofline also hid the incident from onlooking eyes...therefore, the neighbors won't think I am a negligent mother. Nathaniel was home at the time and being where he was rather than where I was tipped him off to the problem. From where I was, it just sounded like they were in their room. I do figure that if I was home alone, the spirit probably would have clued me in. I am just very grateful that everyone was safe. I can just picture angels helping my little Nathan out of the window so that he didn't fall off the roof in the process. I called my Dad and was trying to remain calm as I asked him what to do to ensure the safety of my children as they played in the toy room. He told me to put silicone on the edges of the window and that would keep them shut. I had nightmares all that night about my children falling off of the roof. They are, however, safe and sound and sealed in the house thanks to the silicone. Best $5.49 I ever spent! And, since the roof covered up most of the show, I think we slipped under the radar with CPS. Whew!

Crime scene.
Notice how low the window is and how tempting it must be to a youngster.
Do you see how the roof does not extend all of the way across the window? You can also see how it is flat right outside the window and then fortunately slopes up.

View from outside looking up at the window.