Whip out a kleenex
In true Cale fashion, he stole my heart today. But first, I have to start at the beginning.

As some of you may know, Bubba had his wisdom teeth taken out on Friday. Yep, all 4. So, I went from a mother with two children, to a SINGLE mother of THREE children thanks to an oral surgeon and some freaking teeth :) Since Friday, I've traded my kids in and out, pumped, played errand runner, waitress, vomit cleaner-upper (yep, Bubba got violently sick Friday night. . .for THREE HOURS), then tack on my normal duties!! It's been a long 4 days to say the least. If I wasn't handing out drugs, then I was fixing scrambled eggs or steamed rice or pudding or gatorade or chicken noodle soup minus the chicken (which isn't too odd considering I do this for Cale - isn't his wife going to thank me? LOL). By today, I was just fed up with everything.

Bubba kept thinking up things that he wanted to attempt to eat, but that we didn't have on hand. Finally, I just stated, "Well, why don't you put more money in the bank so that I can go get you EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT??" He grunted and I continued washing dishes. Not two minutes later, here comes Cale. And do you know what that child did/said to me? He handed me two fistfuls of change and said, "Here's you some money to put in the bank." In true mother fashion, I cried. How can a three year old have such a mature and kind heart?!?!? Oh, the waves of love that those words sent through my soul. Just the sweetest thing.

That is momma's Lover Dover. . .that's where he got that nickname. . .not from smacking me in the face with a pinwheel tonight, nope, that's not my Lover. I will try and remember that moment everytime he screams, yells, ignores me, etc. Those moments are what make it all worth while and I believe that's God's way of saying, "Don't rip his head off just yet. . .there is hope." ;)

The Human Jukebox
Topic: Momma's Lover Dover
First off and TOTALLY off the topic, when I went to add this entry to my blog, there's an advertisement ticker that said, BIG MOMMA and my initial thought was, HEY NOW!!! That's uncool. Then it hit me it was for the new movie. . .but it doesn't say that!!

Anyway, I get made fun of a lot for my extensive file of songs that I have stored in my noggin. I love music, what can I say? But the funniest part is that I've passed part of my file cabinet down to Cale. He loves music so much. He also loves all different kinds of music which makes this hysterical! Chris made a cd for himself which Cale has determined is actually his. **Diversion** I just looked down to see Pru rolling, yes ROLLING, across the floor to get to a piece of paper. Isn't he too young for this?? **end of diversion** Cale loves the Boom Boom song (otherwise known as Queen's We Will Rock You). He will sing the song LOUDLY. Some words are clear and some are jumbled together, but it's funny regardless. The next song is a song that I don't care for. Chris loves it, but it's just not my style of country. It's Big and Rich's Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy. Cale loves it. Imagine a 3 year old singing THOSE lyrics!

Then, I made a cd for my brother-in-law, but it got left at my parents' house. Cale found it, put it in his DVD player and found it had the Boom Boom song on it. Mom and dad let him listen to it thinking it was harmless. Last week we were watching the George Lopez show and their theme song is Low Rider. We thought Cale as mimicking the song, but, after I questioned him TWICE, I got what he was saying, "Oh my gosh Becky, look at her butt. . ." I seriously almost died. SERIOUSLY. Not exactly a song for him to break into at school ya know?!?

I'm proud that I've passed down my love for music, but what happened to Twinkle Twinkle or Mary Had A Little Lamb for pre-schoolers? Well, if I can figure out how to record him singing these songs, I'll post it here for your listening pleasure. You'll laugh til you pee. ;)

I best be going now before Pruitt claws a hole through the wall!!!

Who knew??
Topic: Weirdness
Every once in a while a person will have a moment when they say, "Huh. . .who knew!?!" I had one today.

It's been sleeting and snowing here so I knew I wouldn't leave the house. I ended up cooking. . .A LOT. . .this weekend. Today's project - no bake chocolate cookies. As I finished spooning them out on the wax paper, I licked the spoon. Here's where my, "Huh. . .who knew?!?" moment occurred.

Did you know that if you leave a big tub of bubble gum, albeit closed, in the same pantry as the rest of your food that it will give your oatmeal a nice bubble gum flavor????

See!! A piece of pretty useless knowledge, but at least you'll sleep better tonight!!

And your name is. . . .
Topic: Weirdness
In my family, no one ever calls you by your name. NEVER. Seriously, I'm thrown off when someone calls out, "PIPER!" Just throws me!! LOL Even the dogs aren't safe from the name calling. Here's an example. Mom and dad have a dog named Simba. First off, Simba is a girl, not a boy. Carly had some weird obsession with The Lion King when we found her. Here are her names in no particular order: Sim, Sis, Poobee, Fatness, Simmy, Simba Poo Poo. Now, you'd think she'd be confused as all get out, but she's not. She answers to each and every one.

Let's move on to the kids in the family. Cale has grown up being called a slew of things, but to my mom and dad, he's Witty. When Pruitt was born, he already had quite a few names (Some of them I have fought hard to get rid of like FATSO UGH!!!) but to mom and dad, he's Itty. Now Easton is in the picture. He's a scrawny little sucker (as of his 2 month appointment yesterday he's 10% for height and weight. Compare that to my giants!!) so he is now called Bitty. So, we have Witty, Itty and Bitty in our fam. So, without further ado, here's a picture of Bitty, Bitty E, Easy money, Bit Bit, ET, Sugar Lips, better known as Mr. Easton. Check out THOSE CHEEKS!!!!!

Pondering
Topic: Weirdness
As I sit here holding a VERY heavy, sleeping and sprawled out Pru (AND HE'S SIX MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!), I just wondered how many people actually read this mumbo jumbo that I type out. Who are you? Where are you? What do you do? Stuff like that. It just seems odd to me that people read this. . .on purpose! LOL Of course, as a child it took a very long time to grasp the concept that other people all over actually continue their lives when not in my presence. I guess I thought they just showed up when it was their turn, much like The Truman Show. Who knows. Sometimes I freak myself out.:)

And the rest is history. . . .
If there's one thing that I'm known for, it's for remembering things that most people don't. Dates, times, what people were wearing. I'm odd like that, but I'm cool with it.

January 31, 1997. Today's date nine years ago. I was in my second semester of college and living it up. I was enjoying my new boyfriend, Michael, had just broken up with another boyfriend, Eric, and had ended a long term relationship with my high school boyfriend, Jason. I vividly remember walking down the hall of the Liberal Arts building and seeing Eric. He ran up to me, waving tickets and just beyond excited. He said, "I GOT US TICKETS!! GET DAVID & MICHAEL!! LET'S GO!!!" As an aside, yes, my friends in college were three guys, two of which I dated. I know. . .strange huh?? Back to my story. The tickets in which Eric was speaking were the tickets to go see the re-release of Star Wars and it was opening day. I ran down the hall, grabbed David, ran down the hall again, found Michael and tried my best to convince him to ditch with us. He would not so we left him :) We piled into my Saturn and headed to the theatre. We were the first group in and boy did we have fun!!

I went about my day and headed home after what little school I finished. I sat down, grabbed two sheets of bright red paper, and wrote a last ditch letter to the man that my heart truly belonged to. It spoke of how much I missed his smell, his voice, his big hands. How I wished we could try just one more time, because I knew we were meant to be together. I poured my heart out in the letter. Then I sealed it, and dropped it in his mailbox.

Back at my house, Michael met me, and, for the second time that day, I went and saw Star Wars again. As he dropped me at my house, I told him that it wasn't fair to him. My heart wasn't in the right place and I couldn't picture myself with him in the long run, no matter how much fun we were having. He didn't take it well, but we agreed to be friends, and we were.

I went to bed that night feeling surprisingly ok with the decisions made. A little before midnight, my phone rang. This was normal for me. My phone rang at odd hours all the time. . .usually Jason wanting me to get back together with him, or my best friend Bill, telling me of his latest girl. But this time. . .silence on the phone. I said hello again, this time more alert. I remember hanging over the side of my bed and reaching for the light when I heard the voice that I had been dreaming of. "HEY. . ." And my reply?? "Oh man. . .holy. . .is it you?" He laughed his big hearty laugh and said, "Who did you think it was going to be?" We talked for two hours that night and into the morning. The next day, we met and we've been together ever since.

Chris carried that letter in his wallet at least two years into our marriage. He said it took all night and lots of talking with his friends to make the decision to call me. To make the decision that would change the rest of our lives. I thank God every day that I had the guts to write out that letter, to drop it at his house, to tell Michael goodbye. It's a decision that I joke about regretting, but everyone knows I don't regret it. Not one single bit.

Nine years ago tonight. . .a heart felt letter and one phone call. And the rest. . .is history.

I've been inducted
Topic: Momma's Lover Dover
Yes, it's true. Tonight I was inducted into official motherhood. Yes, I've had two children, but never have I had to endure this. I made it 3 years 8 1/2 months without one spewing episode. But tonight it changed.

That's right people. Cale, momma's lover dover, puked all over the white rug in our living room. Chris almost followed suit, but I ushered the two of them to the bathroom and scrubbed for 30 minutes on my hands and knees.

Welcome to TRUE motherhood!!! And what a NaStY welcome it was!

*Sigh*
Topic: Momma's Lover Dover
I'm feeling rather. . .nostalgic right now. You know that feeling when you know time can't stand still no matter how much you want it to?? Almost a rolling in the pit of your stomach?? That's what I feel. Cale is now in a big boy bed. No more toddler bed. This I was fine with, but it's taking down all the stuff that matched his "Moo blanket" that killed me. I just took down his valance and boy howdy, I'm grasping at straws not to meld into a hysterical mess. I talked Chris into buying the more expensive quilt for his bed so that I could hold onto the stars on his wall and his lamp (albeit without the hey diddle diddle lamp shade). I also kept his "moo blanket" since it's his and I want him to have it. Everything else. . .gone. Totally and completely gone. *Sigh* WHY DO THEY HAVE TO GROW UP?? I'm glad it's over with though. And the silver lining? I get to go shopping for another window treatment and lamp shade! :)

What to do?
Topic: Momma's Lover Dover
I know that all moms think their child is the smartest child in the world and I also know that some children that grow up hearing that they are SO smart yada yada and that it puts pressure on them and that leads to other problems.

I grew up hearing how smart I was. . .sure. . .I wasn't Einstein, but I did well in school. However, I was smart enough to figure out that school was easy for me and that if I stuck to normal classes instead of taking the advanced classes, school would be fun and a breeze. I've just now admitted this to my parents who were shocked at my decision. :) Eh. . .what can I say? LOL

Here's my question. Of course I think Cale is smart, but I keep being told that socially, he's a little behind. To me, that's not breaking news considering his delay in speech. On the flip side, I keep being told that he is doing things that children his age should not be doing. I always thought that people were just being kind and saying it as an obligatory comment, but after talking to doctors and teachers, apparently he is a tad bit smarter. Do I push him?? Do I just go with the flow?? Do I try to get him to be a normal child?

So far, I've just let him lead. When he asks for confirmation on what a letter or word says, I tell him. But am I hurting him by not sitting down with him and teaching him all he needs to know about reading? Shoot!! He's only 3! It just seems overwhelming to me.

Then we have problems, not just with outsiders because we are guilty of it too, of forgetting that he is just 3. We expect more from him because he knows things he shouldn't know. Others expect more for that reason, but also because of his size. I just don't want to screw him up ya know? I battle with myself every day on this subject, but beam when he sits down and spells and writes his name and asks to be shown how to spell other words. Then the flip side catches me and wants me to push him out the door to go play. *sigh* I guess this is what parenting is about huh? Oh well. . .in about 14 years I'll know if I made the right decisions ;) But I'm still a proud momma regardless. . .and that's the bottom line.

Ugh
I know, I haven't written. . .I'll try to be better but you know how life is. I just had to share this story on the rising rate of c-sections. Don't even get me started. . .seriously. It's not something that you want to try to convince me is an ok thing. Why don't women educate themselves??? WHY?!?!?!? This just angers me to no end. . .but I'm going to bed now. Peace and easy deliveries to those pregnant and those praying for a VBAC and a huge high five to those reading that have had their VBAC. Spread the word :)