Clean Ears

This is why you do not leave an 18-month-old unattended in the bathroom.

Although, I do applaud the effort at good hygiene.

Daddy's Boy

This little guy sure LOVES his Dada!!

From Momma to Mommy

I am not exactly sure when the transformation occured, but this week I have officially gone from being Momma to Mommy. Or to my first born, at least. I wonder how long it will take for little brother to catch on.

And yes, that is a carpet burn, smack dab, in between Caleb's eyes. He gets the most unusual injuries.

Jack and Simon

I can not believe this blog has been up and running for nearly two months and I haven't posted about Jack and Simon until now. Craziness! Jack and Simon Masters are two of the Workman boys' best buddies. Jack is Caleb's oldest friend. They became playmates when Caleb was just five months old and Jack had just turned a year. The Masters were our neighbors for two years when we first moved to Franklin. Christina and I hit it off instantly and so did our boys. For those two years that we lived in the same neighborhood, our boys played together almost every day. The Masters moved a year and a half ago to another town, but we have tried to keep a consistent presence in each other's lives. We desire for our boys to grow up together even if there is a little distance for now. Caleb only asks about 20 times a day to go to Jack's house.

Over the years, Christina and I have developed a strong sister-like friendship that I treasure so much. She is a safe place for me to share my struggles and celebrate life's little victories. She loves my boys and my boys love her. She has been a source of encouragement from the beginning and a wonderful friend. I love her dearly.


But this blog is about the boys, isn't it? Caleb has always been crazy about Jack. I remember when they were younger and Jack would come to play and poor Jack couldn't take a step without Caleb bombarding him with hugs. It was really sweet, but made it hard for the boys to play. And I know that it drove Jack half nuts for a while. Now when they are together, there are fewer hugs because they are too busy building, zooming, and laughing with equal loudness. I know it is hard to believe that another child could match Caleb's volume, but when they are together, Jack can do it. It is fun to see how they crack each other up. For some reason they can't make it through lunch together without mass giggling outbursts, which often gets them separated. They must have some inside jokes that us mommies are unaware. They have each learned a lot from the other and continue to do so.

And how considerate it was for Christina to get pregnant 4 months after I did with Seth. Now my youngest has a little buddy to play with at the Masters' house. It is a lot of fun to watch Simon and Seth interact with one another, especially now that they are getting older and actually playing together. It brings back many fond memories of when our oldests were together at that age. It is like a sequel to a really cool movie (only this is actually a good thing, unlike most movie sequels). But Simon and Seth have a friendship that is all their own and we are enjoying watching it develop.

Observing them as their little friendships form for Simon and Seth and grow for Jack and Caleb, I am reminded of the following verse:

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17(NIV) I also like the New Living Translation that reads, "A friend is loyal and a brother is born to help in time of need."

With friendships and brothers, we are surely blessed! Thank you, Jesus.

These pictures were taken today while we were playing at their house. The sun refused to cooperate with my camera, but made for a wonderfully naturally lit house.

Caleb's First Show and Tell

Today was Caleb's first Show and Tell at school. He proudly chose to share the bird house that he and Uncle Tim made together.

I did have to veto his first choice of taking his train table, due to limited van space. But he happily agreed to make another choice and was especially glad when he realized he would get to tell his friends that he got to use REAL tools to make the bird house.

Biz even had a little sock puppet Show and Tell for Seth and Mommy when we picked him up.

Dad gets Married

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a wedding! The weather was perfect, the venue was intimate and sweet, and out of six boys (ages 18 months to 5 years), there were no major meltdowns! What more could you ask for!

My dad finally tied the knot!! I have to admit that I never thought it would happen. I don't mean for that to sound mean-hearted, but my parents divorced when I was almost three, and after twenty-eight years of bachelorhood, I knew it would take a pretty spectacular lady to bring dad back down the aisle. And I couldn't be happier for him that he found her. Sheila walked into our lives almost two years ago and after nine months of dating, dad had already popped the question. Becky and I knew there was something special about her. She has been great for our dad, takes good care of him, and it is really neat to see them together. She has always been so warm to Becky and me and loving toward my boys.

Along with a new stepmom, I now have three new step sisters (Trina, Amber, and Brandy), a step brother-in-law (Rick), four step nephews (Colton, Wyatt, Levi, and Jackson), and another step niece or nephew on the way. That is quite a package deal for one weekend! I had only met one of Sheila's daughters prior to the rehearsal and I admit, I was a little nervous about meeting the rest of the bunch the day before the wedding. But our meeting was blessed, and I enjoyed our time together. With a total of six boys, we could relate to one another and at least had some funny stories to share. And the boys got along really well, with little fighting, which was nothing short of a miracle.

Sheila made a beautiful bride and dad, a very handsome groom. Although the camera does not reflect his joy, I know dad was very happy. He does not smile for cameras, even on his wedding day, we found out. But I did catch quite a few off-camera smiles throughout the day.

Seth spotted a balloon just minutes before he walked me down the aisle, so he gave up the cute little confetti-filled bucket that Sheila had given each boy to carry and replaced it with a single white balloon. Not only elegant, but the perfect entertainment/distraction for the little guy during the ceremony. Caleb proved to be a great confetti sprinkler and did an excellent job escorting Aunt B down the aisle. Although Caleb has nothing on Elliott's smooth dance moves, he did treat the reception crowd to a taste of his own groove along with his rendition of the Alpha Pig ABC song on the mike.









This was our attempt at a loving pre-wedding family photo. This was the best shot that we could get.




Of course, I could be happily found near the wedding cake.

To the right, the boys (and the balloon)are having a sweet moment.

And some more pictures from a great day:

A Trip to an Old Familiar Place

You know you are a parent of small children when you drive by a familiar playground, notice there is new equipment, actually get excited and look forward to checking it out. That was the case on Saturday when we drove through Liberty, and from the stop light on the corner of Hwy 70 and 127, the new orange and yellow playground equipment at Gateway Park caught my eye. It may not even be new, since it had been quite a while since I had actually driven through my hometown, but it was the first time I had seen that little gem. Right then and there, I decided the boys were going to be treated to a little trip to the park the following day.

I remember the first time I visited Gateway Park. It opened in the mid-80s when I was in elementary school (I am sure that Becky could give me the exact date, time, and probably remembers what we were wearing.), and I remember the first visit being very Disney World-ish to me, a kid who did not get out of Liberty very often. Dad took Becky and I on our maiden voyage of new park exploration. I remember trying to figure out that metal swing that required you to pump your arms in order to make it move. And of course, there was the blue roller slide where the cool kids could actually go down standing up. I am not sure if I ever mastered that skill, but I am sure I tried. Gateway Park sported the first curvy slide in town. There was also that hamster wheel-like contraption that rocked back and forth with monkey bars on top that I have fond memories of, as well as the rocking platform in the middle of the park where many a child was injured and/or trampled on while playing "King of the Mountain." Ahhh... the memories. I spent many a summer day and evening there, playing T-ball, then soft ball, watching whoever I had a crush on at the time play baseball, and then trying to figure out how to play tennis (See, aren't you proud of my early tennis endeavors, honey?), in addition to running amuk on the playground.

The park has changed quite a bit since my last visit years ago. It has probably undergone many facelifts in the seventeen or so odd years since I last played there. Gone are the days of the hamster wheel aparatus, the roller slide, the rocking platform, the funky, confusing little swing, and all of the other equipment on which I played for many hours. I am sure it is much safer these days. The metal equipment has been replaced with hard plastic that makes for fewer leg gashes, I am sure. It sure was fun to revisit, though, and take my little boys to play. Caleb got a big kick out of the fact that I used to play softball there and run around all over the place like he did. "I thought they only let kids play here, mom" was his comment.

The boys had a lot of fun, made a new friend, and Seth got so tired that he actually sat still long enough for us to cuddle on the swing.

Life is good.

What Really Excites My Four-Year-Old...

It was quite an eventful weekend, as it always is when we venture back into the land of the bluegrass. This weekend was particularly busy and fun-filled as Papaw Larry and Miss (now Mrs.) Sheila got married outside at a beautiful chapel in Stanford. This meant that the boys got to play outside for hours at the rehearsal and then at the reception, which they LOVED. There were lots of rocks and dirt, a stream, and other neat places to run around and drive cars over.
And of course, it is always a blast to stay at Granny's house, because she has the best toys and well, Granny is there. To top it off, Aunt B stayed at Granny's house with us on Saturday night, the boys got to play at a new (to them) park today, and Caleb got to bring home the tool bench from Granny's house that she got him. Oh, and did I mention, we saw a plethora of tractors, moos, and barns on the trip. What could be better for a four-year-old and his eighteen month old brother?

I guess I overlooked the real thrill.

As we were on the road driving out of Casey County, I turned to Caleb and asked what his favorite part of the weekend was. Expecting an elaborate recap of any of the aforementioned activities, I sat back ready to listen. Instead, Caleb simply said, "My favorite part was eating ALL of those mints!"

Wedding mints. That was the highlight of Caleb's very active weekend. Why am I not surprised?!

A Run with Daddy

The two bigger boys stretching together before a big run

A Caterpillar on Wheels

Few things delight Seth more than watching that little multi-colored caterpillar roll across the screen at the beginning of a Baby Einstein DVD.

I caught his elated reaction to seeing his familiar friend and had to share it.

Happy Friday!!