Happy St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day, only 3 days late! I haven't even posted from our wonderful vacation yet, I think. I can't remember. The boys are watching Lighting McQueen on the big screen, their new favorite movie. I wonder if Thomas is going to get lost, I sure hope not.

I have been ordering pictures today, I found this site that has free shipping for the month, they only charge .08 cents per picture, but they nail you on the shipping, so this is a good deal. Site is www.clarkcolor.com. So I have been looking at old pictures, they are so sweet. I love it now how everything is so easy with a digital camera. But I still love the old fashioned way, where you actually get all your shots printed, even if they are just a mound of black hair. That's how half of my photos are, the boys always seem to move their heads. These posted today were taken on the 17th. I bought these shirts forever ago, they still don't really fit them, but I thought it would be cute for the holiday.

I have been singing the old song, 'I'd do anything for you Dear anything, for you Dear anything I'd do.' Remember that old song, my mom used to sing it to us. So I replace all the words and make all these silly sayings, and they always say do another one. So the other day I was singing in the kitchen and Evan comes up to me and says, 'mom, would you do anything for me?' I look at him, I am expecting him to say that he wants a cookie or something. I said that sure I would do anything for you. So he says, 'can you give me a hug?' How about a million of them? He is so sweet ... most of the time.

We went to see the doctor yesterday. Evan has been running a fever and both the boys have coal miners cough. So after we leave the doctor, Evan tells me that he saw 3 doctors today. I said, no you just went to one doctor. He quickly corrected me, 'the doctor that got me weighed (nurse), the doctor that looked in my ears (doctor) and the doctor who gave me the stickers (receptionist).'

Well, off to the kitchen. I am making BBQ chicken for dinner tonight, doesn't that sound exciting??

Hey mom ...

Hey mom have you ever seen an alligator play ping pong? That was Evan's question to me while we on vacation, well one of his questions. He has several everyday. Today he asked me if I had ever seen a bird wearing gloves?? Who knows how that brain of his works?

We had a great time on our vacation, Evan even told me that it was his best vacation ever! We went to the beach almost everyday, we were in the sun and warm weather everyday, it was so nice. I have tons of pictures to post, but I am using Mike's laptop, so that means no pictures. I will post some. We let the boys have ice cream everyday at lunch, they loved that. Nobody got sick on Aunt Sandy's brand new furniture, yeah. We got to spend lots of time with family, that was so nice. On our last morning there, Nick decided that he wanted to get up at 4 am. So I got up with him, turned on the TV, trying to find some kid friendly info-mercial, trying to keep him quiet for everyone else who was sleeping. I finally had him somewhat settled down, around 7:30ish, I heard foot steps upstairs. Then Scott came downstairs to let the dog out. He said 'good morning' to Nick and I. Nick heard his voice and thought it was Mike. So he starts yelling out for daddy, 'cause anyone who knows Nick, knows that he is a daddy's boy. Anyway, Uncle Scott says, 'no Nick it is not daddy, it is Uncle Scott'. That just made Nick madder. He heard that Messinger voice and he wanted his dad. Scott had to come over to the couch where there was more light, and talk to Nick so that Nick could see him, so that he could see it was not daddy. wow.

We had such a good stay, needless to say, I did not want to come home to cold Mayberry. But I did, we are getting used to the cold weather again. Now just hoping and praying for sunshine. Evan wants to get back out in his sandbox so bad. We will get there.

I will post again, when I can put some pictures on.

Mom did you know ... 2

Today, mom did you know that sometimes a mouse can go right through the wall without hitting anything? No I did not know that.

We played flash light hide-n-seek again tonight. Evan had been asking to play since about noon. Looking out the window at 5 PM, it was still light out, and I was so excited, getting closer to summer and more daylight. Yeah. So after dinner, we played hide-n-seek. Just goes to show you that kids always just like the simplest things, a 50 cent flashlight and playing with mom and dad.

We had MOPS today, it was the best. It was SPA day, how nice. First we went to a chocolate fountain with all this food to dip in it, then to a massage, then to a manicure, then visiting time, then a craft. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I actually felt kinda guilt having so much fun, but then I thought, this is supposed to be my time. My kids are happy, I am enjoying time with wonderful women, I just need to enjoy. So that is what I did. I let the boys have chocolate after class, they loved that.Then we went home and unleashed the sandbox for the first time this year. The boys managed to find some water and they had a great time. They were covered in dirt and very happy. I made them come in the house at 3, tried to feed them some lunch, but they were pretty tired. Then naps and up and waiting for daddy to come home from work. All is good at the Messingers!!

Hey mom did you know ???

That is the way most of Evan's conversations are with me lately. Everything he says starts with 'hey mom did you know?' Luckily at this point, I can answer most anything he asks. Today he wanted to know if I knew that sometimes elephants wear gloves, no I did not know that. Or hey mom did you know that Gordon is bigger and faster than Thomas? Yes, I knew that one. Hey mom did you know that if you eat the snow it tastes like candy, no I did not know that one either. He has a statement or a question about everything all day long.

Yesterday while reading to him, he stops me and tells me that 'zoo' spells zoo. He just tells me like that, I was happy and sad all in the same moment. Happy that my little guy is learning, but sad that he is growing up too fast.

Then today he announces to me that he needs to 'poop.' Ok, here we go. I start to follow him into the bathroom for the normal routine. He tells me quite frankly that he needs some privacy. Oh, sorry. He moves the step over to turn on the light, then he sits his little potty lifter thing on the toilet and he does his business. I walk into the other room, in 2 seconds he is right behind me announces that he is 'done.' Very happy with himself. Again, I am happy and sad in the same moment. Sad that my little guy is growing up and happy that I don't have to wipe his little butt much longer!!

I should make a note about little Nick. He is sleeping in his bed. Yeah. Well at least until about 4 am. Then he comes into our room and stands there until I wake up and see those huge brown eyes, he is always standing there with Teddy and his blanket. I ask him if he wants to get into bed, and he always does. Except last night, I woke up to him climbing up the side of my bed, then kinda doing a half flip over me, plopped right in between Mike and I and he was out cold. He hates to have covers over him, so he lays in between Mike and I, on top of the covers. So then it is impossible to roll over, pull the covers up, anything. So I just get up and come downstairs, make coffee, get on the computer, whatever.

The boys have been in bed since 8 o'clock and I can still hear Nick running around upstairs. The boys have always loved to play hide-n-seek. We play in the house and Nick normally just follows someone around, but Evan really gets into it, they love to play. The other night Evan says, 'let's turn out all the lights and use our flashlights and play.' Ok. I had purchased these tiny little flashlights for a birthday party gift bag, and the boys love to play with them. So we turn out all the lights, and everyone gets a tiny little flashlight. When mom or dad are it, Evan hides and Nick just stays with mom or dad. When Evan is it, mom and dad try to hide and Nick gives us away every time. He just walks around with his flashlight on and talking, it is so funny. We have this big closet in the kitchen where I keep the sweeper. One of these days, I am going to take that sweeper out when nobody knows, hide it upstairs or something, and then hide in there, they will never find me!! This summer will be fun, I can see us playing this game outside! Oh we are in for a ride, I can see it now. And I love it!!

It is raining out, isn't it still winter??

No pictures thankfully ...

I have showered twice since 2 pm today.

Can anyone guess what I did that made me shower twice in one day, when some days I don't get a shower at all.

Give up? I ... gulp ... climbed ... up the ... I feel lunch coming up ... playland thing at McDonalds today!

If you ever want to be creeped out, step inside one of those things. Took the boys there today after MOPS, Evan tells me during lunch that he is not climbing to the top because it is too scary. Fine with me. I'm not climbing in that nasty thing either, so I thought. Evan decides after wolfing down 4 McNuggets that he is Superman, and goes straight to the top. So after yelling at him from the bottom for 10 minutes, Nick decides to just go up and see what is going on in there. Bad idea. I don't know if he got scared, realized just how ucky it was in there, saw a giant rat, or what, but he started crying. Minor at first, I heard a faint cry, kinda like I do most days. But then it grew louder and Evan was at my feet to explain that Nicky was stuck. So I was looking up this tube thing and the lady that works there, same lady as last year when Evan got stuck. She says to me, 'you can go up there and get him.' 'Yeah, I know, I just don't want too.' He continues to cry, Evan goes up and tries to drag him down, no luck. So with great hesitation I started up the tube. Who know who caught it all on their dreaded cell phone, it will probably be on you-tube next week, labeled 'Giant mom is having too much fun at McDonalds.' When I started, I just went fast, I was afraid if I stopped, we would be leaving Nick at McDonalds. So I am half way up this thing, when I get plowed over by about 3 little kids. I am like geeze, you can't see me in here, you can't hear my kid? Bunch of hill runners. I got Nick down, he calmed down as soon as he was out. I am wiping his nose and he says to me, 'that was fun mommy.' Sure it was.

Thankfully we have no pictures.

4

Ear;y this morning Evan jumped in bed with me and said, 'mom am I still four?'

I think he likes being four.

Janurary 15, 2009

So today Evan turned 4.

How in the hell did that happen?

I can remember sitting at this exact computer and staring at his photo when he was still in Guatemala. I remember thinking if I just stare at it long enough he will move. I remember July 16, 2005 like it was yesterday. Waiting in the hotel room for him, we didn't know what he would be like, we were just waiting for him. I remember waking up that next morning, after not really sleeping much, just checking to make sure he was breathing all night. He just looked over the crib and we put him right in bed with us. I remember dressing him so wrong. Taking everything that was 3 sizes too big, not ever putting socks or shoes on him, which is total taboo in Guatemala. Who knew? Not me. I just wanted to hold him next to me and look. I just wanted to touch his skin and feel his breath in my ear. I remember giving him a bath, we of course have it on video, and he slipped in my hands. I was sitting on the wet floor, with a new baby, who was squirming, and he just kinda slipped. Not that anything happened, but I remember watching that video when we came home, because we did not have kids yet, so that is what we did. And now when I think of that it makes me laugh. We watched that video over and over. I remember that dreadful morning when Mike went down at 6 am to get coffee and the foster family was already there to pick him up. Mike came back to the room and he looked like he had seen a ghost. Evan was still asleep. So Mike filmed more of him, just sleeping. We had to wake him up, get him dressed, get all of his new clothes packed ... and give him back. Back to a foster family that I knew loved him, but I wanted to love him. I did not want someone else taking care of my little guy. Mike and I cried so hard. It was so hard coming home. I had taken 5 rolls of film, back in the old days when you actually used a 35 mm camera. I developed them all, paid the extra to get them back in one hour. Took all 135 photos with me everywhere that I went. Showed them to everyone. Explained to them about each outfit, and why he was sleeping in this photo or that photo. He didn't do much at six months. But I looked at those pictures and my friends were kind enough to look with me and let me cry. And cry I did. Seems like I couldn't stop.

Wow.

Seems like a million years ago. Now I have a four year old little boy. Who talks non-stop. Who tells me everyday 'I love you little mama'. Who fights with his brother. Who wants to only have chocolate milk. Who loves and loves to play Thomas the Train. Who wants to know how the snow got on the ground. Who wants to know if I have ever been in a submarine. Who loves his daddy. Who helped me make his chocolate cake today.

Wow.

How lucky are we?

I love you little Evan.