Happy Transplant Day Jason!

Today, Jason had his Bone Marrow Transplant. The next step, in a hopeful recovery to this agressive leukemia that invaded his body just under a year ago. Jason's parents had hoped that the 6 months of chemo they did earlier in the year did the trick - but he only remained in remission for about 2 months.

After a couple weeks of chemo this month, it's FINALLY transplant day! From the pictures I've seen, it looks like the hospital went all out for the event. The Child Life group brought lots of presents, he had a huge cookie, a sign, and they even sang for him!

Say a prayer for Jason. The worst of his fight is yet to come, as his body tries to figure out what to do with this new cells. And if anyone knows anyone that donated bone marrow yesterday, thank them for possibly saving this little boys life.

It's hard to believe that that little bag, could save his life...

Where the garbage goes

It's 6:18am by the time on my computer, and the house is quiet. Everyone is still asleep, and that is pissing me off.

Connor has had a sleep aversion lately. I'm not sure if the potty training is confusing him (if he needs to go in the middle of the night) or if he's just decided to become a 2 year old insomniac. Whatever the case, our nights have been pretty short around here lately. Connor has been up at least 2 times in the middle of the night lately, as many as 4 last week once. I'm not ready to have an infant again.

Saturday and Sunday morning were much of the same. I think he was up at 5am Saturday, and it was a glorious 4:50am Sunday. Saturday I got him back to sleep, but had to hop in the shower myself so I could get to school. Sunday morning, he was NOT interested at all in going back to sleep. He finally sat straight up in the rocking chair, where I was trying to lull him back to sleep, and said "Watch Garbage 'gain?"

Connor's new favorite DVD is one we have called "Where the Garbage goes". I must admit, it is pretty educational, and if that doesn't want to make you become a hard-core recycler, I don't know what will. The video covers garbage men picking up your garbage, to sorting stuff at the recyling center, to making compost, to scrap-metal recycling - smashing cars and all. The video is wrapped up by "George" (the host) telling us how the garbage is eventually deposited into pods in the landfill. I know WAY to much about this show now. I've only watched it 842 times.

Regardless, Sunday morning started at 4:50 for me, and this morning is work. I finally reluctantly crawled out of bed at 5:15 just so I could possibly be halfway done getting ready by the time children started popping their heads out of their bedroom doors.

Here I sit. In silence. It's now 6:24 am. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

I love this picture

Just looking through some random pictures, I came across this one. It's one of my favorites. (Please pay no attention to the crappy front door that I've been complaining for years that needs to be replaced....)

This picture is the kind of stuff that makes me get the biggest smile on my face, that no one could take off....

If I remember right, the boys were sitting outside on the front porch eating a snack. I think Tyler was telling Connor a story. It was so cute....

Tucking in Tyler

Tonight the boys were wound up. Wow. It was a circus from the minute we pulled into the garage (when Tyler tried to exit my car, NASCAR style, through his window), until the time we went to bed. So entirely crazy, it was exhausting.

Being as wound up as they were, I knew bedtime would be almost impossible. I tried letting them get some of their energy out early by running laps around a local pond (which is sometimes scary because instead of running around it, they want to run up to it - sometimes six inches from it!), and we tried dancing in the living room. With our satellite dish, we get the Sirius/XM channels. I put on one of the dance channels, and let the boys go to town.

(By the way, Tyler totally inherited my dance moves. For those of you that know me, instead of dancing, he could possibly be an extra on the moving "Breakin'", if you know what I mean...).

Bedtime was the circus I expected. Two boys that were not eager for sleep, and so wound up from an awesome day. Tyler especially.

That boy is in overdrive right now. He is learning so much, and his mind is a total sponge. He is spelling everything he can see, and asks questions about everything. Tonight I explained everything from why goose poop exists, to why butter melts in the microwave. Seriously - at 7pm, I don't have that much brainpower left. At one point, I remember telling him to ask his chemistry teacher in high school.

After reading our books, and doing our bedtime routine, Tyler was out of his bed about five times, with every excuse in the book. "I need a drink.", "I need to potty", "You forgot to say goodnight", "I hear a noise in my room", etc. The last time he got up, I followed him back to his room and got an idea.

I remember being a young kid, and having my dad put me to bed. He always came into our room, and tucked us in really good. The blankets were tucked under every bit of you, so it felt like a cocoon. Then we started our routine:

"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!" he would say...

"See you later, Alligator!", I would yell, as he walked out of the room.

"After awhile, Crocodile!", he would yell back from the hallway.

It was so routine, yet so.....necessary. It was the closing of my day. It put my mind at ease, and made me go to sleep, smiling.

I took Tyler back to his bed, and tucked him in, especially tight. Of course, I had to explain to him that there are no bugs in his bed, and why we were talking about alligators and crocodiles, but he liked it. When I left his room, he was smiling.

And he didn't get back out of his bed again. I think we have a new bedtime tradition to start.......

Is the end in sight?

The end of diapers, that is...

Connor had his first "accident free" day at daycare today. We started sending him to daycare in underwear last week. The first day he had 3 accidents, the next day 2, and up to yesterday, had only 1. Today....NONE!!!!!

I forgot how much fun and rewarding potty training could be, but also how gross. We haven't had our first "poopy underwear" yet, but I vividly remember that with Tyler. Holy Gross Out.

Cross your fingers that Connor will have that figured out faster than Tyler did. I'm not ready to scoop poop out of undwear for the next 6 months!!!

I love this kid

I was sure the minute that he was born, that he was different. I have been right ever since.

I'm certain that Connor was put on this earth, specifically, to make me laugh. He started smiling when he was 2 weeks old (really, I'm not making that up!), and hasn't stopped. He smiles at everything, and always smiles at me.

Okay, so being two, he does have his moments, but he is such a neat kid.

Our nighttime routine is just that - quite routine. We usually all read books in Tyler's room, then go to Connor's room where I sit with him in the rocking chair just long enough for him to start rubbing his eyes (succumbing to his drowsiness), and I then put him in bed.

Tonight, as we were sitting in the rocking chair, saying our last good nights ("Mommy nite-nite too?", he always asks. It always makes me giggle.), he all of a sudden, took his finger and started tracing all around my face. He first traced the outline of my face, then my nose, and tried to do my eyes, but his fingers kept tripping over my glasses. I took my glasses off my face and closed my eyes. He kept tracing all around my eyes, my mouth, my nose, ever so gently. It was almost as if he was saying, "Mom, I know you're totally stressed out, how can I help?", without saying any words.

I closed my eyes, and enjoyed every second of that. He was so calm and completely and totally relaxed, and I sat there and just let all of the stress of everything melt off of my body. It was absolutely incredible.

He finally closed his eyes a bit, so I put him down in bed. I walked out of his room, still thinking about what he did. Although it seems so small, I'm wondering what made him do that?

Sometimes I think he knows my soul so well, he knows exactly what it needs.

It's going to be a long winter...

Although it has only been about 15 hours since our house has been "awake" today, I'm surprised everyone is still alive.

Holy Lord.

If today was any indication of to what we have to look forward to this winter, kill me now.

Tyler and Connor fought so much, and then Tyler and Kyle would fight. Then Connor would go outside, without shoes on, then Tyler and Connor would fight some more. Then I would yell at Kyle, and then Kyle would yell at the kids. Then the kids would run around in the mud, and then track that into the house, and then get yelled at some more.

Oh my gosh, it was ridiculous.

I'm not sure what we're going to do this winter, but it's not going to be whatever we did today, because that didn't work. At all.

Spring.... I cannot wait for your arrival!