the funny things they say...

Alyssa is quite funny with her use of words. The other day we were at the dinner table praying for the Tubbs' family. Alyssa said she wanted to pray and started praying for the "bathroom" family. It was so funny. I looked at Aaron and said she means Tubbs, get it? Bathroom, Tubbs... and he started laughing.
Another funny thing she likes to do is give herself "tatoos" on her body with an ink pen. Well I noticed she had "tattooed" herself up the other day and she had some on her face. I asked her what is that on your face and she replied, " that's my "mo"." Meaning, that is her mole. Cracked me up. I hope she isn't aspiring to be like Madonna.
The other night we were both sick with a stomach virus. So nasty, we got it bad.
She had just finished throwing up in my bed and she looked at me and realized I was wearing tinkerbell pjs and she said, mommy I love your tinkerbell." Poor little thing is still all girl even when she is throwing up. Then that night she kept wanting something to drink. All night long..."momma, I so thirsty," so Aaron gave her ice chips. She woke up at 5:00 am and wanted her ice. I told her it was melted and I was too sick to get up and get more. She stuck her finger in, still half asleep and said, "yep, it's like juice." I said it's like juice huh? and she replied, "yes, it's like tomato juice." Okey Dokey!!!! What an imagination. So random just like her mommy. Even at a time where she and I felt our absolute worst, vomiting and other things, she still managed to crack me up.
Little miss Aubrey is not a girl of too few words anymore. She liberally uses the word "no,no" and the other day she said "tae tu", which allow me to do my mommy interpretation, means thank you! Such a smart girl! She also says "ma" when she is eating, which is more, and "bbbrrr" which is bite. And of course," bye, bye." Such a sharp baby girl! She tries to copy a lot of what we say to her now. I am telling you, she is a genius, that one!

Lucy

My dog Lucy is a good dog. She is sweet as could be and cute. She is excellent with the kids and really never causes much trouble, but she has a really really weak stomach. She throw's up all the time. We have taken her to the vet about it and he just said she has a nervous stomach... nothing more than that.
So this morning I woke up to Aaron's phone ringing. The post office was calling him into work. I picked up Aubrey and ran to the kitchen to get his phone, and I stepped in something mushy. Yuck!!!!! It was dog throw up on my carpet. The poor dog must have been trying to get outside because I ran to the kitchen and stepped in some more. I took a look around and she had had a puke fest in our house...a trail leading to the back door. Needless to say, not a good start to my day. I don't know what sprung this on. Who knows why she gets these nervous stomach episodes. The day we brought Alyssa home from the hospital, she threw up 9 times, yes, not a typo... 9 times that day. We love her still despite her faulty stomach, but I am not feeling the love while I am scrubbing the mushy gunk off my feet and floor.

Santa Claus

This week we attempted twice to meet Santa. The second time was barely a success.
The first time was a Firewheel. There was no line at all. Alyssa said she wanted to meet him, so we went inside. I don't think she even got 10 ft from him. She just stood there with fear in her eyes shaking her head saying no, no. I don't want to go. He sat Aubrey in his lap and of course, she was staring up at him and all of a sudden a flood of tears comes streaming down her face. So, of course, we just left. And as soon as we stepped out of the store, Alyssa wanted to go back in and try again, but with Aubrey crying so much, we didn't.
So we talked to her and told her she needed to go tell him what she wanted and she said, "momma, this time I not scared."
Then we set out for the Willow Bend Santa. We thought we were getting there right when the mall opened and there wouldn't be a line. We waited in line for about an hour and a half. The whole time prepping little Alyssa for the big moment. When we finally reached the front, of course there was a little freak out session. Aubrey was asleep on Aaron's shoulder and Alyssa was clinging to me like a scared little kitty cat. But this Santa had such a sweet nature about him, it didn't take long to win her heart. She was still a little scared, but my brave girl took my hand and walked over to the big guy. He talked so sweet to her, complimenting her elegant dress. He told her he knows she has been a good girl and a good listener and he asked her what she wanted. " A teapot set." She said it so fast it was hilarious, like she was trying to hurry and get it over with. He didn't understand her so I had to translate and then he started singing I'm a little teapot to her. This may sound strange, but it was just the ticket to loosten her up enough with him to get ready to take the picture. So Aaron handed a sleeping Aubrey to Santa, and Alyssa sat in his lap. Aubrey woke up in total shock. She had this look of , who in the world is this hairy man holding me, and she started to let out a little cry. But this Santa was good! You could tell he liked kids. He calmed her and talked sweet to her and the cry only lasted a second. The picture we got wasn't great, but it is sweet. You can't really see Aubrey's face because she is looking up at him trying to figure out who he is, and he is looking down at her talking to him, and Alyssa is listening intently. It was good enough.
You may be asking yourself why in the world do you wait in line and put your kids through all that nervous anticipation? Well for me it is for that memory and that picture of innocence. This time of such pure innocence in our kid's lives doesn't last long enough, and I want to enjoy every second of it. And that sweet moment after it is over when Alyssa was gleaming about how she did it. She told Santa what she wanted him to bring her.
I just wanted the picture to capture the awesome time of innocence.

The Measure of Success

How do you measure success?
Some people measure it by their status or type of job that they have. Some by how much stuff they own or how fancy their car is. Most people measure success by how much money they make. All of that stuff is nice. Those are some great heights to have reached if you have set out to reach those things in life. I'm not knocking that. Some of those are things that I would like to obtain as well. I just think that there is a lot more to success and life than that.
Success is the inexhaustable mom who knows that kids only have one childhood to live, so she gives it her all to make sure that they laugh everyday.
Success is the dad that realizes time with his family is way more important than working late to make a little extra money.
Success is reaching out to people in need, even when you don't have a lot to give yourself.
Success is about making a promise and keeping it.
Success is about how much character you show in everyday living and in the decisions you make.
Success is realizing that this life we live is only temporary, and most of these things that we strive for are fleeting.
Success is the realization that people and relationships matter more than anything else in this world.
Success is knowing that when we leave this very small, tiny, short thing we call life, other lives will have been touched by the way we live our life.
My ultimate success is knowing that when I see God face to face one day, He will be proud of my successes and my life and the legacy Aaron and I have left behind with our children and the character that we have brought out in them. My hope is that when I get to heaven one day I will get to see the faces of the people my life has made a difference in and the ones that have been that difference in mine.
Just wanted to say thank you to ALL my friends and family. Each person has impacted my life in some way.