Bunches from the Bunces

Pumpkin by Power Tools

2011-11-02T21:15:00.001-04:00

What happens when our week before Halloween is jam-packed with activities and overtime? And then the weekend continues at an insane pace? What happens is pumpkin-carving for Halloween at 8:30 on Sunday night, after Awanas!

We purchased this AWESOME pumpkin last weekend at Burt's Pumpkin Farm in Blairsville, GA. (Yes, I realize that post has not been made...) It was the perfect pumpkin. It sat on our front porch as fall-ish decoration the entire week. We just didn't have the chance to carve it!
So - after church Sunday night, Brian came in with a mission - carve the pumpkin, get the boys in bed, finally rest. The pumpkin turned out to be a really thick pumpkin. It was stronger than the knife. Brian had the perfect solution.
Daddy has DeWalt! Daddy attacked this pumpkin with power tools! It was awesome! And we had a carved pumpkin ready for Halloween! He is so resourceful! Love this man!

Corbin: Where does time go?

2011-10-14T14:55:00.006-04:00

Over fall break we went to visit our returning soldier (Uncle Joe) and spent some time at our favorite place in the world, Jekyll Island, Georgia. As I looked at the pictures from this trip I couldn't help but come face to face with how big my baby boy is.

When Corbin was born he fit perfectly into my arms. Sure, he was 8 pounds and 10 ounces so he was a chunky fellow, but he was still "my little love". He is now well over 4 feet tall and knocking on 80 pounds. If the past 6 and a half years have gone this quickly, is he really going to be 16 before I even know it?

September 2008 - 3 1/2 years
July 2009 - 4 1/2 years

May 2010 - 5 yearsMay 2011 - 6 years

October 2011 - 6 1/2 years

Wordless Wednesday: A Glimpse into Motherhood

2011-10-12T17:49:00.002-04:00

I can't publish that picture with out some sort of disclaimer...
1. He said his eye (yie) hurt.
2. We were at a waterpark.
3. Everything had chlorine in it/on it.
4. I tried to clean it out before traipsing to the First Aid Station.
5. We traipsed.
6. He got a bandaid - which did nothing for the sunscreen in the eye but apparently made him happy.

Drake Bunce

2011-09-07T10:20:00.005-04:00

Drake Bunce makes me laugh. He can also make me cringe in fear (he hits, bites, and kicks). He can make me so angry (not listening, talking back, not listening). But today I will focus on how funny this little guy is.

This summer we started working on Corbin's stamina getting ready for soccer season. We would go to the park or in the backyard to run, kick and play. Early in August we came up to the middle school football field to play. We brought Maggie (new puppy who hasn't gotten her own post yet). Corbin goalied. Corbin kicked. Corbin ran.

And then we had Drake. Who lives in his own world. He makes me laugh.

How lucky am I?!

Wordless and Wishful Wednesday

2011-08-24T11:04:00.001-04:00

Wish we were back here... (St. Simon's Island, July 2011)

Way behind - Drake Climbs

2011-08-11T10:22:00.005-04:00

Life has a way of continuing. I have a way of falling behind in blogging.

I plugged in my Memory Card and realized I have pictures from mid-June that have not been downloaded onto my computer much less shared with the world! So I will start at the beginning and catch up...eventually.

Early June - Drake yells "Help!" I'll admit it that I kinda ignored him. He has a flair for the dramatic, and no, I have no idea where that came from. Then he repeated the call for "Help!" and it sounded fainter. Fainter is not good.

What did I find in Drake room? Nothing - except lots of toys. (And I can't believe I am publishing what his room looked like...)

What did I find in Drake's closet? Drake, perched precariously on a tower of stuff trying to get something in the top of his closet that he really didn't need but obviously wanted very badly. What on earth am I to do with this boy?

I guess my falling behind is better than him falling down...which thankfully he did NOT do while Mama ran to get a camera before rescuing him...

I'll be a great Mother-in-law

2011-07-15T14:31:00.003-04:00

I realized last night as Corbin was readying for bed that I will be the best mother-in-law ever. Do you know why? Because I watched my sweet little boy go to the bathroom, raising the seat first, then putting it down. Then he noticed the toilet paper roll was empty. He took the empty roll off, placed it in the trashcan, returned the holder to the correct place and then came to ask me to get another for his bathroom. Tell me I'm not raising a boy that is gonna make someone an awesome husband!
Like I said, I'm gonna be a great mother-in-law. ;)

Pickles

2011-07-12T11:15:00.006-04:00

I have just had the most amazing morning. I canned sixteen pints of dill pickles. I have never in my life canned anything before. Why would one start with pickles? Because of Corbin.

When we planted our garden in April of this year Corbin's only request was for pickles. We had to explain that pickles came from cucumbers and we would have to plant those in order to make pickles. The minute he saw the first shoots of green coming from the ground he called my grandmother to find out exactly how many cucumbers he needed to make pickles. When she answered 3 or 4 he has been looking for those 3 or 4 cucumbers to make his pickles. We finally had {way more than} enough and I called Mamaw for help.

This morning Mamaw was at my house with several more cucumbers - she didn't think I would have {way more than} enough. I had everything else. I did have Corbin help put some of the spears in the jars so he would have this experience too. I never expected to fall in love with canning. I want to do more! My pickles are so pretty!!!! If I do say so myself...

Happy 3rd Birthday, Drake!

2011-06-29T21:08:00.003-04:00

My baby will turn 3 years old on Sunday. I guess he isn't really my baby anymore, is he? He has been such a joy since we first discovered we were pregnant. Some may remember that we didn't think we would be having any more biological children. God knew differently. Drake is a blessing. I am including several links to previous posts that highlight Drake and all his individuality. He is his own person - and a person very much like his father I think. I hope so, really, because if he turns out to be half the man his father is, I will be a happy mother....but I don't want to think THAT far ahead. Right now - let's just focus on him being 3!

Drake was born July 3, 2008. He was 2 1/2 weeks early and still almost 8 pounds. But even then, he was super little compared to his 3 year old brother and how big he had been at birth. Drake was such a calm baby and was the perfect fit into our family from the beginning. He may have started small, but he quickly discovered he liked to eat!

As my sweet Fat Baby...he was soooo chubby! He still has his gut laugh and is still a very happy fellow. He has the best happy-go-lucky attitude I can ever imagine. Very little bothers him - discipline, redirection, yelling, none of that flusters him in the least!

He is very verbal. He does like to talk. And if you don't answer he gets louder and throws in "Mommy, I talkin' you!"

Drake still loves his blanket, or bunny as he calls it. His favorite request each night is for someone to "cuh-yup me" which translates to Cover Up Me. He has his own way with words, that is for sure.

I had to make a collage for his birthday. I have spent the past couple of hours going through pictures of him and old blog posts about Drake and life here in Bunce-world. I can't get over the fact that just three years ago he graced us with his presence. Looking at that sweet baby I never expected the ball of boy and rambunctious noise that he now is. I wouldn't trade it for anything (although don't tell him just yet - I'm still trying to reign some sort of discipline and decorum over him...)!

Happy Birthday, baby Drake!

The end of June - Confession

2011-06-29T08:47:00.002-04:00

I realized that I haven't posted anything - updates, pictures, funny stories. So I decided to sit down and pull out our most recent pictures and see what I had to share with the world - or the three of you that actually check and read my ramblings from time to time.
Now for the confession...I haven't taken any pictures! What on earth?! Has graduate school had me that strapped for time and energy and social interaction? Well, yes, but that is no excuse! No pictures for an entire month?! We have done things, library, lake trips, swimming pool fun, and even Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. But, I haven't been bringing my camera. I have been fairly solo in the parental department during our recent excursions due to the fact that it is summer of course. I haven't snapped one good picture of my children. I will do better!
My plan for today is to start working on my post for Drake's birthday post...he does turn 3 on Sunday! Oh...and to take pictures!

Playtime at the River

2011-06-06T19:40:00.003-04:00

Every 4th Sunday in May the Lawson clan travels north to Tennessee to Reliance and the Hiawassee River for Decoration Sunday. It is a family reunion that centers around decorating the old family graves found in and around the tiny mountain city.

My grandmother's Mommy and Poppy are buried there. I have (several with multiple greats in there) uncles and aunts buried there. And I have many, many memories of playing in that river every May for as long as I can remember.

I didn't play in the water, but my boys sure did! Jackson was right along with them. Those three little boys were drenched and the smiles were contagious. What a great afternoon and a fun time of catching up with my family.

(I know the pictures look a little fuzzy in the post...but click on the collage and it will open and be much better quality...)

Semi-Planned Beach Trip

2011-05-31T06:45:00.004-04:00

About 2 weeks ago Brian looked at me and suggested we go to the beach Memorial Day weekend...well just before Memorial Day...leave on Thursday and return Sunday, before the holiday. I said sure! We actually got a reservation!

The boys had a blast in the ocean. They love the beach and didn't want to go home. Even today, after being home for 2 days Drake asks to go the "da beech".

I'm already ready to go back...

Praying for Kathryn

2011-05-16T18:19:00.006-04:00

Many of my family and friends know about my wonderful friends Mary Michael and BT and the journey that they are now on with their precious daughter Kathryn.

Kathryn was born on Friday, May 13th at almost 36 weeks. She has excess fluids that are as of yet from an undetermined cause. This is referred to as Hydrops. She has already proved to be feisty, a fighter, and determined! {She really reminds me of her mother...}

This is Mary Michael's blog...and where I check about 20 times daily for updates about Kathryn, Mary Michael, BT and their older child, Thomas (19 months old). I wanted to share - to give Kathryn even more prayer warriors.

I am amazed, humbled and inspired by the reactions and actions of Mary Michael and BT. They are such heroes to me right now. As I cry to God for their daughter, their family, the doctors, and the future...they are pillars of faith and strength. I am blessed to call them friends.

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,
because your faith is proclaimed in all the world." Romans 1:8 (ESV)

Easter 2011...finally

2011-05-10T21:05:00.006-04:00

Yes I know that Easter was last month. I could give you the excuses and reasons, some actually valid, for the reason these pictures are just now being published and shared, but I won't....

Easter was awesome! I love it when all the places we visit during a holiday are spread out and we can enjoy each stop individually without really having to worry about timing our departure for the next place. And most know what I am talking about...

Saturday...Easter Hunt and fellowship at the church.

Drake quickly learned to check the egg for "good" stuff before it going into the basket.

Post-hunt...lots of eggs for the Bunce boys.

Saturday late afternoon/evening...Easter cookout and egg hunt at Brian's parents.

The light sabers made the trip...for a while, until they were taken away (again).

Sunday...Beautiful church service - and Corbin's first tie!

He thought that "everybody" would be jealous of him at church!

This is the best picture I have of them together. Corbin was quite cooperative...and then there is Drake.

Sunday afternoon...Easter lunch and egg hunt at my parents.

Drake wouldn't leave his Daddy! He wasn't interested in much else.

Corbin enjoyed the last egg hunt!

Easter Sunday is such a holy day. I was very blessed to be able to spend it with people and in surroundings that allowed me to focus on the reason for the gatherings and events. My favorite is when the pastor retold a story about what a child could put into an Easter egg to represent the holiday...the best answer? Nothing. The tomb was, is, and will forever be, empty!

Tornadoes

2011-04-28T13:09:00.003-04:00

Last night the awesome and amazing power of nature showed and ripped through the southeast.
My home and yard show no signs of anything...the 100+ mph winds, driving rains, huge hail, did not come near us. We are blessed, so blessed.

The picture below is less probably 10 to 12 miles from my house (as the crow flies)...
Co-workers, students, friends were affected. Bartow County is only one in so many that are dealing with the aftermath today of last night's fury.

While I am devestated and aching for the families and people that are now homeless and hurting from the losses that they suffered, I am also confident that many others will eventually see that they too were blessed in the midst of last night's horrors. We serve an Awesome God. His Hand were on so many and then today many others are serving others and serving Him by being His Hands and Feet in the wake of the destruction.

Kindergarten Kite Day

2011-04-21T12:19:00.012-04:00

Last Friday I was able to sneak away and be Mom at Kite Day in Kindergarten. The time had to be moved up a bit in order to get the kite flying in before the craziness of the storms came through.

Corbin had such a great time. It looked like kite-flying madness. I was a bit concerned that I would not be able to provide adequate kite expertise and had visions of a Corbin meltdown due to my inadequecies. It was not to be...I rocked and the kite soared!

Of course...turns out that I was really good...and it was really windy. The day did end in a meltdown but not because the kite wouldn't fly, but because it flew right up into the tallest tree, and stuck. I'll be buying another kite soon...

a truly "worm"-derful day

2011-04-11T17:34:00.006-04:00

Saturday morning the Bunces were up and headed to Home Depot to buy the necessities to plant our garden. Saturday afternoon we planted (it took about 20 minutes, because really, it isn't the Ponderosa...)

The highlight of the garden-planting this year was the worm. Corbin found it...and the wonderful Bunce boys had to look, investigate, touch, and then rescue (Brian did the rescuing from the younger ones) the worm.
I am no real photographer - but I liked these!
The boys planting with their Daddy...

And of course...the finished product...cucumbers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions...grow and thrive!

Flashback Friday

2011-04-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

3 years ago...a family of three ventured to the Wide World of Disney...

In about 3 hours a family of 4 will be heading there again!

Spring Break 2011...about to commence!

Impromptu Photo Shoot

2011-03-29T18:43:00.004-04:00

It is very unusual is it for Drake to hold still long enough for me to get a quality picture of him. This afternoon however - he was all about the cam-ra and wanting my pic-shur. I was happy to oblige my sweet boy

So far behind

2011-03-24T17:32:00.003-04:00

It just doesn't get any better... the minute I feel like I am gaining on everything that I am behind on (usually in my mind, my timetable) I fall further and further behind!
I need to slow down I guess and take a deep breath.
God will not give me more than I can handle.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18 (NIV)

Corbin James Bunce

2011-03-07T19:34:00.007-05:00

I have tears in my eyes and my throat has choked several times as I have scrolled through pictures and remembered the last six years of my life.

On March 8, 2005 at 6:35 in the morning God entrusted Brian and myself with a precious gift, Corbin. He is turning six tomorrow. Six years old. He is such a little boy. Brian still says he is pretty much me in male form. I blame the stubbornness on Brian. But our son is still a blessing to us and to so many others.

On Sunday the Children's Church performed a couple of songs...Corbin performed an air-guitar solo complete with a backbend and butt-wiggling. I'm sure that there were Southern Baptists somewhere cringing and rolling in their graves, but at ABC there were smiles and laughs and words of encouragement to Brian and me as we try to be the parents and guides this very special boy needs and deserves.

My sweet baby...on the day he was born. 8 pounds and 10 ounces...21 and 1/2 inches long...his feet so long their prints went over the box on his bassinet...the nurses laughed...

12 short months later...on his first birthday...still without his first haircut!

At 2...obsessed with trains and talking up a storm!

At 3...I don't think I realized how much his little brother was really favoring Corbin!

At 4...Really getting into boy toys!

Last year at 5...

And from this past Saturday at his party...my SIX-YEAR-OLD son.

Happy Birthday Corbin James!

Words Not Necessary Wednesday

2011-03-02T20:23:00.002-05:00

9 pm

2011-03-01T17:13:00.002-05:00

Remember 15 years ago? I do. 15 years ago I was 18years old. I was finishing high school and started college at 18 years old. Life started around 9 pm.

Once I really got into the swing and tempo of college, I realized that 9 pm was the perfect time to go and eat, to go and meet people, to head to Wal-Mart, and there was that one time that it seemed like the perfect time to launch a water gun attack on a fraternity house... I thought nothing of calling someone on the phone at 9 pm or even later.

And now...I am 33 years old and the mother of 2 young boys. In my world now 9 pm means lights out and yelling down the hall to go to sleep (that would be aimed at Drake, who yells back...). It isn't completely unusual for my own self to end up in bed and dozing not long after 9 pm. If the phone rings after 9 pm I am terrified something bad has happened to a family member or a friend...or that Brian is being called into work. I can't imagine what I would think if someone called me up at 9:30 to see if I wanted to run out and grab a drink or something!

Last night I had to make a quick run to the grocery. I actually felt embarrassed walking into the grocery at 9 pm even though I knew that they would be open for another TWO HOURS. I kept looking at the couple of teenagers working and thinking that they should be finishing school work and climbing into bed too!

I am frequently caught off-guard or unexpectedly reminded at growing older and the changes that adulthood brings. Sometimes I don't even feel that different from what I felt like (or at least remember feeling like) at 18. But then something reminds me...the sweet sound of a little boy calling for his mama, my husband calling to ask if I need anything at home, or my beautician announcing that she found one more gray hair... I guess I'll take this growing up thing.

He's growing up so fast!

2011-02-16T21:05:00.005-05:00

Corbin will be 6 in just a few short WEEKS. I remember waiting the last couple of weeks waiting for his appearance and they couldn't pass quickly enough for me. And now...everyday he gets older and older and time just doesn't slow down. It keeps speeding up.

Not too long ago Corbin asked for a desk. Santa looked at bringing one at Christmas but it never worked out...not enough room on the sled or in the pocketbook. So the better answer was for Daddy and Corbin to BUILD a desk for Corbin's room. It was finished last week and Corbin even helped Brian get it upstairs and into his room. He is so proud of his desk - where he can keep his things and "Drake can't get any-fing!"

You make me proud Corbin James - even if you do keep getting older on me!

AKA "Destructo"

2011-02-11T19:25:00.004-05:00

Destructo is 2 years old. Destructo was so-named by his older brother (we call him Harold sometimes...). Last week Drake had the flu - yes, again. As Drake began to feel better he released Destructo. Destructo was everywhere and anywhere he wasn't supposed to be.

Exhibit A: "I'm keen-ing Daddy, keen-ing" No, I have never consider baby powder a to be a cleaning agent either.

Exhibit B: He can, COULD, reach the camera. Glad I didn't name him Ansel.

Exhibit C: He was too quiet...trying to "sweeten" himself up, you think?

My little Destructo...

I think I'll need Rosetta Stone.

2011-01-21T12:09:00.004-05:00

We were sitting at the table eating dinner the other night. Brian was working so it was only the boys and myself. Background noise is Ni-Hao Kai-Lan and Drake repeats all the Mandarin words he is asked to. Apparently this gets Corbin to thinking...

C: So Mom, how do you spell "4" in Hawaii?

Me: Well, they speak English like us; Hawaii is part of our country. (you know geography teacher has to throw that in...) So it is 4 - f-o-u-r.

C (thinking for a moment): Oh the ner-mal way then. (I LOVE the way he says the word normal...nermal!)

Me: Yep.

C: Well, what about at the Eiffel Tower? How do they say 4 there?

Me (with mental nods to Mrs. Linda Bass, my high school french teacher): Quatre

C: Oh. I need to get better with that.

Do I have a linguist on my hands?

Re-Introduction of the Madness

2011-01-14T20:50:00.003-05:00

Many may remember the Train Madness that swept our home when Corbin Bunce discovered Thomas the Train. It hit from the time he was 18 months old and continued to be our obsession until 3 1/2 (and we hid them). See the evidence:

Corbin a little over 2 1/2...Christmas 2007.

Tonight, we introduced Drake at 2 1/2 (we stalled for a year for our sanity) to the Box of Madness, aka Thomas and the miles and miles of tracks we haven't thrown away. He loved it. See this evidence:
And now, any donations of money to purchase batteries or donations of batteries will be greatly appreciated by the Bunce Family. The Duracell children can re-enroll into college - we've put a couple of them through already.

Snow Days 2011

2011-01-11T11:03:00.005-05:00

We got Snow! Serious amounts of snow...like 8 inches of snow! Considering this is Georgia and not somewhere far north, this is a big deal. What is even crazier is that we had 3 - 4 inches on Christmas Day. When it snowed then we kept telling Corbin how amazing snow was in Georgia. And now...not even a month later we are trying to tell him the same thing. You know his mind thinks we are crazy...he is going to think snow is normal here (at least for a year or two!).

But seriously, snow! The boys don't really like it so much just yet. Their hands get cold. I am going to go and buy them some real snow gloves as soon as we are liberated and not inside. I should have done it after Christmas but I totally didn't expect more snow! Brian actually taped Kroger bags to Corbin's hands because they were wet and when that happened he went into full meltdown mode. The bags kept him outside longer. We used an old crib mattress as a sled. It was awesome. Next year when we go to PA for Thanksgiving I am totally buying a good sled to bring back to GA. I feel so unprepared!

I thought I would share a few pictures of the great play time we had yesterday...

Oh - and as I write, at 11:10 am, it has started snowing AGAIN! I doubt I go to school tomorrow. Wow.

My 100th Post

2010-12-28T13:32:00.004-05:00

I reached it...finally. This is my 100th post. What will I use this monumental mark to talk about or showcase? My kiddos of course. They make me smile (and twitch and get a little crazy, but still, mostly smile).

Drake...outside

Corbin...not impressed with his Christmas pajamas.

My boys...and their Christmas pjs

(love that you don't know about the threats required to make them sit still and smile and look happy in order for me to get this picture!)Corbin...snow angels and smiles

Playing with Reagan and Jordan...

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T20:13:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful season. We so often get wrapped up in the hype and commercialism of the holiday....even when we don't mean to. These last two days, Christmas Day and then today with the snow, it really offered a chance to reflect of the perfect gift that we have been given.

My children had a wonderful Christmas. I had a wonderful Christmas and I am pretty sure that Brian would say the same for his. Sure we got tons of gifts and presents...but we had some great time together as a family. I'm very blessed and very thankful.

On the way to school today...

2010-12-09T12:48:00.004-05:00

Not even going to mention how crazy long it has been since my last post. Actually, I guess I did mention it but I'm not apologizing for it. Life happens...blogs don't always.

So...

Taking Corbin to school this morning we end up behind a school bus. Corbin asks what the flashing message on the bus says (we are BIG into reading and sounding out words). I tell him that it says "Do Not Pass". As the bus releases the brake and continues to drive Corbin asks if we can pass it then. I explain that we can't...and then the conversation continues as described below:

C: Oh, that is the "law" isn't it?

Me: Yep, you can't ever pass a bus on a road like this.

C: What does "law" mean?

Me: Well, like rules.

C: Oh. Do you know all the rules?

Me: Well, you have to take a test to be able to drive. I know most of them I think.

C: You know what a rule is, Mom?

Me: What Corbin?

C: LITTERING! That means throwing trash out. That is against the law!

Me: Yes, you are right.

C: But if no one sees you then you can't get in trouble right because they don't know it is you.

Me (trying to teach him something...) Well maybe not, but God will see you and He would know what you had done.

C: Oh. Would God tell the cops?

Yes son. Sure. That is exactly what would happen...

Corbin...what a way with words!

2010-11-04T11:33:00.002-04:00

Two REALLY good Corbin stories to share. He is growing up so fast in so many ways. Things he says constantly amaze me. I am going to share two recent stories.

First: Halloween night. We have already been on our rounds through the neighborhood and are now back at home doling out candy. The doorbell rings. There is a nine/ten year old little girl with her faced pressed against the panel window (I'm ready to be rude to her when I open the door for that...) and she starts yelling, "That is Corbin! Corbin Bunce! That is Corbin Bunce!" Obviously she knows my kid. I don't know her. Corbin is coming down the stairs behind me. I look at Corbin and ask him, "Corbin, you've got a friend here" or something like that. He gives me - and the girl - one of his looks and tells me "I don't know her." Well girlfriend doesn't appreciate that because she sets her candy down and says, "Oh yes you do, Come here!" and then proceeds to turn my son (my 5-year-old son!) around an massage/karate chop his back. Corbin turns slowly to me with a glint in his eye..."Oh yeah, I do know her." Ends up she rides the van with him in the afternoon to me at the middle school...and apparently massages him!

Second: Tuesday morning we are on our way to my grandparents where Corbin is going to spend the day since it was a teacher work day. We are driving and Corbin pipes up from the back...
C: "Mama...my heart feels empty."
Me: (I just about quit breathing because I can only guess where we are going from here. I almost turn the car around to go and find Brian because I have no idea what I am about to get into. I calmly ask him) "What do you mean? What's wrong?"
C: "I don't know. I just feel empty. My heart feels not full."
Me: (Still verging on panic mode because I'm driving and really had only been thinking deeply about the biscuit I knew my grandmother had ready for me...) "Well, baby, what do you think you need to do? What do you need?"
C: "I really think that a DS might make me feel better."
Really?! Good grief. Manipulation by a five-year-old!

Corbin James Bunce - what on earth will he be like when he is a teenager if he is like this at FIVE?

Pink Out 2010 - More info

2010-10-29T10:10:00.004-04:00

GREAT write ups in our local news papers about yesterday's Pink Out 2010 activities!

The Daily Tribune in Cartersville:
http://www.daily-tribune.com/view/full_story/10086256/article-Adairsville-Middle-community-dons-pink-for-cancer-awareness?instance=homethirdleft

The Rome News Tribune:
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/10085797/article-Adairsville-students-get-creative-in-fight-against-breast-cancer-?instance=home_news

Christy Ridley - quoted in both articles and the amazing organizer of this whole extravaganza...is a dear friend of mine. She and I traveled (Girls' Trip) to Las Vegas last Spring Break together!

Pink Out 2010

2010-10-28T11:53:00.007-04:00

I love where I work. It is an awesome place. I have a teriffic job. It is a fun atmosphere. And it means something, what I do, I like that.

As a school we have adopted a mission if you will. We are all about Breast Cancer Awareness. October is a big month at Adairsville Middle School. We raise money to support teams and research through the Atlanta Two-Day walk. Last year there was a mamography-mobile at our school the whole day in order to teach our students about early detection and the sciences behind fighting this disease. We have survivors come. Local media recognizes our efforts.

Two years ago our 700 students outlined a pink ribbon on the football field.

Last year we invited the elementary school and added their 500 students to our 700 to outline and then fill in our ribbon.

Today, for Pink OUt 2010, we had our 700, the elementary's 500, two other school's 5th grade and then the AHS Pre-K...close to 1500 folks. We spelled Hope, with the o being a ribbon.

This is MIDDLE school - remember where we still laugh at bodily functions and body parts, where "pantsing" is a common discipline issue, and we talk seriously about breast cancer. Kids wear their pink on Pink Out Day. I'm so proud to be a part of this school and this cause. I hope that this kid remembers days like this...

T's Birthday Party

2010-10-25T20:34:00.004-04:00

I have been blessed with wonderful friends. Before my children, before my husband, I had a core group of people who loved (and tolerated) me. I really became the me I am today because of these wonderful women - and the insanity that we were able to get into (and usually not out of). What is even more special is that our friendships haven't drifted into the past and been boxed up and labeled "college". They have grown and matured (for the most part) just as we have done. But enough mushy stuff...on to the party!

I had the joy of traveling back to Birmingham this Saturday with my family in tow. I LOVE that city. I LOVE the memories it holds for me. I LOVE the people that still live there. I got to drive through and point out the naked behind of Vulcan to Corbin. I showed Drake the big gate at Samford. Brian finally got to eat a Milo's Hamburger with the extra, meat chunk in the middle. But more importantly, we got to see my friends and their families.

Mary Michael and BT have the cutest little boy, Thomas. He turned one last week. His party was Saturday morning and it was perfect. I was so excited to be able to go and to bring my children. Usually when I travel to Birmingham it is for some me-time and definitely not for dragging the boys around, not so on Saturday.

The party was awesome! T is adorble. Overton Park couldn't have been any better - playground, plenty of space, gorgeous weather. It was a great day. I was excited to be able to go. My children behaved and I got to see everyone's little ones. (Sometimes, I can't believe that we are really 30-somethings and have children!) I have some great pictures of the day...enjoy! And notice how the pictures are now of all the kiddos - not so many of us girls anymore!

Do you know where your child is?

2010-10-17T16:12:00.004-04:00

We thought we did. Turned out we didn't. Drake wasn't in his room playing with the door closed. The closing of his bedroom door was just a diversion tactic. He has a thing for brushing his teeth. Maybe he'll be a dentist....for a nudist colony?

Where is his diaper? We don't know where that is either.

Sign him up for the Tide

2010-10-14T14:36:00.003-04:00

Size doesn’t matter.

Fear is no object.

He is committed to his task.

He brings down the target.

Sorry Corbin. You bit the dust!

Camping - October 2010

2010-10-12T20:08:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went camping! It was absolutely wonderful! I can't even begin to describe how much fun we all had. The boys were great. Corbin actually started crying BEFORE he even opened his eyes Sunday morning....he didn't want to have to leave camping! How sweet is that?! I hope that they had as much fun as we did.

Something that Brian and I both realized though...camping is tough when you are the grown-up. Remember how easy it was as a kid..nothing but relaxing and playing? It changes and it is a lot of work to get to that relaxation stage.

Corbin was such a big boy! It hits me at the oddest times how much he is growing up! Brian and I didn't know that Corbin can now cross the monkey bars on his own. He couldn't go across two on his own on summer vacation - and now he swings across them like a pro. The monkey bars brought a bit of a tear to my eye as I stared in disbelief.

Drake fell approximately 75 times. He has scrapes, bruises, and a gash in his head. He may have cried approximately 3.5 seconds with each of those falls. The child feels no pain. I don't know if I should be proud or terrified. I'm leaning toward the latter.

I have uploaded way too many pictures (but considering I took over 200 in the 2 days...). This is the link to the Picasaweb album. It is easier to go there than to have me try and put them on this way. There are that many good ones.

A long time coming.

2010-10-04T17:27:00.003-04:00

Friday was definitely a long time coming...

I'm sure most of you remember the joy of Kindergarten adjustment that Corbin (and his parents) have gone through. However, Friday marked a another red-letter-day...or should I say a BLUE-SMILEY-DAY! Last week Corbin brought home FIVE Blue Smiley Faces - this means great behavior through the whole week.

As a well-deserved reward, Corbin asked to go to Chuck E. Cheese. It was a great time for all of us!

And so today? A green, straight face. But as Corbin said... "Hey, I can still say 'Lego' and I can play with them, right Mom? Green is pretty good too."

I'll take it!

Drake likes 'Gokker" too.

2010-09-27T17:04:00.003-04:00

We have learned to take a Gokker for Drake when we go to Corbin's games. These shots are from the third game...

When the kids on the team are complaining about heat or whining about being tired - Drake keeps kicking and kicking and kicking and kicking! He's like a miniature energizer bunny!

Alabama versus Penn State

2010-09-24T11:56:00.008-04:00

He grew up a Penn State fan...following JoePa and those Navy and White Lions.

I adopted and now somewhat obsess over Crimson and White and the Rolling Tides found in Tuscaloosa.

September 11, 2010 we were (slightly) a house divided.

What a great thing to see... Watching Brian see Paterno. Tailgating and walking through T-town. We had a great time. (We have LOTS of zoomed in pictures of Paterno.)

The Crimson Tide came out on top and Brian was good with that. (Being married to me has swayed him a bit to the truth of college football...) He did say that while he wanted Alabama to win, he wished that Penn State had played better. But it was still a great day and a great memory for the two of us.

First Soccer Game

2010-09-22T21:49:00.002-04:00

Warming up...

Watching Bubba...

Not afraid to get in there and push if necessary...

Taking a turn at goalie...

So proud of that first game! It was a blast...

**Pics of the "too-hot-don't-wanna-play-soccer" breakdown withheld. :)

A Drake Drought

2010-09-09T17:09:00.007-04:00

I realized after posting yesterday's pic of Corbin I realized I have really spent a lot of time on Corbin on the blog lately. We have been very Corbin Heavy and Drake Light. (I do that from time to time I guess - where it seems one son is more in the forefront of family affairs than the other.)

Drake is doing fine and well in Bunce World. He is such a funny little fellow. Still ALWAYS smiling! He talks more and more and more each and every day. He sings and is a big dancer. We started Kindermusik last week and Drake LOVED it! He clapped and clapped at the end and ran and gave the teacher a hug at the end - very unexpected because he had never met her before!

He has become that child that I swore I would never have. He has nose issues and it is a constant battle to wipe his nose. Yep - I have the snotty kid. It doesn't make it any better that he has the uncanny ability to get filthy almost immediately. (I swear he could find dirt in a solid white room.) I hate dried snot and running snot and snot in general! Gag! His little face is so raw from all the wiping and running. I don't know what the answer is: Moisturizing lotions? Yep, did that. Warm washcloths? Yep, that too. Boogie wipes? Yep, on our third package! Snot face to give the skin a "rest"? That is where we are now! This whole issue explains why there have been fewer pictures of him lately though - I don't want snot!

I'm uploading a few pics taken recently - from our hike this past weekend, from around the house, and just Drake being Drake (or Me as he calls himself when you ask him his name).

Enjoy the Fat Baby!

Wordless Wednedsday: I understand

2010-09-08T20:57:00.003-04:00

I get it now: why Wednesday, the middle of the week, is deemed "wordless" by so many bloggers. It is because life is so exhausting that more than posting a picture seems insurmountable. I'm there. I'm tired. It's ONLY Wednesday. It is ONLY a four-day-work-week.

So - with no further words.

My big boy and a Labor Day pic where he "looks pretty good" he says. Love this kid.

Red Letter Wednesday

2010-09-01T09:28:00.005-04:00

Today marks a BIG milestone. It is a RED LETTER day for the Bunces. Today Corbin got up as he has the past 3 and a half weeks. He got himself dressed. We brushed his teeth. We talked about how much fun the day would be. I took him to school. He got out in the right place and hopped, leaped, skipped into the building.

This has all happened 17 times before today. So what makes today so special?

The fact of what didn't happen is what is worth mentioning and worthy of its very own post. There were NO TEARS! NO COMPLAINTS! The phrase, his mantra if you will for the past 3 and a half weeks, "I don't wanna go to Kinder-gar-ten!" was NOT said, cried, whined, whispered (that is the one that will tug your heart out of your body).

I got to school and immediately called Brian, near tears myself, to ask him if he realized what we HADN'T heard this morning. He knew!

So today is important. We may not have our 5th blue smiley face this afternoon, BUT we did have a wonderful morning at our house! We had a smiling Kindgergartener, who "succeeded" rather than exceeded his geometry standard this week, who practices raising his hand randomly at home, who sometimes won't share information (usually about behaviors or problems at school) he deems "classified", who makes my heart melt with his grin and half-moon eyes!

Congrats Corbin James on WANTING to go to Kindergarten!

Flashback Friday

2010-08-27T13:52:00.007-04:00

Since the previous post (form way too long ago) was about Soccer and our enthusiasm and joy over this sport, I thought I would flashback to the streeFUL days of tee-ball as a way to remind us all how much the smiling soccer player has changed.

So thankFUL for my smiling soccer star!

Soccer Practice

2010-08-21T15:59:00.004-04:00

I was somewhat skeptical about soccer. I will admit it. Two years ago Corbin said he wanted to play tee-ball and then cried for the first 2/3 of all of his practices. It wasn't always pleasant. He didn't want to play this year. I didn't force it. If he wants to again no problem and we'll sign him up.

So - when he told me, without prompting that he wanted to play soccer 6 months ago I listened but only half-heartedly. When sign up time came I asked him if he still wanted to play. He was very definite in his "yes!" I signed him up. Brian brought home cleats (shoes with the poinkers on the bottoms). Corbin has talked about his soccer practice since his coach called and gave us the first practice time early last week.

So today was the day. I really expected him not to follow instructions or to whine or to act similarly (even though it was TWO years ago) to what he had done with tee-ball.

I was wrong. My baby loved every second of Soccer! Soccer!!!!

He dribbled. He stopped the ball. He shot. He scored. He goalied. He listened. He laughed. He cheered on his teammates. It was enjoyable to watch. I remember feeling envious of some of the other tee-ball parents whose children were enjoying the game and good at what they were doing. I was fighting to keep my kid on the field and they were just able to cheer their children on. Today - I wasn't a disciplinarian; I was a soccer mom! I'm one step away from a soccer ball magnet on my SUV. And be sure I will be the first to sign up to order one too!

Just getting started

2010-08-17T19:07:00.003-04:00

I'm tired. School has started. Crying doesn't help (take my word for it). The word overwhelmed isn't even it. I know I can do everything that I need to do. I'm just not enjoying this year - and I know it is only the second week of school. But I seem to have a bad attitude toward it all.

Home: I fed my children tonight. It wasn't a healthy, pre-though meal. Drake ate none of his chicken and rice and veggies from a can. He did eat some cheese puffs and a banana. Corbin finished his potato chips and ketchup and is now being forced to eat the peanut butter sandwich. I will bathe them tonight. I will sign the yellow sad face in the agenda. We have already discussed said yellow sad face. I put away the clean clothes I folded last night. I still need to work on the kitchen.

School as a teacher: I need to create a paper that I need to send home. I have the basics in my head but have to put it on paper to explain it to the classes (and their parents). That may not get done tonight.

School as a student: I will then post a comment to complete one of the 5 assignments I have due before Sunday at midnight. I'll then only have 2 more to go - so I am somewhat ahead of the game there.

What I really want to do is curl up in the bathtub with hot water, bubbles, and the little bottle of wine that I have; a good book would be nice. I would like to get out of that bath and snuggle with my children and husband. Reality right now doesn't give me this option.

I have to find a way to make myself happy and enjoy these tasks before me. I think that I have a plan. I'm going to work really hard to get everything I need to get done completed by Friday night. Saturday is going to be a day with my boys. I'm going to enjoy them! I don't know what we will do - but I'm going to have my camera and have fun playing and being Mommy and Wife. Sunday I can finish the things that are not completed yet. When Corbin had a bad day last week and was melting into a bad week - we gave him something to look forward to. I have Scrap Night scheduled for Friday night but I seriously doubt that will happen. But I think right now I need to focus not so much of me-alone-time...but me-family-time. I feel better already with a plan in mind!

Wow.

2010-08-14T16:34:00.003-04:00

She is 11. She understands more than I probably ever will. Wow. Check out this amazing blog.

Wordless Wednesday: Kindergarten boy

2010-08-11T17:08:00.001-04:00

You can't make this stuff up...

2010-08-08T20:58:00.004-04:00

You can't be prepared for about half of the things that Parenthood throws at you. It is impossible. I had planned to post a sweet and sentimental post tonight. Something about it being my last night as the mother of pre-school Corbin. Kindergarten begins tomorrow. I will cross the threshold and will now be the parent!

But, alas, I can't write about that. I have to share what happened at our house tonight. This was such a great 20 minutes in our house that it has to be documented!I was bathing Drake. (Corbin was in the tub too - that will be important later.) Drake has about 15 bruises up and down his legs and arms. He looks pitiful - but NEVER cries or seems to feel pain. I see his shoulder blade and am so worried. There is a really nasty looking red scratch/mark running from his shoulder blade up toward his shoulder. I ask Brian to look at it. Brian immediately remembers Drake screaming when he put him in his swing outside tonight - like he had gotten stung or bitten. He worries about a reaction to a bite. I quickly wash him and pull him out of the water so Brian and I can investigate better. We get him in the living room - putting his diaper on - hold him down to look at this mark. We can't see any welting or bite mark. And - it looks like it is actually lightening up as time passes. So what happened to cause a ridiculously huge mark on his back? No clue. Did he cry when whatever happened happened? Nope. Thankfully though - what scared us is okay.
As I'm putting Drake's pants on him Corbin yells from the bathroom.

"Mom! I need some help!"

"What's wrong? I'll be right there."

"There's some water in my eye. It's pee." (YES - you are reading correctly. This is what my FIVE YEAR OLD SON yelled back to me.)

I look at Brian. I think that this should so be his area. He quickly informs me that it isn't his area - he never pee-ed in his own eyes. I yell back: "What? Did you say water?"

"Yeah. A little pee came up out of the water. It got in my eye."

I have to go. I wash out his eye. (According to Brian this is what I should do...) I try to get him to explain what happened - but really didn't want to know. I move past the pee incident and try to hurry up and wash him - just as Brian walks in to address it.

"So you peed in your eye?"

"Yeah Dad. I was looking at it and some just came up and got in my eye."

"Well - you shouldn't really look at your goober when you pee."

(I'm shaking trying so hard not to laugh out loud because they are having a serious conversation.)

"Oh. Okay." (Like this is information that you NEED to be told.) "Then there was the water in my mouth."

"What?! Did the pee get in your mouth?!"

"No. That would be disgusting." (And the eye is okay?) "The water was from the tub. Then there was the pee and my eye."

"See Corbin, that is why you should get out of the tub and pee in the potty. Sometimes water from the bathtub gets in your mouth."

"Yeah."

...and I lose it. I am hysterical. I snort. Corbin stares at me.

"Mama. You are one crazy woman."

Yes son. I am... I think that is what the + sign on the pregnancy test really means. It is positive that you are now on the downhill side of sanity.

Thank goodness school starts tomorrow.

Brothers in Action

2010-07-30T08:25:00.004-04:00

One thing that has happened this summer is that Corbin and Drake have really played together more and more. They have moved beyond the co-existing in the same family phase and into the interacting one. This is normally great! (When is it not so great? When Drake tries to do EVERYTHING that big bro can do!)

The other night the most horrendous crash occured in my kitchen floor. And then laughter and shrill little boy screams! They were having some sort of crash contest in my kitchen! Sure, Drake had no real clue what he was doing but he had his brother's attention and he was loving it! I had to take some quick pics.

They are okay - nothing wildly beautiful in them as far as the photograph themselves. BUT - what is important - is this beautiful moment where they are truly being brothers!

Oh - and no boys were harmed in the taking of these pictures but one Mr. Potato Head may have suffered a scrape or two.

Winding down

2010-07-27T09:01:00.004-04:00

This summer is officially winding down. Next Wednesday is my first official day back to school...like all day, not just an hour or two like I have done a couple of times already. this summer has been a good one. I have had plenty of downs but in the end, I can look at my boys and know that I got to hang out with them for over two months. They are attached to me at the end of each summer. Corbin obviously not as much as Drake...but still - I love that they seem to enjoy spending the summer with me too.

We didn't do as much as we had originally planned. The heat, finances and exzema got in our way, but that's okay too. We did do a lot - built forts, hiked in the "woods" (aka wooded patch behind/beside our house), swam, took swimming lessons, VBS, vacation, picnicked, and LOTS and LOTS of talking (Corbin is really good at that). Not a bad summer in the end.

In less than a week I'll be starting Drake back at school.

In about a week I'll be starting back to work.

In a little over a week I'll have Corbin starting Kindergarten!

So - the summer ends and new things begin. I expect it to be a school year full of exciting and definitely interesting firsts and stories.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T09:27:00.000-04:00

Update

2010-07-20T13:53:00.005-04:00

I'm still hot.

The repairman is currently here working on it.

I hope (and he better hope) he gets it fixed because I will go postal.

If I had lived pre-AC I would have learned to love the snow because I wouldn't be a southerner.

HOT.

There is no lemonade in this house anymore.

Making Lemonade

2010-07-19T08:45:00.003-04:00

The old phrase..."when life hands you lemons, make lemonade" should be my mantra. I would like to think that at 1:00 this morning I was living that mantra.

Let me take you back.

Last night, around 8, Brian and I came upstairs from the family room. We noticed it was pretty warm. No biggie we thought - I had warmed a pie in the oven and we had finally had a really nasty storm. It was very hot and humid outside and contributed the warmth to those things. At 1:00 this morning Drake had woken up and I had gone in and calmed him down and put him back to sleep. (The fact that he is still waking up through the night is trivial at this point.) On my way back to bed I stopped by the thermostat because I was still hot! It read a sickening 80 degrees. I told Brian that I thought something was wrong with the AC. He didn't really comment and I thought we would deal with this morning. Ten minutes later he is up with his flashlight to go and investigate.

The AC unit was not running. The breaker was off. When he flipped the breaker it sounded like ice cubes in a blender and then the breaker went back off. Uh oh. I talked him out of throwing the unit through the office of the Heating and Air company that we bought it from 4 months ago. I thought that was good of me. See - starting to squeeze those lemons.

We lay in silence for a bit longer. Brian turned on the tv. We watched half of Michael. I had never seen that movie. We laughed. I went into the living room to record the movie because I knew I wouldn't make it through it - it is 1:30 in the morning for crying out loud! Brian moved the big rotating fan (that we have from when the AC unit died in April) into our room. We made fun of our luck!

I think that my husband and I had a date in the wee hours of the morning! I truly enjoyed our two hours together laughing and watching a fairly decent movie. (I can't wait to finish it up later today.)

So - where are we now? Brian called the company on his way to work and then called me laughing! Someone would have to get in touch with us later because apparently the roof of Hobby Lobby fell in last night from the rain and the AC units for the store were on the roof! Really?! Know what my response was? Does this mean Hobby Lobby will be having a "damaged" goods sale in the near future! My lemons are now sweet with sugar.

My boys and I are downstairs in the slightly cooler den now. We're playing. I have Internet. And now a repairman will be here this afternoon! I'm adding the water to my fruit.

Anyone want a glass of ice cold lemonade? It will be served in a stinkin' hot house with a really expensive, broken AC unit!

What an imagination!

2010-07-15T20:26:00.005-04:00

Fun times on a Thursday night.

(Please let me know if this runs and looks right. I've used the new computer and a new program to get it on here! I know that it is in black and white...told you it was NEW - it wasn't supposed to be, but oh well!)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T09:12:00.001-04:00

Good pic for a Wordless Wednesday...there is no way to describe this!

Fur

2010-07-13T08:41:00.005-04:00

This morning Corbin crawled up on the bed where Brian had laid back down for a second. Brian is all stretched out with one arm behind his head. Corbin is talking 90 to nothing - nonstop. Then he pauses. He takes one hand and proceeds to shield his eyes.

CB: "Yuck! Daddy! Underarm pits."

BB: chuckles

CB: "Cover it up."

BB: still chuckling, "What?"

CB: "That fur!"

I had to leave the room. What a way with words my little Harold has.

Back to school (Only harder this time!)

2010-07-12T13:28:00.002-04:00

I will admit it. When I would hear people complain about how things had advanced and changed from their "younger" years I would mentally roll my eyes. Sure, new technologies -but get with the program is what I wanted to say deep down in my guts. I'm officially an old fogey now and some young whippersnapper is mentally rolling their eyes at me.

Enrolling in college/grad school is HARD now! Everything is do-it-yourself online. My classes this first semester are 100% online. I even did an entrance interview for my student loan online! An interview? What part of sitting at my computer and answering multiple choice questions constitutes an interview?

I miss the stress of waiting for my advisor appointment so that we could hurridly see what I had to have, what I wanted to have, and how late I could sleep and then running through the hall to the secretary's desk to have her tell me - nope, that one is filled...and then she and I going through the same course catalog. I miss the smell of that course catalog and the smudges that the newsprint would leave on everything because I had flipped through the History section so many times wanting the perfect time and best profs. I remember how exciting it was when I FINALLY had enough credit hours to get my first picks.

Today I registered for my classes. Obviously from my lament things HAVE changed. It took me about 5 minutes - that includes the call to the secretary to have her "open me a seat" in one class. Me perusing the courses to find the correct code. Changing screens inputting said code and hitting submit. I was registered. It may not have even taken 5 minutes.

So - I start school on August 12th by logging into my virtual classroom to see my assignments and such. I am a nervous wreck. School is definitely different from my first (and second) times around!

Flashback Friday: Drake's 2nd birthday party from LAST weekend!

2010-07-09T10:17:00.010-04:00

Not much of a Flashback today - more like a FINALLY Friday post. Drake turned two last Saturday. We had a BLAST at his party! I have pics to share (of course). We had it at DAC Kids and it was absolutely perfect. We were indoors. It was cool. The kids had more than enough to keep them occupied! LOVED it. And so...my sweet 2-year-old (and his party).

As you can see - LOTS of fun. And you can also see Drake had some special visitors from Birmingham that drove over for the trip! It was so sweet and meant so much to have a contigency of the "Birmingham Aunts" at the party...and playing with sweet Baby T was an even bigger plus!

A found blog.

2010-07-07T10:19:00.002-04:00

I picked up a notepad I found the other day to make a list. Inside it was a "blog" I had written out on our way to vacation LAST July (2009). I'm transcribing it here because I like it.

"Hidden Joys of Parenting"
When you become a parent you know that there are certain joys ahead of you: first smiles, first steps, and if you have kids like mine, first FULL night of sleep. there are few words that can accurately describe these moments to others.

But, there are secret joys that you don't expect. And I really think that these "secret" special ones are different for each child. On our way to Jekyll Island today I recognized this phenomenon for what it is: a gift of surprise.

So what has me so cognizant of this fleeting moment in the lives of my children and myself? Chewing gum.

I never imagined watching a child learn what gum is, and how to chew it could be so incredibly fascinating, hysterical and even awe-inspiring. First comes the "don't swallow it lectures" and conversations that ALWAYS end in "Oops, I swallowed it." but then one day, after 10 minutes with the gum, he still has it!

Then to watch him trying to keep it in his mouth, switching sides and even attempting to talk! It is truly wonderful to witness.

Now gum may not be that interesting to you. And honestly it never has been before to me, but since watching this little blonde bomber of mine...gum and chewing is suddenly the most important thing that we could be focused on at this moment.

Flashback Friday: 'Motional Mama

2010-07-02T10:10:00.003-04:00

Drake turns 2 on Saturday. TWO! My baby. It doesn't seem real that two whole years have passed since his glorious entrance into our world. I get misty-eyed each birthday. Corbin turning FIVE in March about did me in. (Between you and me, I DREAD high school graduations!)

A quick July timeline:

July 5, 2003 - Brian and I have our first real date. I ended up with spaghetti sauce on my forehead.

July 2, 2004 - We get a "+" on the pregnancy stick!

July 2005 - Corbin is months old...we are ecstatic and loving this threesome.

July 2006 - Enjoying life with Corbin...thinking about a possible sibling...a miscarriage is soon to come.

July 2007 - Disney trip! Corbin's TWO! No sibling yet. I started on some fertility treatments. We are soon to be told that more biological children are not in our future. We will soon be looking into adoption.

July 2, 2008 - We are days (but we think weeks) away from Drake!

July 3, 2009 - My sweet Fat Baby turned one!

July 2, 2010 - Here we are. Drake will be two years old (tomorrow). Corbin will start kindergarten in August. God is so good. His timing is so perfect.

As I have gone through this "timeline" I can remember so many feelings and attempts that we had made at putting things in our terms or on our time. God's infinite love and care and guidance was always there. I have know idea what things the future holds for us. I am so thankful that I don't have to worry about it. God has it already lined up for me, for all of us.

Happy birthday (tomorrow) Sweet Drake.

WORDED Wednesday

2010-06-30T12:03:00.005-04:00

I have just spent the last 30 minutes re-reading posts from this year. (Side note: I have posted MORE this year than the previous TWO years combined...I'm doing better.) How amazing life changes in just 6 months. I had totally forgotten the dead fish and Captain Oblivious!

I am glad that I have relived some of the moments I have blogged about. I needed some perspective. The last several days have been pretty rough ones for me. I have felt pretty much at the end of my rope for nearly a week. It started last Thursday when I went to set up my graduate school program and discovered I couldn't get the degree I REALLY wanted and then wasn't REALLY even admitted into the school yet. Friday got no better when our playdate had to be cancelled and I imagined a Scrap Night that is actually in July. Monday I had to begin the day with a blood draw and a tetanus shot and then locked my keys in the car at the middle school.

But, it's okay. I just need to take some deep breaths. I need to remember that I have options and CAN go to graduate school when there are people in this world who can't make it to elementary school. I need to remind myself that I have friends that I can plan playdates with! I live in a country where a tetanus shot is as available to me as running water in my house. And I have a CAR!

I need to enjoy my boys. I need to discipline them, parent them, teach them, and not take their actions and behaviors personally (I am bad to do this!).

I just need to breathe a little.

Anniversary

2010-06-29T08:40:00.006-04:00

SEVEN years ago today I met Brian. It was a surprise set-up by Julie. She didn't tell me until the last possible minute that she had someone coming for me to meet. She told me only because she wanted me to look presentable (I didn't realize I visited her when I didn't look presentable, but that is another story...). I came really close to not going. REALLY close. I am so glad that I went.

These are a few of our earliest pictures! I remember when we were dating we used to get so much heat from others because we were so focused on one another. Even after all this time...I can still forget everything else around the two of us. I'm so blessed to have been given this mate. He is a wonderful husband, an incredible father, and a treasured friend.

And we owe it all to Julie...who still enjoys reminding us it was all her doing!

Wordless Wednesday: Naptimes are Wonderful times!

2010-06-23T12:54:00.002-04:00

Daddy

2010-06-21T12:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was Father's Day. The boys woke Brian up earlier than I had planned because they couldn't wait to open his present. So much for my trying to let him sleep a bit. The three of them quickly converged on the self-calculating coin bank that was that present. Brian looked like he was in paradise as Corbin tried to push the coins in faster than he could and Drake's pudgy hand was attempting to force pennies and nickels in sideways (note, they don't go in that way). I sawthe joy in his face watching them, the love in his voice instructing them, and even the steel in his words as he was admonishing them for misbehaviors. It was a beautiful start to our day.

We didn't do anything unique or out of the ordinary really. We went to church. But that, in too many situations, may be out of the ordinary in this world we live in I guess. Brian makes sure that our sons know that God is first and foremost in his life. We visited with Brian's older brother and his family for most of the afternoon.

Once we were home, though, an event occurred that in my mind was the essence of what Father's Day truly is. Drake was tired. He had fallen asleep on the way home. He wasn't happy about waking up. He was tired. I finally asked his if he wanted to go to Daddy's bed, knowing that he likes to lay in our bed and watch cartoons. He said "yeah" and grabbed his blankets and monkey. He was still snubbing a little as he walks across the living room and crawling up on his daddy's chest, rolling up his blankets to make his pillow on Daddy's shoulder, looks at me and smiles saying "Daddy's bed".

The trust that was in his simple phrase. The comfort that only Daddy can provide. I am so lucky to have this man as the father of our children.

Speaking Bunce

2010-06-12T09:52:00.008-04:00

As Drake came into our room this morning announcing that the "duuh" had "ah-ow-f" I realized that normal people (aka non-Bunces) may have no idea what in the world this child had said. (Honestly, Brian and I were stumped and thought Lassie was telling us that Timmy had fallen into the well again.) After a trip through the house with Drake, who we discovered was also naked from the waist down, we learned that "duuh" was not duck like we thought but diaper! It was "ah-ow-f" (off) because of the poop that was in it. So, with that wake-up call this morning I thought I would list some things that are often heard/said in our home and help to translate for the masses.

Speaking DRAKE

"Eye-ownt.." - translated as "I want..." and followed with a variety of sometimes understandable words!

"dubup" - This is the word for cup.

"bunny" - seems easy, not so much, from Drake this means blanket.

"buddun" - means button, and is used for anything that he wants to push that he shouldn't!

"Pordin" - Drake speak for his brother, Corbin

"Bubba" - another term for Corbin

"ets-woll" - This would be Let's Roll, which means Drake wants to leave and go somewhere

"Oh-tay" - This is heard after a crash, boom, or fall - think Dudley from Wild Hogs - he's okay

"suh-wo" - vibrated from his body as he goes fast (not SLOW) down the stairs on his belly

"poddee" - obviously potty, yes - but it really means he is just naked and I have to find the diaper that he has taken off - Drake is currently pretending to be interested in potty-training but really is using the potty as an excuse to strip!

"oh weet" - translated to mean I'm sweet...this is said as he hugs you!

"uuhh" - just a grunt noise, as he raises on his toes and tries really hard not to reach whatever he wants you to go and get for him!

Not forgetting CORBIN

forwarning: much of Corbin-speak involves Batman and the heroes and villains of said world...and then just funny phrases and things he has said that make me smile and love this boy even more everyday!

"Die Code" - think this comes from obsession with Batman and the Lego Batman video game - everything in the world has its own "die code" that apparently causes it to die/end/quit

"the patata man" - Corbin's phrase for Harley Quinn - evil girl on Lego Batman

"the guy with the bad girlfriend" - Samson - description we got after Sunday School

"beenember" - remember...one of the very few baby words that he still uses. I refuse to let Brian correct him on this one too often!

I hope you are smiling...I am after thinking about these sweet boys and the amazing minds and personalities that they have. I know I'm prejudiced, but it never amazes me the things that they say and the way that they say it!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T16:55:00.001-04:00

A new twist to the phrase "water fight".

The Bunce boys - Jekyll Island 2010

The first of MANY beach stories

2010-06-06T16:40:00.003-04:00

The Friday before Memorial Day we travelled to Ludowici, GA (just outside of Savannah) to visit Uncle Joe before continuing on to Jekyll for vacation. On Saturday we left Ludowici and headed for our week on the beach!

As we travelled some really backwoods roads we passed this factory/mill/industrial place. As we drive by, Corbin looks at the HUGE smokestacks and calmly announces... "Oh! So THAT'S how clouds are made!" Such honesty and innocence, I love it.

Not MY Naptime

2010-05-24T20:22:00.005-04:00

I put Drake down for a nap on Saturday. He was really tired (I promise). After him rambling to himself a few minutes I hear him get down from his bed. And then I hear more muttering. I don't think anything of it until the full-fledged jam session begins in his room. I run for the camera!
This is what I find...my own little rocker refusing his bedtime!

If you can't understand him, he tells me "Chee-ee-ee-ee-se" when he sees me. He finally did go to sleep - less than 10 minutes later - holding the guitar.

My Little Graduate

2010-05-22T12:33:00.000-04:00

Corbin's PreK class graduated Thursday. It was SO stinking cute! A few pictures from the night...

My first one (second one and the third is coming)!

2010-05-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

Okay. I don't know the pull or the excitement behind the newwest craze to sweep the youngest generation of this great country of ours. I won't even pretend to. But in case you don't spend your days surrounded by children/young people anywhere between the ages of 4 and 25 and have no idea as to what I speak...Silly Bandz.

What are these things? Think jelly bracelets from the 80s and given them a shape or form (not that you can tell the shape of them when they are on an arm). The craze is ridiculous in the breadth of thsoe affected. Preschoolers have them. Middle schoolers have them. They can be found across college campuses.

And now...I have 2. Both are elephants. I have a pink elephant and a yellow elephant. When another student saw them and realized that they were elephants...she volunteered to bring me my 3rd one tomoorrow - a blue elephant! Woo hoo...I'm "hip" and in on the fad.

Maybe I should tight roll my pants just to see if soemthing like that catches back on.

Probably not the best sign?

2010-05-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

Friday is the last day of school. That means only five more days.
So I am thinking that it isn't the best sign that I know that in those five days it means that I will be supervising children for only 33 more hours.
Oh well...teachers have summer fever too!

They grow up so fast!

2010-05-08T14:41:00.002-04:00

I wasn't prepared for this post just yet. I thought I had LOTS of time before having to experience what I did yesterday afternoon.
I came home and Brian has picked up the boys. They have had a great afternoon together. Brian then leads Corbin into his "confession". (We often do this to make Corbin 'fes up to whatever it is he has done and then we can discuss the rights and wrongs and better options, etc. of said action.) So, Brian starts the conversation: "Corbin, why don't you tell Mommy about what happened today with A---*."

*A--- is a little girl. A has been mentioned in our home before as a daily girlfriend and a girl that Corbin wanted to buy Barbie Dolls for.

Me: "Uh Oh, did something happen with A---?"
Corbin: "Yeah! I kissed A---!"
Me: "You did what?!"
Corbin: "Two times."
Me: "What?! Where?"
Corbin: "On the mouth!"
Me - shooting viper eyes at Brian because I was NOT prepared for this conversation AND trying not to laugh because Corbin was VERY proud of himself: "No, where at school? In the room? We shouldn't kiss girls right now, you are still pretty young... We defnitely shouldn't kiss people on the mouth. That is yucky!"
Corbin: "But she wanted me to!"
Me - still trying not to laugh and having no idea what to really do at this point with my Kindergarten Cassanova: "Well, what did Mr. Michael or Ms. Jerry Ann say to you two? Where were you?"
Corbin: "At my school, Mommy. Mr. Michael didn't see us."
Me: "Well, let's not kiss anyone else at school...and definitely not on the mouth!"
Corbin: "Okay."

Really?! I wasn't prepared for anything of this calibre. I was ready for things like throwing rocks at people, taking something from school that wasn't his, spitting...totally sideswiped by kissing girls!

I'm going to blame crazy chemicals in the chicken he likes to eat.... and warn his teachers that Cassanova needs to be watched!

The End is in Sight

2010-05-02T20:57:00.003-04:00

I know that you aren't supposed to wish your life away. I'm not...I'm just REALLY looking forward to school being out this year!

We have 15 school days left. And yes, I am definitely counting them down.

But what I'm really excited about is the week after I'm out of school. We officially booked our vacation house for Jekyll! One whole week on an island...the beach...my boys...and plenty of room for our family to enjoy each other and the area. I can't wait! We have fallen in love with the simplicity of Jekyll Island. It is so relaxing and laid back.

We discovered this wonderful place when Drake was 12 weeks old and we took a long weekend before I went back to work.

It was so wonderful, even with an infant, that we returned last year with Corbin and Drake as a toddler! (I wrote a post about it here and Corbin being such "a great golfer".) Both boys LOVED the water so much last year. I can't wait to see how they react and play this year.

So, yes, I'm excited about a somewhat long, challenging year ending, but I'm really looking forward to the adventures that await us during the summer!

My little BOY...

2010-04-29T13:19:00.005-04:00

Mothers of boys will understand this post. Mothers of girls - not exactly sure...there probably is an equivalent I just don't know what it is...

Yesterday I picked up my sweet baby boy. He was just as excited as he had been the day before when he saw me. He giggled and jumped and squealed like he has so many days before. But yesterday was different. Yesterday, Drake smelled. And not like stinky diapers. He smelled like a little boy. I was sad.

Boys apparently do this to their mamas one day out of the blue. They smell like a boy and not like a baby. Now that isn't to say that they can't regain that baby smell for a little bit...after a good bath, even first thing in the morning still. But the boy smell is there too now. My baby is growing up.

It hit me like a ton of bricks with Corbin, the day he smelled differently. But that day I didn't realize that it was a new normal I had to get used to. With Drake, I know the significance of these new scents. With boys, growing up doesn't really happen as more candles appear on their cakes, but instead with additonal boo boos, more sound effects, and of course, little boy smells.

He may stink now - but he's still my stinky boy!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T22:50:00.003-04:00

...so blessed.

Flashback Friday: Amazing Father

2010-04-16T19:54:00.003-04:00

April 2007 - Brian and Corbin

April 2010 - Brian and Drake

I am truly so blessed to have this man as my partner and the father of my children.

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T17:03:00.004-04:00

Utter joy - my boys playing happily together.

Sixth Graders - wow

2010-04-01T11:07:00.002-04:00

Do you know what the phrase "penal colony" can do to a room full of 6th graders? Yep. It's as bad as you probably imagine. I'm having to explain how Australia was settled as a penal colony in the 17- and 1800s by the British.
Great fun. So not fun...

Red Letter Day

2010-03-31T06:27:00.003-04:00

So we return from eating last night - midweek visit to Longhorn's semi-celebrating our 6th anniversary on Saturday and also to save me from cooking after a horrendous day. I hear Drake in the boys' bathroom and I run to get him out of the toilet. (This is usually a safe assumption of his actions when in the bathroom.)

What was he doing? Putting his little toilet seat on the toilet! He looked at me and said (what sounded like) "eye-own-ta-poddy". Sure, why not, he's been playing this game for the past couple of days and it lasts all of 25 seconds - but that is how you start the potty thing. I take off the diaper and the pants... he sits. He concentrates. He keeps sitting. HE POOPS! In the potty! Wow.

I don't want to have a big boy...but not buying diapers (and yes, I am getting way ahead of myself here but you can't help it!) is a good give and take for having that big boy!

The Ides (plus a few days) of March

2010-03-15T11:39:00.007-04:00

March is just barely half over. We have been to 2 birthday parties (one of those Corbin's). We have transitioned from the James Bed to bunk beds. We have gone to Chuck E. Cheese (wow, what an exhausting trip). And, as I said March is only half over. I have been taking some pictures (of course). I'm sharing some of my favorites now but know that there are tons more here at my picasaweb site!

Flashback Friday

2010-03-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm really enjoying these flashbacks. I get to reminisce and share the joys of my boys...

This picutre is of Drake (duh) from Corbin's birthday party last year (2009). He was a booger then and I expect he'll be a booger next weekend at this year's birthday party.

Cleo comes to visit

2010-03-02T17:16:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago Cleo came to visit our house from Corbin's class. Cleo is a pink and orange monkey-type stuffed animal. Cleo comes with her own backpack and a journal. Every student in Corbin's class gets one weekend with Cleo. Corbin was super-excited when it was our turn with Cleo. Even though we didn't do anything extraordinary, Corbin made sure that Cleo was involved! (And good grief did he pester me about making sure that we wrote enough "words" in Cleo's journal.) I took a few pictures to include in the journal.

Flashback Friday - the end of an era

2010-02-26T10:33:00.001-05:00

When Corbin was about 18 months old he became obsessed with trains. By the time he was 2 we owned approximately 150 feet (it felt like miles) of Thomas the Train track. The train could stretch around our house, through our house, and probably over our house had we tried. As Corbin outgrew his toddler bed Brian took it as a project to create Corbin a Train bed. To say Brian suceeded is an understatement. Corbin's "James Bed" (modeled after good-ol' #5 James from the Thomas series) is truly beautiful. It even has a pull out drawer that serves as storage AND the wheels of the train.
But...this is a flashback. Corbin decided last summer that he was ready for bunkbeds. He has described and asked for these beds for months now. Corbin is not aware that on his birthday (rapidly approaching) he will come home to a brand new bunk beds with matching Batman bedding. The James Bed will be gone... (where and how is to be determined later and probably will result in much cursing, laughing, and probable tears on my part)...and my baby boy will be FIVE.

So this Flashback shows Corbin the first day his James Bed was in his room. Where on earth has 5 years gone?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Single Parenting

2010-02-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

I am constantly amazed and in awe of those who find themselves (for whatever reason) a single parent. I am solo this week. Brian is playing snow bunny (do you call males snow bunnies?) with several guys that he works with in Snowshoe, WV. I am attempting not to be-grudge him this because I know that he (and all of them) need an outlet and a chance to be together and bond without the dangers of crazy druggies.
So - I'm Mommy AND Daddy this week. It has been one day - children have been fed and have sorta slept through the night. Corbin only cried once getting out the door this morning. It is now 9:30 in the morning and I'm exhausted. Yep, I can totally tell that I'm in a zone offense/defense rather than one-on-one.
I'm definitely looking forward to Friday and Daddy coming home...

Oh - and maybe a Mommy Only trip in the near future!

Captain Oblivious

2010-02-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

Corbin is very focused, ridiculously focused, to the point of everything else in the world fading to the background. This can happen with the television (usually the television), he and Brian playing video games and of couse with his toys. The pictures here are from last night (Saturday). Corbin had a new set of Legos (we promised a toy from Wal-Mart in exchange for NOT buying a ridiculously priced light-up toy that would never have been played with from the circus). He was absorbed in his Legos. He was so absorbed in those Legos that he did not realize that sweet Fishy, who had been a member of our family for a week, was floating and not swimming.

Corbin played there for over an hour! Brian didn't want to have to go through the trauma that would have ensued if he had to flush Fishy with an audience. (Since this occurred Fishy has been flushed and Corbin is still oblivious to the fact that there is no longer water or a fish in the fishbowl...sometimes I worry about that boy!) I had to take a few photos - be warned - some images may be disturbing! :o)

Flashback Friday - my very first

2010-02-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

My first flahback Friday and I had to add two picturese. Where does time go?

February 2007

February 2009

How to take care of a person...

2010-01-29T19:23:00.000-05:00

I have suffered from an on-going headache since about 10 am on Wednesday. Literally - the thing came out of nowhere and hit my head like a ton of bricks. I have drugged myself, drank caffeine, not drank caffeine, went to sleep early...everything I could think of.
This morning I woke to my head hurting so bad I was in tears. Of course today was one of those days when half the school was out due to trainings and such so I HAD to go. I couldn't call in.
Corbin showed his oh-so-sweet side this morning as I'm trying to get him dressed and myself dressed. I prop up on the bed and he comes over beside me. He leans up against my leg and starts patting, telling me, "This is how you take care of a person. You pat and worry."
How sweet?! I repeat him and tell him that is so sweet but not to worry, that Mommy would feel better soon.
Leave it to Corbin to turn something so sweet into something with a humorous twist... "Mommy, I said that all you have to do is pat ANY-WHERE." So much for worrying about Mommy!
In his defense, he did ask how I was feeling once he got to me at school this afternoon. Sweet little boy!
Oh - and the headache miraculously disappeared at lunch - as quickly as it came. It was almost creepy how fast it came on and how quickly it went...
Wow!

Zingers

2010-01-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

Q: What country is immediately north of Mexico?
A: Texas

What does this spell: COASTAREAKE
A: Costa Rica

Small Cups

2010-01-26T11:09:00.002-05:00

Talk about conviction...

Be warned - if you read my earlier post - you may feel some conviction too.

Driving up the highway over the weekend I see the sign at the Church of God. You know - one of those make you think commentary signs.

"A poor workman always finds fault with his tools."

Great. So - I feel like a GREAT teacher who is going to complain about the kids I have to teach...

...but they do still aggravate me some. Like Brian once commented to me when I was lamenting about "the fountain of knowledge" that my students weren't getting this year. Brian, calm and ridiculously good Brian, told me that they were getting something from my "fountain" only I had to remember that sometimes, they just had small cups.

So - ~~complaining~~, ~~making fun~~, just giving instances of "small cups".

Conviction settled.

A short vent...

2010-01-21T13:37:00.003-05:00

I love my job. I love what I do. I actually love these pre-teens in all their angst, agony and adolescence.
That being said - man it has been a rough year already and it is only HALF over. And I can't say a whole lot because it isn't legal, y'know - to talk about specific kids and the confidentiality issues and all that great fun stuff. But still. This has been a rough year.
I'm tired of children wanting to be spoonfed and not wanting to challenge themselves and think for themselves and be pushed to any action whatsoever.
I honestly think one of my main causes of frustration and problems with Corbin of late is due to the stressful year that this has been with my students.

I have had some real "zingers" this year - my shining stars I like to call them...

Q - from me: What country has been historically NEUTRAL during both World Wars and major conflicts?
Answers, from (too) many: Germany, Russia, Africa, California

Q - What is the reason that the climate of western Europe is so mild, even though it is very near the Arctic Circle?
Answer (should be the warm Atlantic Current): There is a wall there to separate it from the sun.

And my most recent one?
Q - What does NAFTA do?
Response from a student, asking me a "clarifying" question: That's an airline, right?

I just get frustrated. I think I'll try and update and "share" these moments of great teaching evidence by me. I can't be to blame for all of this though!

Where does time go?

2010-01-18T11:37:00.006-05:00

The last couple of posts dealt with Corbin - his unique personality and the joys and struggles of parenting him. Today I want to spend some time on my oh-so-precious 2nd son, my Chunk, my Fat Baby, my ball of joy, my Drake.

My baby is 18 months old! So - as a tribute to him...18 joys that are Drake Joseph.

1. He is truly the happiest, smiliest baby I have seen in a long time. (The ball of joy is how his first teacher in the baby room referred to him - as she cried when it was time for him to move up!)

2. He is a biter - all 16 teeth (at last count) enjoy the feeling of flesh between them. I think he inherited that from both myself and his Dad.

3. Drake is a snuggler.

4. He LOVES to eat. This is such a blessing in contrast - not that I compare my children because I know that is numero uno parenting no no!

5. He likes buttons - pushing them.

6. Balls are fun - throwing them, chasing them, not really coordinated enough to catch them.

7. Stairs are still an obstacle - walking straight off of the top one is still our first inclination. Gravity doesn't seem to apply to Drake.

8. Gravity DOES apply to Drake - Gracefulness does not. Drake falls A LOT.

9. Drake thankfully (I think) doesn't seem to feel much pain - see above.

10. Drake is a wooly mammoth - he recently had his 7th haircut since he turned 6 months old!

11. Drake LOVES his big brother (who usually tolerates him pretty well). Drake will grab hold of Corbin and tries really hard not to let go.

12. Drake's laughter is infectious and comes straight from the gut.

13. Drake laughs a lot at the word "no".

14. Drake loves the beach.

15. Drake does NOT love the snow.

16. Drake runs from you (laughing) when you try to take something from him.

17. Drake loves to climb - thankfully again he is really short and that doesn't strike as much fear as it could otherwise.

18. Drake gives really good, hard, patting-you-on-the-back hugs!

At a loss - depressed, angry, and concerned

2010-01-13T11:28:00.005-05:00

Warning: This one is long and will be wordy. This is a confession and a call for prayer. For me. For my son.
This morning Corbin was not happy about going to school. He was crying and telling me he was still tired and just wanted to stay home. Corbin loves school - or at least he did until recently. I was so aggravated with him while I was trying to get him ready this morning. He wouldn't dress himself and would go limp as I was trying to do it. I was so frustrated with him. He'll be 5 (FIVE) in less than 2 months and is more than capable of doing all that I asked of him this morning. Finally Brian took over him because I was so aggravated and mad at him.
I went downstairs with Drake to put him in the car and get it started and left Brian with Old Man Harold to get in his coat and downstairs.
By the time I had buckled Drake in, child-safety locked Drake's door (another story that occurred last night as we drove down the highway), and turned the car on, Corbin had meandered down the stairs and into the car. I finally gave up waiting on him to buckle himself and did it. He had a cinnamon swirl in his hand that Brian had given him to eat on the way to school. As I finally left the driveway I was super late and very annoyed and aggravated. Corbin is still whining and slightly crying/whimpering every so often.
My one shining moment in this whole event today is that as I'm driving, before I yelled at Corbin (again) this morning, I took a deep breath and prayed for some patience and guidance. I asked Corbin WHY he didn't want to go to school now? He liked it before. His answer was so simple, so sad.
"I don't like the food."
Now is when I should explain Corbin's food issues. Corbin is beyond picky. He will eat chicken nuggets, pizza, tacos, one piece of bread with mayonnaise on it, a peanut butter sandwich (no jelly or honey and only under force), a hot dog (at times and again with threats), french fries, red Doritos, bacon, and steak. No macaroni. Not a biscuit. If he sees something that he deems "yucky" (applesauce, baby food, green beans, noodles) he will vomit. I have watched him eat with his head down while I fed Drake oatmeal or baby food.
So what do I do? He is hungry! But he won't eat...and in a lot of instances, he CAN'T - whether it is by choice or literally something that will make him sick. Am I going to have to give in to him in a way and send him a meal everyday that he will eat? I don't think his school will let me, since it is a private daycare. I know that next year when he is in kindergarten I can send his lunch with him...but now? What do I do, fix two suppers every night, one for us and one from him? I would if he had a medical reason...what if it is somewhat medical?
I make him eat what we eat, or at least try it. I have cleaned up after him after I have made him do this more than once. Most of the time our meals involve some sort of bartering (well, he tries to barter) about how many bites of the thing he must eat. Then, he's hungry. He'll eat a banana later or cheeze-its, maybe popcorn. I don't let him eat junk...but I'm worried and still a bit angry because I think that part of this is his stubbornness (and a really sensitive gag reflex).
The thought of my baby being hungry is maddening. The thought of my 5 year old manipulating me to eat what he wants is ridiculous and so aggravating.
I need help - suggestions - something...

My sweet Harold

2010-01-05T18:13:00.003-05:00

I know I'm prejudiced, but I may have the sweetest little old man as a son that exists! Corbin is my very own Harold - or so I call him when he enters his "Old Man" personality.

Let me illustrate...

Exhibit A - vacation this July in Jekyll Island - Corbin in bed, Brian and I in bed talking and laughing. Corbin: "Could you guys please be quiet?! Some people are trying to sleep here!"

Exhibit B - 9:30 pm, Corbin in bed for at least 30 minutes. Corbin from down the hall: "Can you please keep it down?!"

Exhibit C - Halloween day, admittedly after a very short nap and very active afternoon. Me: "Are you excited about trick-or-treating?" Corbin: "I'll just stay at home and wait for you and Daddy to get back."

You get the picture.

The sweetest thing my Harold has done lately? During our most horrible experience recently with the vicious stomach bug, Corbin is propped on the toilet after more violent "dropping it" as he says. It is 3:00 in the morning or so. Corbin looks at me and asks ME, who is perfectly fine and worried about him..."Is your arm feeling better, Mommy? I'm so sorry I frowed up on my bed a little."

What 4-year-old little boy does this? What little kid thinks about how other people are feeling at a time like that? Only my sweet boy Harold.

I have to remember my sweet Harold sometimes when the true 4-year-old Corbin strikes...but even then, he can be pretty perfect in my eyes!

And so here is my Harold - maybe the song should have been "Hark! That HAROLD Angel Sings".

Totally wonderful weekend...

2009-11-16T12:34:00.005-05:00

Beautiful weather and a great time at the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN was all we needed for a terrific Saturday. Both boys were in amazing moods and I had a great time with them at the Museum. (Brian was working on the continued preventative flood measures at our home...)

We went to Emma Grace Gilbert's 2nd birthday party at the Museum and had so much fun! Here are a few pictures from the party.

And then once we got home Corbin and Drake were still laughing and being my beautiful (I know I'm prejudiced) rambunctious boys. Drake was climbing in the toy bucket and Corbin was wrestling with me. I caught a few really good shots of their smiles and dancing eyes.

The last one here is from yesterday after church. Drake was so sleepy...and didn't want to try to take a nap. He was almost delirious but grabbed a hold of Corbin's teddy bear and walked around holding it for almost 15 minutes, just hugging on it. I had to share.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I was able to mine. I am guilty of frequently harping on all the bad parts of the weekend and focusing only on the negatives. This weekend I tried to enjoy the boys the whole time...it was a lot of fun.

UGA experience

2009-11-09T10:56:00.007-05:00

Brian and Corbin at the UGA game on Saturday. I LET them go and dressed them too!
Brian took some awesome pictures! (I have trained him well I feel.)
Georgia won - but Alabama did too!

Probably my favorite picture - this is the amazed look as the airplanes fly over!

Holy Cow Batman!

2009-11-02T11:01:00.002-05:00

What a great night Halloween turned out to be - despite the weather!

As you can see I had Super Heroes on my hands. Drake wasn't thrilled with the costume but he got over it. We only visited 7 or 8 houses but the boys had plenty of candy! We weren't exactly sure if Corbin would even be wearing this outfit after his breakdown on Thursday during the dress-rehearsal for his class party on Friday. He decided that his "had-to-have" Batman costume didn't let him "breave" (breathe) and "kinda freaked him out". SuperMom came to the rescue and ended up sending him to school dressed as Dr. Corbin thanks to embroidered scrubs from Buggy. But I was still slightly nervous about what we were going to do on Saturday for the read thing. I had bought Drake the co-ordinating Robin costume. I didn't want Corbin to end up going as something else and then poor Drake be dressed up as a two-bit sidekick without the superhero to go with him. (Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this way?)

But...my fears were not necessary. Corbin woke up and announced bright and early on Saturday morning that he would be going dressed as Batman. I was glad! And we had fun. I have more pictures that aren't available as of yet to put up from decorating the pumpkins, visiting with friends at my parents...and more from trick-or-treating. Look for those later!