Our weekend at the lake

We visited Jeff's parents at Lake Buchanan this weekend and had a lovely time. We ate comfort foods, watched the Olympics, played at the park, listened to Elvis music, tried to convince a store to carry my sugar scrubs, built a bonfire, played in the lake bed, made homemade ice cream, took naps, read books, bought lots of milk, visited a gas station we once tried to buy, drank Chai, rode bikes, did some serious swinging, climbed trees, played a fishing game, put together puzzles, bounced balls, made towers out of blocks, spilled Grandpa's medicine, made muffins, bought a pair of really cute shoes for $5, went to Sonic, barbecued chicken, watched a John Wayne movie, collected rocks, looked for Bluebonnet plants, and generally just enjoyed ourselves very much.

Quirky or Crazy?

We all have our quirks. Here are some of mine:

• About half the time, I brush my teeth with my eyes closed. For some reason it feels like they are getting cleaner that way. (My youngest child also does this, by the way).
• And speaking of brushing teeth, I always brush my teeth before putting on lipstick, even if I just brushed not long before.
• If I'm upright, I've got shoes on my feet. Period. I do not go around barefooted or sock-footed if I can help it.
• I won't hang up clothes in my closet until they have been steamed. A pile of clean clothes on the floor of the closet is preferable to wrinkly clothes hanging up.
• I thoroughly rinse off all the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.  I. Mean. Thoroughly.
• I always sleep on my back. Even when I'm 9 months pregnant.
• I need a Diet Dr. Pepper around 10:00 every morning.
• I do not step on a scale unless I am forced to at the doctor's office. I don't need to know that number.
• I get twitchy when I see wall hangings/pictures hung crookedly. I have been known to straighten them in public places.

This is just a sampling. I'm sure my husband could further enlighten you. What are some of your quirks?

It's a loud, loud, loud, loud world

We are so very thankful that Weston's surgery went well. We can already tell that his hearing, speech and smelling are improved. It's a whole new world for Weston...a very loud world, as a matter of fact! There have been many times since his surgery that he has gone running from the room with his hands on his ears. He has found that we (people, in general, and the Watts, specifically) live in a very loud world. I don't think the sounds hurt his ears; I think he is just surprised that all these things (the blender, the hairdryer, the vacuum cleaner, etc.) are so very loud, when they used to be a nice muted sound that gave no cause for alarm. In time, I think he will adjust to the new noise level, but I wonder if, at this point, he feels that we haven't really done him a favor by opening up this new sensory world to him.

Wee Success

For the past couple of months, Max has been getting used to the idea of the potty. He has sat on it from time to time, but has never done anything more. (And, he is very particular about which potty he sits on, too. He will have nothing to do with the free-standing model, and will only use the "big boy" seat that fits onto the regular potty). Well, today he finally did more than just sit (very little more, but progress is progress), and he did it four times!! I can see a light at the end of the diapering tunnel! The first time he was successful, he had no idea what I was getting so worked up about. But after he received a treat, he was wise to the game...almost. He would then tell me he needed to go potty and expected to get a treat every time, even if he didn't produce results. And his brother was looking for a way to get in on the treat business as well. Every time Max was successful, Weston starting trying to come up with impressive things to do himself, in the hopes of also gaining a treat. We don't expect Max to master his new skill right away, but we are very proud of him for this grand accomplishment!

Life's Little Bag of Tricks

I took a 2 1/2 hour nap today. And let me tell you, I needed it. It seems that Life has a way of dumping its whole bag in your lap all at once from time to time, just to see if you can handle it. Any event taken alone wouldn't be too big a deal, but the whole bag, well, it can be a bit taxing. This week has left me physically and emotionally exhausted, and I'm glad to be retiring it to the pages of history. And I'm glad to report that I did handle it--not always with grace and style, mind you, but enough to get me through.

A day not to be repeated (I hope)

Our day started early--right around 5:00 am.--and I think it's been one of the longest ever. We checked in at the surgery desk at 6:30, went back to the pre-op room around 7:30 (where we met with the entire team of caregivers and played with lots of fun toys), and then turned our sweet boy over to the surgeon around 8:15. Then we waited. And in the words of Inigo Montoya: I hate waiting. The surgery was supposed to last an hour, but ended up being about an hour and a half because Weston had lots of mucous in his lungs and sinuses that had to be removed and which necessitated several breathing treatments. The surgeon finally came out to talk to us at about 9:45 and a little while later we got to go back and be with our little man. They had to give him another breathing treatment just as he was coming out of anesthesia, and as he was very disoriented, it made him quite angry. He stiffened his body and held his breath in an attempt to keep the breathing treatment away, to no avail. We arrived just after that to a very sad boy, but our presence helped to calm him down considerably. Then we began another round of waiting--but at least this time I could be with Weston, knowing exactly what was going on with him. During that time there was snorting, crying, rocking, sleeping and a few funny comments. At one point, after Weston had been asleep for a while and woke up quite uncomfortable, he said his teeth were hurting (which was really just deferred pain from his throat). Then he fell into a weeping spell and said, "Mom, I just have so many problems." I was stroking his hair and told him to tell me about his problems. He looked up at me with his wet eyes and said, "Mom, I can't remember any of the things I was going to tell you." Later, a nurse asked him what his favorite shows were to watch on TV. Without hesitating, he said, "I like Barney and John Wayne," which the entire nursing staff got the biggest kick out of. All in all, Weston did great. Already we can tell that his hearing and speaking are improved. He still has a couple of rough days ahead of him, but at least this is one that he (and I!) won't have to repeat. Thank you all for your kind words and your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate them more than you could possibly know.

Mess on the Move

It's no secret that my youngest child is, well, something of a mess. He is into stuff the way the other two never even imagined possible. And, frankly, I find that I just can't keep up. I will hear crashing (or other suspicious noises) upstairs, and while I'm up there cleaning up the mess of the moment, he slips off to see what else he can get into. And then, it's crashing and banging downstairs, and the cycle repeats. This kid gets into the pantry, the fridge, the highest shelf in the room. He can remove child-proof caps and can disassemble an ink pen faster than you can say "Max." He can find a marker or crayon and write all over himself or another surface, while Ruth is struggling to find a writing utensil to use for school. And don't even get me started on the emptying of trash cans! I attempted to get the boys' room and the playroom cleaned up today, and as fast as I could put toys in a toy box, he was taking them out and scattering them all over the place. In a way, it is an awesome thing to behold. In another way, it is exhausting. I know this is a phase, and that it will (hopefully) eventually pass. And as much as I know I'll miss my babies when they are all grown up, I don't think I will miss this part all that much.

A Day in the Sun

A look at the events of the day:

• We had sunshine!!
• Jeff made eggs, wild pig sausage, cheese toast and fruit smoothies for breakfast.
• Ruth played her second-to-last basketball game and made two baskets.
• The kids picnicked on the patio.
• Ruth and I visited two libraries, gathering up books for school for the next couple of weeks and some to read just for fun.
• The kids played outside in the sunshine and got muddy, muddy, muddy.
• Max took an almost 4-hour nap.
• Ruth and Weston found a gift box, filled it up with treasures from their own rooms, and left it on my side of the bed just because they wanted to show me they love me.
• I went to the grocery store, which I will remind myself never to do again on a Saturday, especially on the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday.
• Weston and Ruth rode their bikes around in the cul-de-sac.
• Jeff made yummy shrimp fajitas for dinner.
• Max refused to let Jeff sing songs and insisted instead that Jeff play pat-a-cake over and over.
• Weston and Ruth decided to have a sleepover tonight in Ruth's room.
• Jeff and I finished Season Two of 24 after the kids went to bed.

It was a good day.

Second Semester, Second Grade

I'm always amazed at how quickly the months pass, but here we are already a month into our second semester of second grade. And we have packed it full of fun things. Here are some of the highlights:

• Learned to write checks in Math class
• Worked on probabilities
• Studied about stars, galaxies, telescopes, and the solar system in Science
• Made a scale model of the solar system
• Worked on writing longer, more thorough papers for Writing class--which include an intro, a conclusion and at least three body paragraphs
• Studied about El Cid in Spain, King Richard in England, the scattering of the Jews known as the Diaspora, Genghis and Kublai Khan in China, Marco Polo's expeditions along the "Silk Road" and a few other interesting things in History
• Made a Jewish meal and a Chinese meal
• Created a Silk Road inside our house
• Started formal piano lessons with a fabulous teacher
• Participated in Super Friday classes, which include Knitting, Art and "Little House on the Prairie" 

Organized Chaos

I often think about making this blog (or at least portions of it) into a book. There are companies who specialize in just that. But, I frequently get overwhelmed with the thought because how on earth do you narrow down four years worth of random posts into something remotely coherent?! Today, I decided to take the first step in organizing the posts by labeling them, which you will notice at the end of each post under the time stamp. I'm not really sure why I never did this before. I can't tell you how therapeutic it was to put my life (in the form of this blog), which so often feels like chaos, into some kind of order. To fit everything into nice little categories, even if those categories are things like "mess." It all just seems to make more sense now, and that's good enough for me.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Ruth has discovered that money has value, and that it allows you to get things you want. She's interested in that. A couple of months ago, she and her dad were sitting around talking about how much things cost. He asked her what kind of things she was interested in, and she immediately came up with shopping at Justice. So, Dad went to the website and opened up a shopping cart for her. He let her put anything she wanted in the cart, with the understanding that they weren't actually going to purchase. When she had finished, the total came out to about $1000. Then, Ruth wanted to know how she could get a thousand dollars. From there, we came up with a plan. Ruth agreed to take on the family's laundry (sorting, washing and putting away, as far as she is able), and I agreed to pay her $10 a week for completing that task. We also talked to her about tithing, and she excitedly agreed to give one of every ten dollars she earns to the church. At that rate, she can earn around $1000 in about two years. She is working very hard and has not complained or grumbled once. And besides that, she does a great job. (And I don't have to spend my time on the laundry, which is what we call a win-win situation)!

Ruth also came across a horse right before Christmas that is just the right size for her dolls to ride. She needed it, or so she said. She had some money in her piggy bank from her birthday and thought it was enough to get the horse. But, I wanted her to wait a while, to see if she really still needed it. She never wavered, but continued to ask about the horse and to wonder aloud when she could get it. Finally, I gave in. When I took her to the store, she found that she had remembered the price wrong or had looked at the wrong price to begin with. She didn't miss a beat, but immediately piped up and asked if she could wash my van to earn the difference. I was impressed with her desire to earn the money for it, rather than for just asking me to give it to her. As it was the last horse in the store, I let her buy it on "credit." I paid the difference, but she would not be able to have the horse until she had earned it. She thought this was fair. She started on the van as soon as we returned from the store, but her efforts soon turned into a fiasco and had to be put on hold. Then the weather kind of turned on us and getting the van washed began to look less and less promising--but of no fault of Ruth's. Today, I decided that I better figure out a different way for her to earn the money, so I had her do some things that I never seem to find the time for, as well as some things I just didn't want to do. She cleaned all the glass doors on the inside and outside and thoroughly scrubbed all the cabinet doors/drawers in the kitchen. She also cleaned off all the counters and the table, and unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher twice. She was so pleased when she finished up and I presented her with her horse. And I believe she will take good care of this horse and will think often of all she had to do to earn it.

It is important to Jeff and I to teach our kids the value of hard work and the concept that you don't get something for nothing. We are very proud of Ruth for all her hard work and for her entrepreneurial spirit. And she is really proud of herself, too!

A letter for Weston

Son, I need to tell you that my heart broke today as I sat in a sound-proof booth with you and listened to the audiologist in the next room speaking to you through your special headphones, while you sat there completely oblivious, not hearing a word--or hearing, but in such a muddled way as to not be able to repeat the words back to her as she asked. I had to turn my face away. It was hard for me to watch. And, I didn't really want you to see the tears in my eyes. Moms are pretty fragile creatures under our ultra-tough exteriors. Your level of hearing is not good. But, as with almost every set back, there is a bright side. The nerves in your ears have the ability to hear at a normal level. You just can't hear at that level because of all the fluid you are stockpiling in your middle ears. And we now have a plan. A way to beat this. And for that I'm thankful. We have scheduled you to have tubes put in your ears to drain off the fluid, and simultaneously for you to have your adenoids removed. This will all happen on February 11. The draining of the fluid should help with the hearing, and the removal of the adenoids should allow you to breathe more easily. I will admit, the word "surgery" gives me pause (though that word means almost nothing to you), but I understand it to be a relatively simple procedure, with a fairly quick recovery time, and a low incident of complications. I am glad we have a plan. As far as you are concerned, it is an opportunity to eat all the ice cream you want. I think that's awesome. I feel like I'm being a bit melodramatic about the whole thing, especially when, for you, it all boils down to ice cream. Elizabeth Stone was right when she said, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." I guess I'm just writing this little note to you so that you will possibly catch a glimpse of what it feels like to be your mom. And, so you will remember that little set backs aren't the end of the world. There are almost always answers and solutions, and in your case, there is always a mom who cares. I love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Plumb tired of plumbing issues

Right before we left for the holidays, the boys' potty started acting up. It was kind of flushing, but not quite. We didn't really have time to deal with it. When we got back, it seemed to progressively get worse. We pronounced it off-limits. Finally, facing a house full of house guests (some of which would need to use that bathroom), I called the home warranty company to have them send over a plumber. A man who exuded creepiness entered our home a few days later, pulled out his auger, and...failed to fix the problem. We did not know this until late in the day the next day. So, on the very day that company was due to arrive, another plumber from the same company came over to "make things right," and...he did! Thank goodness. What he found was a toothbrush wedged at an unnatural angle, and when Jeff suggested that it was almost certainly our little monkey who had placed it there, the plumber scoffed and asked where the toothbrushes were kept. When Jeff told him that they are kept on the second shelf of the cabinet above the toilet (in an attempt to keep little monkeys away from them), the plumber deemed it impossible. "No two-year-old could get all the way up there," he said with a laugh. Clearly, he doesn't know our little monkey!

Right after we arrived home from our wonderful beach vacation, the weather here deteriorated completely into freezing temps...and freezing pipes. The Saturday after we arrived home, just as Jeff was asking me if I had noticed any problems with the water pressure, there was a knock on the door. It was our neighbor telling us that there was a geyser shooting up at the front of our house. Apparently, the pipes froze and the sprinkler regulator or some such thing exploded. We were literally just about to walk out the door to go to Ruth's basketball game, so we got the water shut off to the sprinkler system and the water pressure restored to the house, and just left it. It hasn't been dealt with since, because, frankly, I don't want to think about it.

And finally, today, Ruth asked to wash the van to earn a little cash. I got her set up with her task and then came inside to visit with Jeff. He was leaned back in his recliner, and as we visited, I suddenly noticed a huge puddle on the floor all around his chair. I was just about to ask if someone had spilled something, when I realized it was not a pool but a stream, flowing to all parts of the living room. I ran outside and shut the water off and Jeff ran for some towels. There is apparently some kind of water leak associated with that faucet. Joy. I will be calling the home warranty company again tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm thinking seriously about ditching this house altogether.

Addicted

Hello. My name is Mandi, and I have a problem.

I am not a T.V. watcher. In fact, we are not even set up with the capability here to watch regular television. And when I do watch it or when I have watched it in the past, I am usually only partially attentive to whatever is coming out of the screen. That is, until now. Jeff recently purchased the first season of 24 on itunes, and asked me to watch with him. Now, I am completely addicted. I'm the one pushing to watch one more episode before we go to bed. They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. I think maybe the second step is to face the problem head on, so I'm pretty sure I will have to watch every episode of every season before I can put the addiction behind me. Fortunately, I have a very supportive husband, who will not leave my side (on the futon) until this is fully dealt with.

Turning Two

As you know, Max turned two on the 12th. But, in true Watts fashion, the party lasted much longer. We took him out for dinner at McDonald's on Tuesday evening and gave him the gifts we had for him--a big stuffed monkey and a tricycle from Mommy and Daddy, a Mr. Potato Head from Ruth and a bop bag from Weston. Then on Thursday, he celebrated with his class at preschool. And, we partied with the extended family over the weekend. Max was still in the party spirit when he got up this morning and managed to climb up on the counter, find the cake carrier with the left-over birthday cake, get it open (which is a feat I can barely accomplish since the lid fits very snuggly) and finish it off--all before I got out of the shower and apparently while wandering through most of the downstairs! There has been a definite increase in Max's usage of the word "No" since Tuesday, and come to think of it, an increase in our usage of that word as well. But all in all turning two has been really fun, as you should be able to tell from the pictures.

Hey, Buddy, you got your ears on?

A dinner conversation at our house...

[Talking]

Weston: What?

[More talking]

Weston: What?

Daddy: Weston, do you have your ears on?

Weston (at the top of his voice): WELL, THEY'RE TURNED ON BUT I STILL CAN'T HEAR!!

And we laughed--but part of me wanted to cry, because I know the truth behind that statement and how frustrating it must be for him. On Tuesday, Weston had his hearing retested, and he still didn't pass. That's three pure-tone hearing tests that haven't turned out well for him. So, we're off to see an ENT doctor in about a week and try to get this little problem solved. We'll keep you posted.

Hey Monkey:

You're two--but you are telling everyone you are four! You are appropriately called Monkey--though you are also called Little Boy and Macco from time to time. You can climb anything, and you never show the slightest hint of fear. And most of the time, the fear I show proves to be unnecessary. You have a talent and skill for getting to high places in a very coordinated and athletic way. In fact, you show great athleticism even when you aren't climbing. You can throw, catch, kick, balance, jump (with both feet off the ground), dance, and run like nobody's business. If you could figure out how to fly, I'm sure you would enjoy that, too! You also walk around on your tippy-toes most of the time. I'm not sure if you do that because it makes you feel bigger or if it makes you faster, but it's quite cute!

You have become a talker in the last year. You can mimic any word anyone says to you, and you are starting to put together little two and three word sentences. You are not shy about talking to new people, and you definitely have your own opinion...on almost every subject! You are also starting to sing along with your favorite songs. And singing is usually the best way to calm you down when you are upset.

You have been going to preschool one day a week since September, and you are getting pretty good at counting and saying your alphabet. You never cry when I drop you off, but you do cry on the days that we take Weston to school and you don't get to stay.

You are starting to interact more with your brother and sister. You love to be involved in their games and participate in their activities. But, you still maintain a fierce independence that allows you to play and, um, "explore" all by yourself. You certainly have a mind of your own and aren't waiting around for anyone to tell you who you are or what you should be or do.

You're a good eater (as evidenced by your standing in the 83rd percentile for weight, at 31 lbs). You love corndogs, corn on the cob, "roni cheesy," a dip of any kind, and anything sweet. But, you like to control what goes in and when. Just because you loved something yesterday doesn't mean you will eat even one bite of it today. You have been known to skip a meal or two and to throw a fit if everything isn't to your liking. You have NOT been known to get your parents to bend to your will, though. No doubt, that will not deter you from trying. You continually sneak into the kitchen to try to steal food out of the pantry and fridge between meals. But, unfortunately for you, you aren't really very sneaky (and your older siblings usually rat you out), so you usually get caught. We have gone to a pantry door "locking system," involving double-twisted rubber bands to keep you out when no one is watching. Most of the time, it works--when we remember to put it back in place. We haven't figured out what to do about the fridge yet.

You are interested in writing and drawing, and reading books with Mommy and Daddy. You love to play with magnets and blocks (especially the kind that go together and come apart). You also like trucks (LOVE in the case of the garbage truck that visits our house twice a week) and you are almost constantly seen carrying around a "cell phone." You love animals and enjoy playing with all your stuffed friends, as well as interacting with live animals when the opportunity presents itself.

You are learning to dress yourself. More often than not you prefer to wear your cowboy boots and mismatched socks. Turns out cowboy boots go with shorts, pjs and even just a diaper. You even sleep in them sometimes! You also like hats and one particular necklace of Ruth's. You are absolutely adorable!

You have just recently begun to pray on your own, and each and every prayer blesses us so much! It is so wonderful for us to see you already developing a love for the Lord and for His project.

Max, we are challenged by you at times, but you should know that we are having so much fun with you at this amazing stage of your life. We see you turning into a little boy before our eyes, and we are blessed to be a part of the process. We love you very much, and we are so very proud of you! Happy, happy birthday!

Love,

Mommy

Not filling a talent position

I have always wanted to be really amazing at something. Have some incredible talent that defined me. The reality is I have always been quite average. (I'm not looking for sympathy, so don't feel like you have to mentally interrupt me here and say, "But wait, I think you're really great at..."). The problem is that, over the years, I have gotten it in my head that if I couldn't be great or if I couldn't be the best, that I shouldn't even really try. But maybe there is something great in just embracing the average me that is, rather than wishing for the super-talented me that isn't. I will admit, this is really hard for me, and I don't quite know where to start. I tend to reject new activities and ideas before I've even tried them, simply because I'm afraid that I'll realize that this, too, is not my super-talent. I also tend to quit activities quickly, without giving them much of a chance, when I see that I'm not going to be amazing at them. Sounds crazy, right?! It feels a bit crazy, too. I'm trying to work through this, while I cling to the certain knowledge that there is One who knows me and understands me intimately. Who put me together just this way for a particular reason. One who, if I hide myself in Him, can be amazing enough for the both of us.

Why Vacation World is more fun than Real World

On vacation...

...you almost never have laundry to do--and if you do have to do a load or two it doesn't take all day and it doesn't really have to be put away.
...you do not get really, really cold--even if you're in a cold place. That's just how it works in Vacation World. Plus in Vacation World, there is always a fireplace and never-ending hot chocolate or chai. (Or in my case, sun and a beach...and chai)!

...dishes may have to be washed occasionally, but it's not the same as "doing the dishes."
...you never, ever have to talk to medical billing or insurance people on the phone.
...there are NO bills to pay. (Hotels and dinners out don't count).
...the kids are supposed to run around screaming and yelling.
...floors don't have to be vacuumed and mopped, and toilets don't have to be cleaned.
...it's perfectly acceptable to sit around playing games all day.
...you do not have plumbing problems--and if you do, someone else has to deal with it.
...kids keep the crying and whining to a minimum.
...you can eat whatever you want, because food has no calories in Vacation World.
...you can read one novel after another, or just sit around looking at magazines all day.
...you don't have to unpack your bags if you don't want to.
...you don't have to make the bed.

...going for a walk doesn't have a connotation of exercising.

...there is always something new and interesting to see or do.

I'm for moving permanently to Vacation World. Who's with me?!

Vacation Pictures