The Shores family

Laughter

2010-12-03T12:54:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for laughter. It is something I realize I don't do enough, and I can be too serious at times, especially with the kids. I am convinced that God gives us laughter as a gift to relieve stress and remind us of how much joy in life we really have, in my case, right in front of me! I especially like what it does for my heart and how it changes my attitude. It is easier to love abundantly when I see the blessing. Today as I am making Jake a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he asks if I can cut it in the shape of a jet. He goes on to explain the details that the jet should have, complete with mistels, a rounded tip and laser beams coming out the wings. I told him that was very creative and he responded, "yeah, I wish you had special glasses so you could see into my brain (as he circles his hand around a portion of his head with his fingers pointed toward it), I have all sorts of awesome sandwich ideas in there."
I love you Jakey!
xoxo, Mom

2010-09-16T19:17:00.003-07:00

I have had some sweet conversations with Jake lately about the Lord. It has been so cool to be able to discuss spiritual matters on a deeper level with my four year old, and to witness his hunger to learn more. He truly has a special love for God which he loves to profess often, and he asks to read his bible everyday. Sam, who usually has nothing to say about the subject had a really amazing understanding tonight.

This morning we were getting into the car and the Mercy Me song, "I Can Only Imagine" came on. I told Jake that this was the "heaven song" that he loved and reminded him how it talks about how amazing it will be to meet Jesus in heaven. He looked very interested so I went on. I explained that when we die, we will get to meet Jesus at the gates of Heaven, and if He looks at us and recognizes that He knew us because we walked with Him while we were on Earth then He will let us enter the gates into heaven and walk alongside us. He asked, "what does it mean to walk with Jesus?" I told him that it means we are not the boss, we let Him be in charge of us and we obey Him. Jake said, "I want to walk with Jesus." I of course was thrilled, kinda caught off guard, and trying to decide what to do next, and then he said, "I love Jesus".

So we go about our drive to school and the boys start asking about this whole idea of Jesus knowing their name when they meet him. Jake was asking if he didn't know someones name and I told him that He knows everyones name, even those who reject Him. Sam said, "He even knows Wuke Evi's name? (Luke Levi)" I said, yes, even before mommy and daddy knew that was his name. They thought that was pretty cool.

Tonight at dinner, when Matt was home, and out of the blue, Sam said, "Mom, is Jesus throughout Heaven?" I told him He was but that He also lived here with us on Earth. What he said next made Matt and I melt, "In Heaven, Jesus is going to meet us at the gates and let us in." I had not yet told Matt about our conversation this morning, nor did I realize how much Sam was paying attention or comprehending. Matt was shocked and said, "That's right Sam, who taught you that?" (I was quiet because I wanted to hear what he said). Sam answered, "God".

Matt and I talked about how amazing God is that He reveals himself to children at such a young age, even though they still have so much to learn and understand about Him. Jake will tell us that he prayed about something, which to us often seems so trivial (but sweet), and then before our very eyes we witness God answering His prayer! While in our jaded hearts we are amazed, Jake has a look of confidence like he never once doubted that God would answer his prayer. We have no doubt that God is moving in our boys' hearts already and building in them a faith that in some ways surpasses our own. Who knew that God would use our own children to teach us just what child-like faith should look like. As a parent this is such a huge blessing and as a Christian, a very cool thing to watch!

2010-08-30T15:16:00.004-07:00

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We had a great time at Mission Beach and visited Coronado which we always love. We had awesome help from Matt and my moms for part of the week and the kids loved having their grandpmas there!

The story behind his name

2010-06-18T15:54:00.005-07:00

When we found out that Luke was a boy, the only name we liked right away was Will. After awhile though, Matt wasn't so sold on Will being our son's name. In the back of our head, we did kind of feel a pull toward choosing a biblical name, since Jake and Sam are both derived from Jacob and Samuel of the Old Testament, but most of the pregnancy we could just not decide. Meanwhile a friend from church was talking about the meaning behind the name you chose and that these little guys really do become what they are named. That was the first time I thought to myself, 'I don't need another strong-willed little boy, so maybe Will shouldn't be the name!' We did want to pick a name that had meaning to us, like the other boys. One day probably in the 8th month Matt said how about Luke. He liked that Luke was a physician, just like Matt, and as I researched him, I also liked that he was a historian, evident in his writing, which was always very detailed and he used eye-witnesses to ensure the facts were accurate. I thought, 'wow, Luke sounds just like Matt!' So we decided on Luke. Matt made up a riddle for those curious to hear the name before the birth (which we last minute decided to keep secret). The riddle was this, "this baby is our 3rd born son, just like his father was the 3rd born son. This baby's namesake is another famous third who has something else in common with his dad." (Luke is the 3rd gospel/3rd book in the New Testament and then being a doctor is the commonality.) We were stuck on the middle name still. I was sad about not having a name from his dad to pass on like we did with our first two boys (Jake's middle name is Matthew and Sam's middle name is David). So I really liked Daniel and Matt wanted to use his grandpa's middle name, Ernest. Then about a week before Luke was born, Matt's dad Phil cracked the riddle, but first he guessed "Levi" who was the THIRD son of Jacob. While that was not the answer, Matt started thinking about that name and then realized another cool common thread. In the books of Mark and Luke, the story of Jesus eating with the tax collector, whom he called to follow him as a disciple, was named Levi. In the same story in the book of Matthew, Levi is called Matthew! It was perfect! We finally found a name that uses his dad's name for the middle too! (Now let's hope we don't have a 4th boy or we might be out of luck!)

Luke Levi Shores

2010-06-11T15:40:00.006-07:00

Welcome baby Luke! It feels like it's been a long time awaiting your arrival, and now you are finally here, a little bundle of joy! Your brothers love you SO much already and can't wait to see you every time they've been away. I get a kick out of hearing Jake get up real close to you and talk to you like you are one of his buddies! He tells you all the things you guys are going to do together and what he will teach you, like "we'll take you to church and to school and lots of fun places" and "daddy's building a playset for us and there is a big boy twirly slide for me and...DAD, WHAT IS THE SLIDE THAT GOES LIKE THIS (motioning with his hand)...oh yeah, and a scoopty slide and there's a little slide for you that I'll teach you to ride and a swing for you too". Sam also likes to communicate with you, but it's more like this, "hi baby...what's wrong? Are you sad? Why are you crying? Huh? Huh?...MOMMY, I ASKED YUKE WHY HE"S CRYING BUT HE WON"T TELL ME!" Your big brothers are already VERY protective of you too, Luke. Yesterday I was changing you and you were crying and Jake said, "Mommy, go easy on him, he's just a little guy, you need to be gentle!" I don't think there will be any problems for you on the playground little buddy, you will be well protected!

Sam's bedtime shenanigans

2010-06-02T14:11:00.002-07:00

I am cracking up listening to Sam right now talking in his crib. It went from playful chatter to serious business. He is shouting, "Mommy, help me get out! I'm locked up in jail! I'm mad at you! There's hot lava and I'm angry about it! COME HEEERE RIGHT NOW!" Oh the anger is growing by the minute and he's shaking his crib back and forth....hmmm, another reason it's probably good he doesn't have the freedom of a bed quite yet :)

Sam practices Chicken Airplane Rocket

2010-04-18T15:05:00.004-07:00

This morning Sam asked me if he had swim lessons today. I had to break the sad news to him that no, it was not for 6 more days. Next thing I know he's laying on the kitchen floor next to me (which is always freshly swept and mopped) practicing chicken, airplane, rocket, a skill he recently learned while backfloating in the pool. It was so cute I had to go get my camera and record it. At the end he adds a "rollover" too. Unfortunately the sound didn't come through, it's way cuter to hear him recite "chicken-aplane-WOCKET!" Thank you Coach Katie for making lessons so fun and skillful too!

2010-04-18T14:41:00.005-07:00

This morning we got irrigation in our yard for the first time. The previous owners had cancelled the service and we have just been using the sprinklers, but it was time to step things up for our grass and trees. Jake looked out the window and comes sprinting to me across the house screaming, "MOMMMYYYYY, WE HAVE A LAKE IN OUR YARD!!!!" It was so cute. I could only resist them for so long, but 8:45 they were playing, splashing, running through and especially enjoyed pushing their dump trucks through. Jake also tried each of his sets of wheels on the water: the bike, the scooter, and even the poor skateboard!

A Dream Day for two little boys (and one big boy!)

2010-02-20T08:40:00.001-07:00

Our dear friend Michael Johnson had the time of his life last week when he rented this digger to pull out his olianders. I brought the boys over and Mike took the boys for a ride and totally let them control the gadgets. It was so fun to watch and they were obviously loving life, all three of them! Jake showed more of his enthusiasm while Sam acted aloof until it was Jake's turn and then he was crying to get back on. Thanks Johnsons, for a very fun afternoon!

A New Imagination Develops

2010-02-03T19:21:00.002-07:00

Sam is in a really fun phase right now. His imagination is really starting to develop and his expression when he is making up these stories is adorable. Here are a few examples:
(Always running into the room I'm in, usually bending his knees, leaning forward, with his arms flying behind him and big saucer eyes)
"MOMMY! There's a cow!"
Me: really!? Where?
Sam: Out dare! (pointing to backyard) Come see, mom!
(we run outside, Sam points to the sky "dare! He's flying! And he's BLUE!
Me: A FLYING, BLUE cow? WOW!"
Sam: yeah! And he crashed!
Jake: Into a building or the ground?
Sam: He crashed! Into a BUILDING!

Then Jake and Sam pretended to be blue flying cows for the next 20 minutes
I actually think Sam's imagination is helping Jake develop one too! He's never been that kid.

Visit with Grandpa Cooley!

2010-02-03T19:02:00.006-07:00

Dad came in town for a conference last week and stayed an extra week to spend time with all of us and our kids. We had a good time and the kids really bonded with him. Jake was so sweet how fast he took to him and wanted Grandpa to be a part of all his activities.

My depressing visit with Dr. Shores, JR.

2010-02-03T18:56:00.002-07:00

Tonight Jake put on his play stethescope and said he wanted to listen to my heartbeat. So being a compliant patient, I layed down on the ground and his diagnosis was quick and blunt. In a very serious tone, he said, "It looks like you're gonna be dead for the rest of your life like my doggy. What dinosaur attacked and killed you?"

Oh Jakey, you kill me sometimes!

Sam is 2!!!

2010-01-19T21:59:00.010-07:00

A little late but Sam turned two on "janary EIGHT" as he says and we had a really fun. It was a dough party with lots of play dough, pizza dough that the kids got to "decorate" and cookie dough ice cream sandwiches. I love you baby boy, happy birthday!

My funny boy

2010-01-19T21:31:00.002-07:00

Today Jake was cracking me up. This morning at breakfast I shared my fresh squeezed orange juice with Jake-first batch from the orange tree this season, and after a sip, Jake's face puckered up (it was pretty tart) and he said, "WOAH! Mommy, this juice is MAGIC!" I said, "what do you mean?" He goes, "when I took a sip, this eye stayed open and this eye squinted closed!" I laughed and told him that's what happens when you eat/drink something tart. Meanwhile, he was trying so hard (without drinking) to make his eyes do it again!

As I read books with Jake at bedtime tonight, I felt the baby moving so I put Jake's hands on my belly. While he was waiting to feel movement he asked some questions about the baby's home:
J: Does he like sitting in all that yuckiness?
Me: What yuckiness?
Jake: (circling his hands around) all that squishy stuff inside your tummy
Me: laugh
Jake: (thinking my laugh meant he's been misunderstood and he needed to clarify) you know, like he's sitting on all that food.
I explained how he lives in his own little sac and he gets food from his umbilical cord,etc...he started cracking up and thought that was hilarious (?)...his reasoning seemed to make a lot more sense to him, I guess

The latest funnies

2009-11-20T21:02:00.003-07:00

Is everyone humored by their children as much as I am? Oh, there are days that I am anything but humored, but I am sure it's God's grace that we can find such hilarity in these little people to get us through ALLLL the many tough days, weeks or just hours of frustration.
So to name a few latests:
Jake witnessed me spanking Sam (which is usually not for public eyes) and with a slight grin nodded his head in approval and said, "good job, Mom"
Jake was being walked to his room for a hitting-Sam-spank (if you can't tell this is it's own category of daily discipline) and Sam got all jazzed up as he watched us walk, swatting his hand in the air and saying, "sfank! sfank!" That now is just about a daily occurance.
I was telling Jake something important as he was buckling himself in the car and at the end I said, "yes, mommy" (as in, 'repeat after me'). Usually he says, "yes mommy" but this time he looks to Sam in his seat and whispers, "Sam, should I say "yes" or "no"?" Sam, who repeats everything and picks the latter answer if asked a question, said in his deep voice, "no". He looked back at me with a smile, I was not smiling, and he said, "Oh, ummm, yes mommy". SO glad that was sincere!

I promise I don't spend all my time disciplining my boys :) but it seems to be when a lot of the hilarity happens. So immediately following a spank, Jake will point up and say crying "PRAY!" and sometimes, "PRAY MY JESUS!" ( I think he thinks the prayer will instantly take the pain away because both run about the same length of time...I don't care I take it because I think it's adorable and good habit forming) so this time he flips over to pray without pulling his undies up yet. So I start praying and in the middle I'm interrupted by, "I don't want the ladies to see my naky booday (boody)" I opened my eyes and couldn't help but smile and I said, WHAT!? To which he responded, "Hey! I see a little Jakey in your eye!" (which was his reflection). Sometimes it's so fun(ny) to have these distractions in a serious moment to lighten both our moods.
Ok, it's not all about trouble...
Jake held up a rubber salamander and asked what it was. I told him and he said, "Oh. I wish I could have a sanitizer."
In our new house we have a very long path that runs straight through the whole length of the house, otherwise known as a race track. Jake LOVES to sprint down this "pathway". The other day I said, "wow, you're running fast". He stopped running, looked at me with a serious face and in his deepest voice said, "that's capuz I'm a man." and kept on running.
Recently I was in the bathroom and suspecting the boys had gotten outside (the locks we found are easy for them to manage). So after I left the bathroom, I'm searching the house, back and then front yard for them. Then I see my neighbor John, across the street step outside with a smile and out the front door behind him races Jake pushing his dumptruck full speed, Sam tottling behind. "We've been visiting!"shouts John across the street. Greaaaaat. So glad I'm starting nice first impressions on our new street! I wish I could say this has been our only "run-in" with my kids on the loose that they have witnessed. Fortunately they raised 7 collectively themselves and seem to fully understand what I'm dealing with here. Never a dull moment!

Off to the big game!

2009-10-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Matt brought Jake to his first football game on the field with daddy (well,without me that is). He was so excited to go to the game he had no appetite at dinner (ok, that happens either way most nights). When they got home Jake said it was good, and Matt said "too much sugar". Apparently the red rope and Peanut M&M's was a little overkill for the high-strung 3 year old. ;)

Jake: 3 going on 15

2009-09-19T13:32:00.002-07:00

So the other day my sister, Amy asked Jake, "are you 15?" He was quick to respond seriously, "no, I'm 3" but the point was he says these things and has these expressions that are very older-kid-like. Here's a few I can remember:

(In the car, out of the blue)..."Mommy, sometimes you use your hand or a wooden spoon to spank me but I think you should use my airplane"
me: why?
J: "because it's all hard and sharp and that would really really hurt"

(As I am about to spank him, he says in a very sweet voice, "Mommy, no matter how hard you spank me, I will still love you.(kiss)". By the way, this is NOT THE NORM!

His friend was about to come over and he said, "is she gonna be angry this time?"
me: what do you mean?
J: Sometimes she gets really angry and doesn't want me to talk to her but I think she just needs lots and lots of naps and then she won't be so angry

Jake is sliding down the slide at church with a probably 4 year old Andy, who says to him, "help! I'm dying!" to which Jake gets close to his face, smiles and says "You won't die! You're a people!"

Matt scolded Jake at the table this morning during breakfast and he had his pointer finger out. Before he could finish Jake grabbed his finger and said, "YOU..are CRAZY!" At which point Matt laughed and the lesson was over.

And the most classic but really embarassing:
the plumber was over fixing our kitchen sink clog and it stunk. Jake walks through the kitchen, viewing this man from behind, who's bent over and under the sink and Jake says, "something STINKS! It stinks like POOP! I think he has poop! Daddy, I think this man has poop! It stinks really really bad like poop in here!"
The sad thing is, the man never addressed Jake, laughed at the comment or anything, he just kept working.

Man you're growing up fast!

2009-09-14T20:40:00.003-07:00

I have been blown away lately at Sam's development, growth, etc. It's so sad how much less you are able to catch every single thing that's happening with your second born, but it is clear that God's grace is sufficient for Sam, and for my lack of attention I can pay to him (as much as Jake got, I should say). Here's a few things that have happened lately that I can take ZERO credit for. Oh, and a special thanks to Jake for helping raise his brother, in his all of 22 month-older wisdom, as I'm sure a lot of these things can be attributed to watching big bro!
* Yesterday when I took Sam's diaper off to change him, he grabbed himself and said "pee pee", walked to the toilet, put the soccer ball potty seat on, climbed up, pushed his peepee down into the toilet, and FULL ON PEED! I could not believe my eyes! Didn't Jake just potty train a few months ago!? Jake was just as shocked and we both stood in the hallway clapping and cheering for him! Since then, he makes several trips to the potty claiming the same thing (or poopoo) but has yet to repeat yesterday's successful moment. I try to give him the same encouragement because I'm just thrilled that he's even thinking about it. Oh, and each time he tries (tonight it was literally 6 times in like 20 minutes) when he pushes his peep down he makes the sound "ssssssss" and then smiles and says "all done!" so cute!
* Tonight Sam was trying to get up to his booster and was fussing, "mommies, mommies". I sarcastically said, "Sam, how many mommies do you have?" and he quickly answered, "two!" (news to me)
* Sam is huge on pointing out messes. Tonight he pointed out where his sippy cup leaked milk saying "mommy! mess!" and as I took a towel over to wipe it up he turned his back to walk away and said "thanks." Like it was just killing him to see the mess! Maybe he'll apply the same annoyance to messes as he grows and his room will be spotless :)
* He describes things by color now. I have no idea how he learned his colors! Good to know that they learn them even when you don't sit down with books, slides, flashcards, etc. like you have time to do with the first :)
* As I have mentioned in past blogs, Sam gets very tense around meal time and screams at me about it in the kitchen. Lately I've seen how effective engaging him in the meal prep is and he has LOVED being apart of it. So now almost each meal he helps set the table with pride and loves to get up on a chair to oversee my work and repeats "cookin'! hot! bubbles! stir. dumpit. pour."
* Finally! Justice! I always ask Sam what happened when I come into a crying situation with him and Jake, but it's not always so useful of a question. Tonight, finally Sam crying said, "Jake hit!" and hit himself on the top of the head to show me. I was so excited for him, he finally has a voice!
* And last "you're growing up comment" is that I picked him up tonight and could not believe how heavy he felt. I swear he gained 5 pounds today! It's just so sad to know that my baby is not such a baby anymore!

Jake's First Day of Preschool

2009-09-05T20:50:00.009-07:00

Tuesday, September 1 was Jake's first day at Crossroads Preschool. I was able to stay pretty well collected the way there until I parked and saw parents walking there kids to their doors and taking pictures. I started getting choked up. I turned to pray with Jake before we got out and my voice was so shaky, I was waiting from him to be like, "mom, what's wrong!?" but luckily he didn't notice or ask. I walked him to the yellow door with his first day project-a self "portrait" using around-the-house supplies. He had no problem walking in and when he saw the computer he ran right to the chair and said, "hey, when do we get to learn this!?" and started typing away! It got a little sad for a moment when some little girls cried when their moms left and Jake had a perplexed look on his face. I thought 'oh great, here we go' but he was fine.

Sam and I had a great one-on-one date and I look SO forward to this alone time each week with him. He was so happy and smiley all day and had so much fun playing without struggle and with things HE enjoys doing! He played outside until his heart was content with the hose and just being busy at work, and then he "helped" me with dishes at home; again more water, which is his specialty!

When I picked Jake up, he and his buddy Tommy had had a great day but had very little to say about what they did. All Jake could report is he played inside, he played outside, and he did that thing where you put the thing in and you look through the thing and you click the thing (turns out it's that binocular thing with picture slides). So I quickly got a dose of my future as a mom of a boy AND a Shores...NO DETAILS!

The Caruso/Shores boys meet Sunshine

2009-09-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

T and I met at Paradise Bakery last Sunday morning when our husbands were working. After breakfast we went outside and the boys were instantly drawn to this parrot named Sunshine. The owner was very nice to let each of the boys take turns petting her. It was sweet

Blackberry Pie

2009-09-05T10:25:00.002-07:00

My mom visited her sister, Aunt Laurie a few weeks ago in Washington, just in time for blackberry season. She managed to pick and pack 5 cups of berries for herself, me and my sisters to each make a pie. Jake was SO excited to "help" make the pie so when he woke up from his nap one day we began the process. Jake was so anxious to open the berries (and of course sample them) but I said we cannot open the berries until it's time to add them to the mixture. The temptation was growing...then Sam woke up. He also wanted in and was getting louder with his demands. One of things he says that cracks us up is at meal time he'll say "scoop me" for food and "cool me" to blow on it if it's hot. So he's climbing up on a chair he pushed over with a huge wooden spoon he found, yelling "MOMMY! SCOOP ME!!!" He also managed to creep his little hand into the flour mixture for the pie crust pulling out the crucial mixture of salt, baking soda, flour. Then, while I'm distracted with Sam, Jake manages to sneak the forbidden fruit, at which point I dismissed both boys from the kitchen and told Jake he may not help me with the pie anymore because he disobeyed. He was SO sad about that because he had been really looking forward to helping with this pie. Matt was talking to him in the other room and asked me why I wasn't letting him help anymore. I explained what happened and then Matt told Jake to go ask mommy to give him some grace and to ask me what that means. :) So upon Jake's request (thanks babe) I told him that grace means giving someone something when they don't deserve it. Just then, Sam, who found his way back up the chair pushes the wooden spoon in my face and screams, "GRACE! MOMMY! GRAAAACE!" With uneven dough and now less berries than I needed, I let the boys back in to help, and laughed at how God used (all) my boys to remind me about grace.

My Determined Three Year Old

2009-08-30T15:32:00.004-07:00

This morning at 7:30 Jake came running in his room where Sam and I were to announce that he wants to watch 101 Dalmations in his bedroom with us (his demands have become quite specific lately). I reminded him that he doesn't have a TV in his room. He knew that, but that's why we were going to move the family room TV IN to his bedroom. I explained that it's not that easy, there's power cords and cable cords and stuff (because really I don't know all that's involved with a TV, I just know I wasn't moving it in his room!) But he was not satisfied with my answer. He assured me that moving it in would be NO problem. He showed me the power outlet we could use in his room, and the cable outlet (still there from when we first moved in) and then he explained that we would just push the TV right through this bedroom doorway of his. I asked him if he knew any other 3 year olds with a TV in their bedroom (I was getting desperate). That didn't stop him either, so he pulled me into the family room to show me the progress he has made in making this plan happen. As you see in the picture, he already managed to get it out from the entertainment center and was fiddling with the cords ("let see, this one goes here and this just goes here, like that!")he said to himself. I was laughing and of course taking a picture which didn't help my firm and final NO, but it was just so funny how determined and serious he was about it!
But I did use the opportunity to sweep an awesome quantity of dust bunnies and a few toys up!

Jake's 1st Sleepover!

2009-08-08T07:06:00.005-07:00

The other night we had the Williams boys spend the night for the first time and it was a hit! The boys and Trey especially had awesome behavior for he was SO excited for the event. We went swimming, ate dinner, watched The Land Before Time, eventually slept, and then in the morning we made a craft (pet rocks). Trey's have long brown strings that hang down which he said was a mustache because it's an old grandpa. Then we went to the Children's Museum. We had so much fun and the four boys all did really great together!
Things got interesting though, when it came to bedtime. Because the movie went late, I didn't take them into their room and in bed until 7:55 (I wanted to start earlier to leave time for the shenanagans that I knew would take place). So Trey climbed right in the lower bunk and was ready for sleep. I closed the door, put Tyson in our closet in a pack in play and Sam was asleep. All was quiet and I said to Matt, "No way. This is too good to be true."...and it was! I walked over to listen outside Jake's room and heard little voices. This began the 1 1/2 hour escapade that went as follows:
8:00 Jake sitting in Trey's bed with legos and figurines, building in the dark.
Trey: Jake did this, I was just trying to sleep.
8:09 both boys come out, "we need to go pee"
(in the bathroom) Jake: Trey, let's go pee together at the same time.
Trey: let's make a cross
(PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS)
Trey: Jake we need to wash our hands (water...)
...I'll just save that pullup for the next time I sleep over.
8:19 Jake whispering: Trey! I need your help! Matt enters, "what are you doing?"
Jake is scaling the back/head of the bunkbed, "nothing"
Matt scolds Jake about not climbing the bed that way and he needs to be sleeping right now. About 20 seconds of this and then asks "where's Trey?" Jake points to window. Matt pulls the curtains back expecting to find him hidden on the ground behind them. Instead, he finds Trey standing on the window sill, suctioned to the window facing out! Who by the way was STILL and QUIET the entire time Matt was talking to Jake. Matt says, "Trey, WHAT are you DOING!?" Jake: we're just seeing what the plants are doing.
8:50 still up and awake, Matt goes in and tells them a story about dinosaurs. They put there hand on their chest and declare: I am NOT tired! Matt walks out and they are following right behind him. He gives them each a chocolate chip cookie! They sit down at the table to eat it and Trey says "this is the most delicious cookie I have ever had. I wish my mom could cook like this. While Jake is still working on his a minute later, Trey says to Matt, "I need a cookie. I can't find mine....I hid it."
Jake and Trey come to me: we're not tired, can we read?
I look at Matt (who let them out) and said "YOU'RE in charge"
Matt reads them a dino book and then takes them into bed.
more talking...more switching of beds...
I go in and Trey says, "I Just want to go to bed". Jake was so excited he just couldn't stop talking to him!
9:12 Trey calls for Matt "I dropped my blankie"
Matt looks for it next to, behind the bed and asked where he dropped it. Trey points to the dresser across the room. Matt finally finds it behind the dresser in the corner. Matt thinks (you dropped it or chucked it!?)
SO I went to bed at 9:30 and I'm pretty sure they were STILL settling down so who knows exactly what time they finally fell asleep!

SO we had a great time and there are pictures and video clips of the children's museum to check out as well

A trip down memory lane

2009-08-05T15:36:00.001-07:00

Matt asked me to find the pictures we took months ago of our desk we're trying to sell on craig's list. I found it, and an hour later am still sorting through old pics I had saved on the zip drive when our computer was on the fritz. I came across this picture of Jake watching the ultrasound when Sam was, I believe 34 weeks. It was so dark in the room, and in the pic that I just dismissed it as a bad shot, but thanks to Picasa editing, I was able to lighten it up and really see it for the first time! I remember how priceless this moment was! Brings tears to my eyes! Jake would've been about 21 months in this picture.

Sshhhwimming (Sam's pronunciation)

2009-08-05T08:31:00.004-07:00

just some fun swimming with the boys!

Kids, Don't Try This at Home!

2009-08-05T08:01:00.005-07:00

This morning Jake set up quite the obstacle course and explained to me, "mom, if you want to join the oxtle course you have to jump here, and then go there and jump over this and then jop on each chair." I said, "WHAT is it called?" J: "ospital course" me: what is it called? J: octopal course
Whatever it's called it was very inventive and of course little brother had to join in too.

Jake's "humility"

2009-08-04T14:06:00.003-07:00

This morning I stopped the car at church for yoga and before I could get the boys out to go to their daycare room, Jake starts crying, like actual tears, that he didn't want to go to yoga. I felt so sad for him that he really seemed upset about it, so I tried to get to the bottom of it. I said, "Jake, why don't you want to go?" J:(tears)"ka-puz(Jake used to say 'because' right, and now he says 'kapuz') I don't want all the other kids to see me!waaaa" Me: "why don't you want the other kids to see you?" J: "Ka-puz I don't want the kids to see how cool I am!waaaa!!!!!" At which point I turned off the car and got him out! When I told Matt the story, he laughed (for those of you who know Matt well, this was the laugh he does when he watches Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mom, or when Scott or Kenny make him laugh) and said, "see babe, he's a humble kid! He didn't want the others to be jealous of how cool he is, what's wrong with that!?"

Welcome Baby Macie, my new niece/cousin!

2009-07-30T07:42:00.008-07:00

Yesterday I got the joy of meeting my new niece and 1st cousin, once removed (I think) Macie Ann! She is chubby and beautiful and looks nothing like her sister Maddie! Congratulations Brooke and Jon! I love her already!

Our new favorite Sam thing

2009-07-25T18:07:00.002-07:00

Yesterday in the car Matt said to the boys "who wants to go to the children's museum!?" Right after Jake said "I DO!" Sam raised his hand straight next to his head and said "I DEW!" It was the cutest thing, so of course since then we ask as many "who.." questions as possible to get him to say it. We set this one up right when Matt was taking them swimming. You can see Jake is totally over us saying it, although he has been a trooper playing the game right along with us and loving it. To continue the "Sam blog" entry, since I always have stories about Jake, I will share other cute latests of Sam. His favorite passion in life, besides swimming and being a total maniac in the pool, is reading. He will bring books to me and go from insistent to angry if I don't drop what I'm doing immediately and READ! He will pull my legs away from the sink area when I'm washing dishes. When he's sitting in my lap waiting for me to get started he even starts to shake until I begin reading and then his body calms down. It's SO strange! If I lift my head from the book to talk to Matt or Jake he will pull my neck downward so my eyes go back on the page! Sound familiar, Mom? (rumor is I used to control my mom's head too to get her attention) A funny thing he does when I'm laying on my back is he'll strattle my chest, stomach or even neck to sit vertically. He may have a book in his hand, facing backward or if he faces forward he starts bouncing really hard and saying "trot!" or "bronco!" (two songs I do where they bounce on my lap) As soon as Sam knows a meal is coming, or he thinks it should be, he ups the volume to a scream. He reaches into the sippy cup and bowl drawer to hand me the proper diningware needed, which apparently he assumes is the only thing holding me back from getting him the food or drink. He also scales his highchair and hangs from it while screaming at me. It's good times. Lots of screaming and demanding. Speaking of climbing, in the last week he has climbed out of his crib and up to the second shelf (above 3 cupboards)of the linen closet. He also climbs onto the kitchen table and chairs, Jake's top bunk but in all cases gets stuck and fortunately asks for help so far. His language has exploded lately. His vocabulary is great which makes communicating a lot easier. He mimics everything we and his brother say (greaaaat). The funniest this week has been, of course the "I do" and then he took a sip of water and smiled and said "tasty!" Because of his obsessant reading he knows just about every animal in all his animal books. He likes to add an "e" sound to the end of several words like hugy, kissy, jumpy, milky. My last Sam favorite to mention is his elbow. When he is climbing up, out or even down, he shouts "ELBOW! ELBOW!" This started with him learning how to climb out of the pool in his swim lessons at Hubbards. We teach "elbow, elbow, tummy, knee). The other funny elbow thing is whenever he gets excited, especially when he runs, he tightens his left shoulder, tucks his left arm, bent and runs or jumps or whatever he's doing that's exciting. SO CUTE! He's a real joy to this family! . . . By the way, if you check Jake out in the background of the video and then as it ends he shouts "Mommy," that's because he just realized he has pockets in his swim trunks (he was thrilled). Random.

Blog-worthy Jakey-isms

2009-07-15T21:56:00.004-07:00

Jake is obsessed with Lyndee's husband Michael playing guitar for him, to the extent that it is all he talks about with him, and Jake will find the guitar in their home and drag it across their house to Mike so he can play for him. Recently Jake had an on-going scab on his nose because he picks and doesn't let his owies heal. Jake said to Mike, "Do you know any bandaid songs?" A few minutes later he would NOT go potty before we left, but knowing just where to get encouragement, he asked Mike, "do you know any pee songs?" to which Mike strummed his guitar, made up a toon, and Jake dropped his drawers and peed!
The next few have to do with his recent attention to physical traits, especially mommy's :)...
I was leaning back on the couch and my shirt was pulled up a little bit. Jake stuck his finger a few times in my belly and said, "you have cheese in your belly."
Pointing to my heel, he said, "mommy, your feet are cracked!"
Grabbing his hair in frustration he said, "mommy, I don't want all this hair, it's killin' me!" (Amy, no comment!)
In the car he noticed my attempt at a new hair-do and said, "mommy, you have funny blonde hair" (not sure where the blonde part came from)
After I successfully swatted a fly and said "YES! Got it!" Jake responded sympathetically, "mommy, that fly deserves". I said, "deserves WHAT!?" J: "deserves to fly." Surprising from the kid who's usually on board to kill the boogars.
Me: "Jake, you woke up twice last night, what was going on?"
Jake: (shrugging his shoulder and talking non-chalantly), "I dunno, every day is different."
In the pool...
Jake grabbing the pool net beginning to lower it in I said, "Jake, go put the net down against the wall." Jake:"I want to scoop the dirt. I'm an expert scooper."
Refusing to rollover for a breath (as usual) while swimming, Jake pops his head up and says, "ayudame!" (thank you, Diego and Dora!)
We were reading from his bible the story of Samson, and how he got his strength from his long braids, and when the Philistines cut them off, he lost his strength. Before Jake let me finish the story he interrupts, grabbing his hair and says with his serious face, "but mom? When I am tied up with strings, I'm still strong, even with my hair cut."
And finally, my favorite was today, 5 minutes after I put him down for his nap, he shouts from his bed in a very concerned and serious voice, "MOM! Why am I taking a nap!? This doesn't make sense!" (He was asleep within 60 seconds of that statement)

Coronado and my cousin's wedding!

2009-06-24T14:56:00.011-07:00

We had so much fun in Coronado and it was great to see all my mom's side of family-the Moseley side. We had a great time staying at the beach the week after, although it was a sad time at the ocean. Jake talked for weeks about "surfing the perfect wave" in his wetsuit...he was so scared of the ocean he wanted no part! That made me so sad because I have such fond memories of playing in the ocean as a little girl, but I try to remember that he's only 3 so I'm sure (I hope?) it will get better each time!

2009-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

2009-06-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

2009-06-24T14:36:00.001-07:00

The Latest Jake-isms (and a few Sam-isms too)

2009-06-24T14:01:00.004-07:00

Me: Jake! Mia's baby brother was born!
Jake: Out of her TUMMY!?
me: no, out of her mommy, Amy's tummy.
Jake: Woah. That's WILD!
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Jake walking up the ladder to his bed, complaining of bedtime says, "I'm not a sleeping guy, I'm a wake-up guy"
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Me: Jake, don't lock your brother in your room
Jake: (kindof under his breath) That's what big boys do, we lock our brothers in.
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My sister Amy took Trey inside to discipline him when we were playing outside in the water this morning and Jake said to my mom and I, "he has a BAD attitude!" We both tried really hard not to laugh. He wasn't though, he was serious!
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I told Jake to sit in his room and not come out until he could have a happy heart (about who knows what that time) and he says from his room crying, "this is NOT cool!"
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Last night at dinner Jake was trying to scoop the noodles (not the vegetables) out of the serving dish but the noodles kept sliding around. He said, "cummon...come to papa!"

...And the wonderful word Sam picked out of ALLLLLLL the words he hears Jake say: "BUTT!!" He uses it whenever he wants to get Jake to laugh or me worked up. Usually in the car driving.

On an upnote he has also learned "Jesus". Whenever I sing "Jesus loves me this I know..." he rocks side to side and chimes in everytime it gets to "Jesus". Very sweet.

Oh other funny thing he's doing with words...he says the last part of many words like...he says the part in bold
(di)nner
(good)night
(spider)man(mickey)mouse
(my) TURN! (while screaming at Jake usually)
those are the most common ones but the list goes on...is that normal? I don't remember Jake doing that.

Jake's crafty work

2009-06-02T16:37:00.009-07:00

I have come across a handful of hilarious works of art lately so I've been trying to capture them on film. The clips on the pennies was from my craft supply that is off limits, so that's why he did it "hiding" under the kitchen table. Then of course Jake is removing the penny from Sam's mouth as I'm busy photographing :). Another was I pulled the blueberry muffins out of the oven and found Matt's hairspray lid sunken into one of the muffins. THERE it is! We were looking for it! Not sure when and how he intercepted inserting it before I put it in the oven without me noticing...
Then there's the peanut butter side of the sandwich pasted to the wall. He wanted to take credit for that one in the pic. He only likes the jelly side of the sandwich lately. Hmmm...maybe has to do with switching to natural pb without sugar!
Another one that caught my eye that I don't have a pic of is he used yogurt from breakfast, pasted it on the back of several crackers and pasted them across the pages of a book.
I feel like it's impossible to remember to write each hilarious comment down because they are constant right now but some funny quotes lately that stick out:
Every morning since Matt told Jake 5 weeks ago :) that we were going to the beach,Jake comes in with his song/chant/dance: "I -WANT-TO-GO-TO-THE-BEACH!"over and over with hip gyrations forward and back
(Jake modeling his wetsuit for every visitor, but to my mom who says) "Jake, where are you gonna wear that wetsuit!?" Jake throws his hands turned up in the air and says, "TO SURF THE PERFECT WAVE!" He think he's a surfer and a skater, thanks to our friends Jen and Christian who take him on their board when we come over!
Me: What do you want for lunch, Macaroni and cheese? Jake: No, I'm not interested in Macaroni and Cheese.
After church last week, "Jake do you want QDoba for lunch or Paradise Bakery? Jake: I ABSOLUTELY do not want Paradise Bakery!
Jake: Mommy, you are my best friend in the whole wide...city" (gee, thanks!)
Sam was fussing in the car, Jake calm and collected says, "Sam, stop fussing or I'll have to spank you when we get home." ( He has NOT heard me say that by the way!)

Corn Face Cutie Pie

2009-05-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Who is this kid?

2009-05-17T19:57:00.002-07:00

Do you ever just sit back and watch your child doing or saying something that seems way beyond what you thought he was capable of and ask yourself, "who is this kid!?" I had one of those moments this evening with Jake. I was laying on his bottom bunk watching him cut paper with zigzag scissors. He was cutting with one hand, one finger in each opening, all the way across the page (and with each cut, he opened and closed his mouth with concentration). I said, "Jake! That's really good! Who taught you to cut like that?" His response was something mumbled with his newest word, 'stupid' mixed in. He stopped cutting and nervously looked at me, saw my serious face, kept cutting and whispered, "busted". I said, "yeah, that's right, you're busted." He goes, "HEY! Who taught you that word, mommy? You're gonna have to sit in time out cuz you do NOT talk to me that way!" (cut, cut, cut...) "why did the chicken cross the road?" me: why. Jake: "To get to Chicken McDonalds...HAHAHAH!!!" Ok, now he's telling bad jokes. I felt like he just went from 3 to 6 overnight.

I'm in love

2009-05-17T19:36:00.004-07:00

Matt and I are enjoying Sam and this age/stage that he's in so much right now! It's funny because I specifically remember this not being a favorite time for me when Jake was this age, and like so many other experiences I'm having second time around...no two children are alike! I love these pictures I posted for many reasons. First, when I was preparing dinner and portioning out each item, placing more on Sam's plate then Jakes (love the kid's appetite!) I thought I'd cut the corn off the cob and then thought, let's see how this goes. Sam has amazed me with his table "manners"! He sits at the table now, uses utensils (just as well as Jake) and eats from a plate (which would be on the floor as soon as I sat it infront of 16 month old Jake). So should it surprise me that he can eat corn on the cob, I guess not! As soon as I snapped the shot, I got the second, when he quickly pulled the corn away from his face to pose and say "cheeeese!" Sam is full of energy, love, a playful spirit and yet has this feisty tantrum-throwing side to him that Matt and I can't seem to discipline but just laugh at. It's crazy how much harder it is to discipline the second time around. Now I know why my sisters let Ryan/Tyson get away with so much! ;) My theory is, with your first child you're on top of every single behavioral issue. Once you've seen 2 and 3, 16 month old behavioral issues just don't seem like a big deal! Anyway, I am madly in love with my baby, so thanks God, you've really given us a sweetie!

Red Rock in Doughnut

2009-05-13T20:37:00.005-07:00

Today Matt had the day off so we headed up to Sedona to take the boys to Slide Rock. Jake was so confused as to what we were doing. His two comments/questions that we got 85 times on the way up was either swimming at the beach or swimming in a pool, and finally he said, "I want to go to the Red Rock in Doughnut"(Sedona). The day could not have gone smoother. After the constant questions and discussions about where it was we were going, Jake and Sam fell asleep on the way up and slept the whole way back, which left a perfect chunk of time to eat lunch and play at Slide Rock. The weather was perfect (about 84 I think) and the boys had a lot of fun. Matt took Jake down the long slippery slide twice and Sam once. Jake went between tears and laughter the first time but wanted to do it again. Sam seemed unphased. The boys were so cold at this point but they kept wanting to jump in to Matt who was standing in a slower, deeper part of the water. It was so cute because every time Sam jumped in he would immediately rest his head on Matt's shoulder and snuggle. Even though he was cold he wouldn't stop! Finally Matt wanted me to go warm up with him on the towels and warm rock. Once they were done with the water we had a snack and hung out on the towels for awhile. Jake did his climbing "tricks" for awhile and Sam just sat with me. It was pretty unbelievable how great they did, which is so God watching out for us in what could've been a disaster! Enjoy the pics...

Recent Jake quotes

2009-05-08T13:10:00.003-07:00

Jake: Mom how long until we're home? Me: Two minutes. Jake: (with a cry working up-and very tired) TWO MINUTES!? That hurts my feelings!
Jake: Mom, can I have candy? Me: No. Jake (in the crying voice) THAT'S A BUMMER!
Jake and Sam are eating our homemade popsicles in the back and Jake is totally working Sam for licks of his but not sharing his with Sam. So sad how the little guy gets taken advantage of. Then Jake says "here Sam" trying to trade what is now a smaller popsicle for Sam bigger one. Me: Jake, I don't think Sam wants to trade (Sam's pulling back screaming NO!) Jake: Mom, I can control this. SAM! HERE! (Getting more aggressive with the trade...which led to both popsicles on the ground-one because it fell and one because Jake was p.o'd that it fell and threw his, then quickly regreting that decision and crying harder...NAP TIME!
I was excited about something saying "OH YES!" Jake added "HALLEYUYAH!"
Jake to me many times now "How's my little lady?" or "How's my sweetie pie lady?"
In the check out lane at Target, finding a yoyo toy, Jake says "Now THAT'S what I call STYLISH!" ?
During night prayers I pray "Thank you for dying on the cross, forgiving us of our sins, (interrupted by Jake) "and for Chicken Pie Pie and vities!" BTW I have not made Chicken Pot Pie in at least two months!
When I ask him to do something he sometimes responds "No problemo" (Good ol' Go Diego Go!)
Maddie comes over here a few times a week and Jake loves to call her Miss Maddie Mae. Now when he's getting serious with me he'll raise his voice and say "MOMMY MAE!" I had to explain to him that only Maddie's middle name is Mae, not mine too.
My mom called Jake "honeybun" and he quickly responded "I am NOT a BUN!"

The Little (15 month old) World of Samuel Shores

2009-04-28T15:46:00.004-07:00

Matt and I are daily amazed at this little guys' growth! This morning we started counting the words he says now, which we think is at 20, and literally a week ago I would've only been able to count 5! It is so fun at this stage because they get so excited when they learn a word or sign and then when you affirm them with repeating it and cheering for them they get all giddy and excited! It's adorable. So my favorite scenario that's happened a few times now is at dinner. This is usually a stressful time because Sam is serious about success when it comes to being served his food, especially dinner. Well I think he's turning a corner now of having a little more patience, but the last few nights when he saw me beginning the dinner process (reaching for pans, getting out the ingredients) he follows me into the kitchen and uses one of his new words, "diiiiinnrrrr" and starts stomping his feet and clapping his hands as if to say "good job Mom, keep cookin'!" Then when I open the fridge he gets right behind the door to shut it closed (which he thinks is being really helpful because I asked him once to close the fridge). Last night after this routine when the fridge opened he reached in and grabbed a tupperware of tortellini, handed it to meand starting clapping and stomping saying "noooo-lll" (noodle). My other favorite part of this process while stomping for food is I tell him to say please and he says "peas" and pinches his nipples over and over (the sign for please is rubbing your hand in a circle on your chest). Matt and I love to watch his intense emotions of life (sounds familiar) like when Matt and Jake start chasing around the house, or especially when the an outside door opens. Sam starts in with "DO (sounds like dough) DO! DO! DO!" and the arms go pumping up and down with a speed walk! He also does this arm pump right after he throws a ball and says "throw" which also comes out as DO. One of Sam's favorite activities is playing outside, especially with a hose and in mud. We got the boys rain boots the other day and as soon as we go outside, Sam make a b-line for his boots and brings them to me saying "booot. boooot." Yesterday he worked very hard for probably 20 minutes carrying chunks of clumped dirt and dumping them into his bucket of water that he filled up. He loves to play with toys, quite content doing it all by himself. Right now he loves his ball popper (but shoves everything that fits down there: batteries, forks, blocks...). He also loves blocks and any book about animals. He is developing some good dexterity like opening lids to food and drinks (greaaaat). Also he is amazing with a spoon and fork. He really gets it and prefers to eat with one than bare handed. All of these things are so different from how Jake was/is that it is so fun to see there different personalities! He is just such a joy and delight to our family (most of the time ;))

The Little World of Jake Shores

2009-04-28T15:09:00.003-07:00

Recently I've noticed that Jake is at a stage that everything is clicking. After TWO AND A HALF years of lessons and working REALLY hard on it, I am excited to share that Jake is finally rolling over all by himself! (See the video) Last week he had Blaire who is amazing, but not his weekly teacher. She had him rolling over consecutively which means he's actually getting from point A to point B now without help (PRAISE THE LORD!) Other fun things that have clicked: Potty Training (another huge praise!) and even often dry through the night which always shocks me. Pulling up his underwear and shorts and putting on his shoes (which he has always much preferred others to do for him, even his friend, Mia!), riding his trike (although he doesn't really enjoy it for too long-but he does love ringing the bell!) and this week he has started pouring his own milk in his sippy cup and filling his water cup from the fridge dispenser. Finally, he can now sing his ABC's from start to finish. He had asked me about a week ago when we were getting my tea at AJ's if he could have the "ice cream cone cookie" from Barb's bakery that they sell there. Well...these cookies are 2.50 so I don't just buy them any old time. So trying to think quickly without saying "it's too expensive" I said that as soon as he is able to sing his abc's by himself we will come back and I will buy him that cookie. I don't know, just trying to give him a little incentive as he usually does well with. He has been obsessing over that cookie and practicing the song daily, it's hilarious! I am so proud of him for all his "big" milestone accomplishments, and also kind of sad that he's growing up. In September Jake starts preschool two days a week and he can hardly wait. He talks about it all the time. Lately when I ask him where he learned something he says or does he says "from school". I have to remind him that that's not possible, he hasn't started school yet! He must just be so excited at the prospect of learning new things at school I guess!

The Rockstar and Girly Girl

2009-04-24T10:02:00.003-07:00

This morning I watched Mia and Halle for a little bit. Mia wanted to play hair and I was HAPPY to do pigtails for her to live out my dream (with the daughter I don't have). Of course Jake wanted to join in so all three of us put "product" in Jake's hair and his pose SO FITS the look he was going for! Tough guy! Later Mia touched his poky hair and he said very seriously to her, "I'm a rockstar Mia"

Swim lessons in the bathtub

2009-04-24T09:52:00.004-07:00

Lately Jake has been very obsessed with his swim skills, ribbons, etc. He has all two ribbons proudly hung on the fridge and tells every guest that enters the house "this one says I backfloated all by myself and this one says Awesome". He has been working REALLY hard with Lena to get his rollover ribbon (our fingers are crossed for today!) but the stinker will not STAY on his back after he rolls. So Jake explained to me that Lena always tells him 'almost' when he's working on his rollover. The other day, Tyrone from the backyardigans had a ribbon and Jake said with a smile "I get ribbons!"
So with all this talk about swimming I should not have been surprised to witness this scene in the bathtub the other day...the boys were in the bath and I went into the kitchen for a second (I know, I should not admit that!) I heard Sam fussing and Jake yelling at him, "SAM, STAY STILL!" I briskly walked into the bathroom. Sam was laying on his back trying to flip on his tummy but couldn't because Jake was holding either side of Sam's head, pinning him down and said, "I got him mom! He's backfloating!" I don't think the Hubbards will be hiring him anytime soon!

Adventures of Jake Shores

2009-04-09T07:30:00.003-07:00

So I feel like the only time I write is when I have some bogus story of what Jake has done or said, but it always just stands out to me as worthy of mention.
The other day I went to put my wedding rings back on, which I had placed on the sofa table, and only my wedding band was there, not the engagement (expensive) one. I immediately freaked out and frantically asked Jake where it was. His response was "I needed it to hold my bity"(vitamin). I kept asking him where it was but no response, and then I remembered he had been reaching into his pullup earlier, so I peaked in and there in the croch of his pullup was my ring, with a bity fit snugly inside it!
Next story: this morning apparently Jake woke up at 4:40am (after going to bed at 8:30). I was oblivious until he asked for milk at 5 which I stumbled out to get. Jake smelled sweet, and he told me he had to show me something. He took me to the kitchen and did his usual presentation with his hands out like when a curtain unveils. There on the ground was paper muffin cups spread out with vanilla and brown sugar poured in each (as well as all over the stove top, cabinets and floor). His response was, "I wanted to make a treat". (AT 5 IN THE MORNING!!!) No picture this time, I was too pissed. Although in hind sight, I'm proud of my 3 year old cooking partner for remembering at least 2 crucial ingredients when we bake cookies together!

What a morning!

2009-03-18T14:47:00.009-07:00

So all two of my viewers know that Sam has had diarrhea for 6 days. I am up to my elbows in poop, washing two fitted sheets a day, car seat covers that are IMPOSSIBLE to remove and re-install, blankies, pjs and towels with poop...so this morning as my bacon is burning because I'm changing Sam who has poop running down the FRONT of his thighs and is even on his toe nails, Jake is lounging in the front room watching cartoons. It ocurred to me that it was time for a "potty break" for him as we are potty training as we speak. When I went to pull his pants down I received the gift of not just pee (with no diaper or undies) but poo as well! The kid was SUCKING HIS THUMB, LAYING BACK ON THE COUCH, ARM BEHIND HEAD with POOP in his pants! So round two, (at 6:45 am) I march him outside to hose him down (I was hoping the cold water would be a wake up call but instead turned into playtime in the water as he giggled "OOOOH, that TICKLES!" Matt's standing in the doorway with naked Sam saying, "isn't that water freezing!?" me-do you have a better idea? Matt-No, but don't forget to put a diaper on the kid with diarrhea, Sam left a surprise for you on the carpet, I've gotta leave for work, have a good day! So back inside for round 3 of poop cleanup (within a 15 minute period). After all that is said and done I find Jake looking snazzy in his half zipped fleece and naked below standing on the top of the slide screaming at the top of his lungs to our lawn guy whose mowing with headphones, "BRIAN! BRIIIIIANNN! I HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU!!" He's holding out a rice krispie treat that he sneaked, and all I could think is, I'm sure Brian really wants to except food in the dirty hands of a naked 3 year old! (I was right, he declined). I told Jake I was going to take a shower, we need to take Sam (who is now napping... and crapping, no doubt) for his Dr. app't. When I came out of the bathroom Jake was footpainting with green food coloring ALL OVER the kitchen floor. It's amazing how far one little dropper can go. I dropped my bag in disbelief, noticing the chair positioned next to the counter top which he climbed to reach the very top shelf where I "hide" it. When he saw me, he quickly dropped the dye and goes running through the living room GREEN footprints with each step and hands dripping with dye. I'm yelling, "JAKE, STOP RUNNING!!!" But he knew he was busted so he kept running. When I caught up with him in the hallway he was making a B-line for his newly carpeted bedroom, and I reached out to catch his leg and pull him back just in time. He looked at me timidly and said "are you gonna spank me?" I think I actually said outloud, "ABSOLUTELY!"
Just had to share my fun morning, and I know any mom can appreciate how chaotic things can get. It's pretty comical once you make it through the heat of the moment! The picture of Sam with Matt was just too cute...he loves to sit in our lap when he's done eating breakfast and scrounge for more from us. (not sure where he puts it but the kid EATS!)

Sicky-Poo

2009-03-16T14:42:00.002-07:00

We've all been sick with the stomach flu (except Matt) and I was JUST telling sis, Amy how my boys, epecially Jake being 3, really have not gotten sick. So after Sam had been dealing with it, we're in the car and Jake just pukes everywhere in his seat, blankies, clothes. It was so sad because he was crying and saying, "what IS that? What's happening!?" He thought it was spit up, like a baby. So I pulled over, took him out of the car to clean up and I was explaining that he has a bug in his tummy and throw up is the way our body cleans the "bug" out. Fortunately I had an extra seat in the car so I asked if he wanted to climb into that one instead, he was climbing over his and said "yeah, because that one has bugs in it!" It reminded me of a few weeks ago when he said his tummy hurt ( I think he had to poo) and he said "My tummy has a bee"...after asking what like three times, I caught on, "Oh, you mean a BUG!?" He agreed yeah, a bug! Kids literal interpretations of things just cracks me up! As adults we don't think about these things!

ASU Basketball Game

2009-02-02T17:14:00.005-07:00

Jake got to go to his first ASU...anything game yesterday. For once it was at 3:30, not naptime or bedtime. The anticipation of the walk to the stadium (which took of course 4x as long with Jake), knowing "Barksy" was going to be there (Sparky) AND daddy, was enough to make the whole game worthwhile. However I should've left at halftime because after that the meltdowns escalated! Imagine sitting in one tight stadium seat with a 3 year old in your lap for 2 1/2 hours! What could we really expect!?

This week in the Shores' Home

2009-01-29T21:48:00.003-07:00

One of Jake's favorite things to do is help me in the kitchen. Yesterday I pulled a huge salmon filet out of the fridge. I flipped it on the scale side and said, "look Jake, can you believe this used to be a big fish in the river?" His response, in a LOVED squeezing the lemon juice all over the fish and sprinkling the pepper too.

I don't know why he's so sensitive lately. Monday while I buckled him in after work, Jake asked where I got the owie (sp?) on my finger, he asked if I fell (it was like a dot!) I said, I don't know, I probably cut myself with a knife. I don't know why I thought that answer would sit well with the owie patrol. He asked very concerned what happened and I simply explained that sometimes when I'm preparing food I knick my skin a little bit. He said, "ohhh, that hurts my heart."

So Jake's really into taking off his wet diaper lately and either running around naked or putting on a new pair of his Trey-hand me down undies. He was looking in the mirror at himself in the tighties(and I agree, he looked adorable!) he grabbed his package and said, "awww, it's so little, how cute!"

I don't know where Jake got this from but he always describes himself and others as a _guy. So "I'm just a little guy: or "he's a funny guy", etc. So in his OCD "coloring" time the other day, which involves him asking me to draw the picture that he wants because he can't do it good enough (oh boy), I drew his carrot and told him to color it. Exasperated he said, "NO, I CAN'T! I'm a tough guy!" I guess tough guys don't color.

Sam has now made a new game of wiggling out of my arms when I get him out of the car or open the door even a crack. He bolts for the street, literally walk-running and smiles the whole way down. If I haven't called his name by the time he gets to the sidewalk, he looks back at me, and when I give him the "no" face or say no he smiles and proceeds forward as I'm running to grab him before stepping into the street. He will do this over and over and over until I finally take him inside. Hmmm, so much for a less persistent son this time around :)

New signs, gestures and word include: hi, bye with wave,(signs and says)dog and duck, says turtle, signs more and all done. Signs blowing a kiss, and gives hugs and kisses on command (SO CUTE!) He's trying to say Jake, it sounds like "day"

Matt got offered some cool extra sports med jobs this week. He will be working with the White Sox during Spring Training as well as the Diamondbacks. He will also be covering the NBA All Star events hosted here in Phoenix, including the practices with the NBA All Star players and the Celebrity All Star Game. He continues to travel with the ASU Basketball team on their away road trips and is loving it, especially the star treatment he receives with food and lodging. He looks forward to watching the biggest superbowl of his life-to date this Sunday!

I am thoroughly enjoying the balance of teaching at the swim school (just got a raise, woohoo!) and playing with the boys. I was viewing a little video clip of Sam when he firt learned to walk a few months ago, and I got kinda sad at the thought of how FAST these boys are and will continue to grow up! But NO, I do NOT want another anytime soon! I am quite content with my load at the moment!

GOOOOO CARDINALS!

2009-01-29T21:07:00.002-07:00

So apparently I'm not alone in the category of Cardinals fans that you may label as "fairweather". One month ago you would likely be able to have your choice of Cardinals shirts in any size wherever you go. Not so these days, stores are losing money! I have searched high and low and cannot find myself a Cards shirt and a new fresh one for the boys! So I've been forced to come up with my own home-made spirit for this weeks' festivities. We encouraged to wear red this week at work, so tomorrow I will wear my red lifeguard suit with red and black ribbons in my hair, and my new Cardinals toes! I finally had to paint my own Cards shirt for the NFC Champs game after striking out at the stores, so I'll wear that tomorrow and Sunday as well.
I am just so proud of our team. The team that Matt stood by through thick and thin all these years, when I'll admit, I often asked "why are you a fan of this team again? At the NFC Champs game I caught Matt with tears in his eyes after the victory, and later he admitted that along with our wedding day and the births of his sons, his sports teams' major victories rank up there with the happiest days of his life! WOW, if sports is THAT important to you, I celebrate with you! So here's my spirit for your teams, babe! I'm praying for them for the big day! No matter who wins, I hope you always remember how much joy the road to the Suprbowl brought you!

Just when I thought he never listens to me..

2009-01-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

..Jake said the sweetest thing yesterday.
So the behind-the-story is that right after Christmas I had Jake help me go through all the toys to pick ones they don't play with and pass them to children who don't have toys to play with. No surprise, he picked mostly lame McDonald's happy meal toys or parts to toys that were missing parts, etc.
Meanwhile, everyday I deal with a stubborn, often hard-hearted little boy who laughs when his brother cries (especially when he created the injury), sneaks treats behind his back and lies to me about it, and disobeys his parents, often doing the opposite of what we ask. Sometimes he screams in my face, he demands what he wants "RIIIGHT NOW!" and all the other fun 'I'm about to be three' moments that discourage me from thinking he is never gonna change.
So the glimmer of hope...we're on the couch reading one of his favorites since he was a little tike, "I am a Bunny". It is special because Jill Roth, my friend Amy's mom, gave it to Jake when he was born and wrote a message in it that it was her kids' favorite book so she thought he would like it to. About half way through the book, Jake said, "mommy, we need to give this book to a little kid who doesn't have any books." I looked at Matt and we both froze. I got tears in my eyes and we both told Jake how sweet that was that he would put another kids needs before his own. I have to admit that I automatically thought, "really? THIS book?" but when your kid has a moment of feeling like he needs to give THAT item to a needy child, you don't ask twice!

Celebrating the Fall Leaves...in January!

2009-01-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors have two huge Ash trees that shed a TON of leaves in the winter. Every time I set Sam down out of tne car he makes a b-line for the neighbors yard to play in the leaves (that and the street). Jake loves to run through the piles of leaves when I rake them (shuffling his feet) so I thought I'd capture the moment

Why not to give your 1 year old a bowl of pasta

2009-01-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

More Jake hilarity

2009-01-14T10:47:00.001-07:00

* The other morning Jake said to Sam while in his hichair eating breakfast, "K-poop". I looked at him with quandry and he said, "that's spanish for muffins and bacon."

* Jake's been working on his puzzle of the US and he can just about put all the states in their place without help. He knows several by associations we've made, like "this is where we live, this is where Grandpa Cooley lives, etc." So the other day he asked "mommy, where do I live?" I said you live in Phoenix, Arizona. He shook his head and said, "no, I don't live in puzzles, I live right here, (pointing down) in this home!" I hadn't thought of how strange that concept must be for a kid to see a tiny map of a huge place and understand how we could live in that tiny little wooden square-looking space!

On a more spiritual side...
* Jake pointed to each of his family members and said, "I love you and you and you and God" (ohhhh...)
* Each night his prayers have been soley about food items. Never people, just "Thank you for bities (vitamins), sneetch treats (what I made for take-homes for Sam's b-day), candy...etc.
* Sometimes in the car I suggest we pray for a car/accident on the side of the road or situations we're in, etc. Monday on my way to work I realized how very low on gas I was, and the gas station by our house was OUT of gas. So in fear I'd be late to my 9am class, I said let's pray we get there safely without gas. After work at 3ish that day we were driving toward the gas station and Jake said, "mommy hold my hand" so I reached back and did, and then he said, "pray". SO SWEET!

Sam I am is ONE! A tribute to him...

2009-01-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

My little baby boy is ONE YEAR OLD, I can't believe it! I think back on 2008 (which began 8 days in with his birth) and it was such a trying time in the beginning. Jake was at the peak of hitting terrible two (wait, can a peak last 12 months?). Sam had to endure a ball pump needle (4 inches long) up the nose at 5 days old (leaving him with a bloody nose, and thank goodness no internal damage). At two weeks he had a crouton and blueberry fed to him through his nuk passy. Fortunately those did not obstruct the airway. Jake pushed him off our 4 foot tall bed. At 6 weeks he was hospitalized for 5 days with RSV, on Jake's 2nd birthday, and for 3 months he was a blood curdling screaming, fussy and colicy baby and REFUSED to take a bottle until 8 months! And I can write all this with a smile (kind of) of victory over all the trials that God has pulled us through. It is so clear that the Lord is protecting Sam and our family and that there are a pack of angels surrounding this boy. Today we wake up with a cheerful, smiley boy who is such a blessing and joy in our family. So I'll take a minute and share the mommy version of who my one year old is. Sam loves to play with toys. If he's not interrupted by the bombarding bro in his life, he will just sit and play with his and Jake's toys forever! He walks everywhere now and stands from the ground, loves to explore the entire home, including toilets and garbage cans. If a bathroom door is open, he will lift the lid and splash away! (YUK!) ANother pass time for Sam is climbing into the tub and playing with all the bath toys. This is how he chipped his front three teeth! He signs "all done" "more" and waves saying "ba ba" when people leave. He also says mama, dada, neenee (Lyndee) and hot (ot). This morning he added the lovely word "no" as Matt said "come on Sam" (out of the bathroom). Sam looked up at him, shook his head three times saying "no". He will go to anyone, and loves being held and snuggled. When he goes to sleep he has to have his blue blankie and he pulls it into his mouth while sucking his left thumb (only at bedtime). He eats anything and everything you put infront of him and he also enjoys eating sand and dirt (we're actually thinking about getting him tested for anemia on that one!) He has just been such a delight and we look forward to watching more of his personality unveil as this year goes on and he grows and learns more each day! Stay tuned...

The Worm

2009-01-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had some gardening to do, and Jake was happy to help pull weeds.`I called him over when I found a huge earth worm, but I didn't think he would even have the guts to touch it, maybe just look. I was wrong. The poor guy ended up enduring 45 minutes of two year old torture, and made it out alive! Jake was playing with Sam's school bus he got for his birthday and he decided that the worm needed to ride in the bus. He put him in the bus and was giving him a "ride". So the worm scoots to the back of the bus, and Jake says, "oh no mommy! The worm is trying to get out!" me-he probably wants to get out buddy, just let him out. J- NO! So he shuts the back gate of the bus. Then the worm goes toward the front door, and again Jake panics, "MOM, he's trying to get out the door!" me-ok, let him out buddy, he doesn't like it, just set him free." And Jake continues to close the door on the worm, even shutting the door ON him a few times, and I could not BELEIEVE the thing lived through all the squishes. Meanwhile, I'm laughing in my head that we're having this conversation about the worm like it's a real person on a real bus, trying to get off the bus and Jake is standing in the way (which would be totally realistic). Then he says, "I can't wait to tell Daddy! He will be SO excited that we found this worm!" To which I laughed out loud (for those who know Matt, you know that is the FURTHEST thing from the truth!

Funny Jake comments

2008-12-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

So a few days ago Jake fell off our coffee table and jacked his ear up. We took him into Matt's clinic at ASU and he put little bandages on them that I forget their name. Anyway, last night I was trying to peel them off in the bath and explained to him that it wouldn't hurt, but they need to be changed after the bath. He's shaking his head no and squirming away from me and finally, he put his hand up (like "stop") and said "NO MOM! You're NOT a doctor!" Of course Matt was in ear's length so he had to come to the rescue with a big cheesy grin and say, "what do you need Jake, daddy's here!"

Today Jake was helping me push the hershey kisses in the middle of peanut butter blossom cookies. We were unwrapping the candies and he picked up the package and said, "this says 'delicious'" then he flipped it over, "and this says 'good for you, grow food'". (We talk about how he has to eat grow food to get big and strong, and before he eats sweets)

Our Little Star

2008-12-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight Jake "performed" his first role in our church Christmas Program. They did a modern day story of Jesus' birth. Jake was one of the stars that sang "Twinkle Twinkle Great Big Star, God has placed us where we are, Shining Big and Shining Bright, To show us Christ was born tonight..." And they did a rhyme, Jake's favorite part, "God made my face, my toes and my hands, I have a place in God's great plans" It was so cute that I had to record it, but it's fuzzy because it was really dark and my camera didn't like that. The video didn't pick it up but when Jake turns towards us and holds out the star, in the middle of the song he goes "Look mom, a star!" Also, Noah Skeens had a speaking part as a Shepherd (cowboy), he was so cute! The kids did great and delivered the message almost accurately!

My 30th Birthday!

2008-12-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I celebrated 30 years and it was a great day! My mom took me and the boys to Le Grande for breakfast and a little later we went to the park. You can see Sam partaking in sand (apparently he really enjoys this delicacy!) and attempting to swim with the ducks! That night my sisters picked me up for dinner at my favorite restaurant Oregano's and there waiting (surprise!) was my friends from bible study and mom.) We had a great time and Lyndee made reindeer ears that said "Katie is 30" Unfortunately Matt was out of town at a conference but he made it up to me when he got home! He treated me to dinner at the Rokerij and a night at The Pointe Tapatillo. It was great to have a night away and we picked up the boys after our morning hike for swimming in the heated pools and jacuzzi--they LOVED it! I am so thankful for where God has me in my life. If I would've known half my life ago that at 30 I would be married to MATT SHORES with two beautiful boys, own a great home and have family and friends that TRULY love and support us, I would think it was too good to be true! It's so easy to live in discontentment with day to day struggles, but to reflect on the blessings that God has bestowed upon me, I realize I have SO MUCH! I love you all! Thanks for making my day so special!

Backfloat Ribbon

2008-11-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken two months ago when Jake got his backfloat ribbon at Hubbard's! This is his coach Doug whom he LOVES swimming with! Being a swim teacher I am obviously passionate about children being safe in the water, so to see my own son floating all by himself for several seconds is paramount! And I love that he's so comfortable he goes ahead and crosses his legs too!

2008-11-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Free Child Labor

2008-11-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Jake was so excited about decorating the tree for the first year, it was great! Matt and I just sat back and watched as he took out all the ornaments and hung them one by one, often saying under his breath, "I didn't think I could do but I DID it!" Notice the "grouping" of similar ornaments in the same spots and that they're all in the center third of the tree on the front only! I didn't have the heart to guide him, I just thought it was so cute that he was so into it!

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is Jake's "flagstaff cousin" Gavin who is three weeks older than Jake. They played miniature golf and soccer together (kind of) on Thanksgiving Day at the Downings. It's fun to watch the boys growing up and communicating when they think no one is watching!

Cool Whip Hair

2008-11-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

I was making the cool whip/cream cheese layer for the pumpkin pie I made on Thanksgiving and somehow Jake made it out of the kitchen with my spatula. I look across the room into the quiet living room to find Sam licking off the spatula Jake is holding to his tongue. Next he rubbed the spatula in swirls on the top of his hair as if to "stir" the white creamy mess. It's hard to say "Jake, stop doing that, and bring me the spatula" with a straight face. So I took a picture of the unphased and sugared up Sam instead.

Three weeks later and the candy hilarity continues!

2008-11-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight at bedtime I said, "let's pray" and Jake said, "I already talked to Jesus, the candy is gone....Yord, the candy is gone, can you find it?" As I was silently cracking up, he saw me laughing and joined in the laughter. For like 5 minutes straight we just cracked up together. If you haven't laughed with your kid lately I highly recommend it. It lightened my mood, that's for sure!

The Meaningful Prayertime of a Two Year Old

2008-11-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I went into bed with Jake to say prayers-as usual, but this time I asked him if he wanted to pray. He said yeah, but then it was silent. I said "do you want me to start?" He did so I said "Dear Jesus..." Jake said "I don't know what to say to Jesus". I said "just tell Him what's on your heart." He said " I need candy".

Snapfish:Photo:Shared

2008-11-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Snapfish:Photo:Shared
I absolutely love this picture of Jake and Mia. They are at the Great Pumpkin Festival at Desert Botanical Gardens this October.

Out of the Mouth the Heart Speaks

2008-11-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

So I know I'm not alone in the battle of the candy obsession after Halloween. Every day Jake asks if he can hold his candy (bag). This leads to sorting his candy by category (he is so his father) and even showing me a lolly pop bouquet he arranged in his hand. Eventually a melt down occurs because he doesn't get to eat the candy (either he already had some and is petitioning for more or it's 7 am). Last night Matt and I laughed when Jake's true heart was revealed. Matt took him into bed and was saying prayers. Matt ended with "bless mommy and daddy and Jake and baby Sam" at which point Jake adds "and the candy".

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

The boys enjoy a pumpkin cupcake and fruit at the Hubbard Halloween Party

Jacquie takes care of all these boys: Frank the zebra, Jake-Mickey Mouse, baby Tommy-the monkey, Tommy-Spiderman, Sam the Turtle and Drew is Elmo.

Our little Turtle

2008-11-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get Sam crawling in his Turtle costume on video because it just totally makes the outfit (and him) so much cuter than a picture!

ASU Football Game

2008-10-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Kristen Barnett. I coached her at Phoenix Christian in cheer. She was a captain and very sweet, so we stayed in touch and get together from time to time. This was the first chance I've had to go to one of "Matt's games" and unfortunately we lost miserably (again). But it's always fun to be at the game and catch up with a friend.
By the way, I would've taken pictures of Matt on the field if I could've found him! I guess he moved around a lot so I saw the other doctors he works with but never saw him.

A Tale of the Sleepless Shores Family

2008-10-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

After our long day in Sedona, we were all exhausted. Jake only slept for a total of an hour in the car so I was hopeful for a great nights sleep. Why would I set my expectations so high? He was up at 12:30 for "water" even though he was watching cartoons. That didn't appease him so 20 minutes later he came into our room. In Matt's half-asleep state, he said "com'ere buddy" and gets him up into bed with us (NEVER a good idea). He tells him he needs to go to sleep or else he'll go back to his bed. After a few minutes of quiet Jake says, "Mommy? The oranges (on our tree) aren't ready yet. They're greeeen!" [Another minute of quiet] "Daddy? Guess what's in my pocket? GRAPES! HAHAHAHA, JUST KIDDING!" Matt-"Go to sleep Jake" Jake-"Ok, maybe we can talk about it after the nap." 5 1/2 hours later we woke up and I was shocked that he actually slept in longer in between us than he has in months! {Don't worry, I will never become a co-sleeper fan! All bets were off the next night!}

The Shores Family Annual Sedona Day-Trip

2008-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Every year (this being the 4th) Matt and I go up to Sedona when the leaves are changing and hike and eat at our favorite little area in town. It's been fun to incorporate the kids the past few years. Jake did so great walking almost the whole time by himself. He felt like such a big boy jumping across (through) the creek, and thanks to some thick Timberlands, his feet didn't get soaked (just the shoe!) Sam did amazing on only 30 minutes nap and of course loved the outdoors. The travel was a little hairy with an accident that had the 17 closed (Matt did a great job of navigating us there as there were NO cops to direct or detour signs). On the way back the traffic was backed up into the mountains. It took us 3 HOURS to get home, with crying babies who were tired and hungry...good times! But as Matt and I talked about while we were in it, it seems so miserable at the time, but when you look back on the memories, you remember the fun time you had while you were there, not the frustrating drive.

Mac Daddy

2008-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

So the boys and I are out and about tonight at 5:30 and Matt wouldn't be home for dinner tonight so I decided to go through McDonalds (one of the two fast foods Jake will eat, the other being Taco Bell). So I order chicken nuggets and had the plan of stripping the outer layer of batter-fry on a few for Sam and then heat up some peas and corn. We get home, all very hungry, I open the box, and it was not chicken nuggets, it was a BigMac! Great, I thought, Jake doesn't even eat burgers, and I sure as heck don't. But I'm NOT driving all the way back to fix it so...Sam will eat it! So as I'm scrambling to heat up some frozen nuggets for Jake and make the peas and corn for the boys, Sam is getting more impatient by the second so I'm like cutting pieces off at a time-top to bottom and in wedges. While cutting the final section before he stopped eating, I realized, Sam just ate 3/4 of a BIGMAC! Yes 3/4 to be exact. Double patty, double bun, lettuce, special sauce, even the pickle. I quickly gave him some corn and peas hoping to redeem my poor feeding job, which of course he ate too, but that doesn't change the fact that my 9 month old just consumed approximately 20 grams of fat--which is half the fat we should have in a day so probably what, the amount of fat he should have in a week? AWESOME! Just chalk this one up as another "mother of the year" award! And pray for his bowels tonight. I don't even want to think about the havoc that one will reak (sp?) on his body!

What's the saying, "A Well Fed Baby is a Happy Baby"?

2008-10-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well if it's not a saying, I will make it one! Sam ate more breakfast than Jake this morning, and I was thinking if I could always quantify their portions by the same foods, I would probably find this to be true most meals! Where does the kid put it!?!?! This morning Sam had 3 small blueberry muffins, a scrambled egg and a pluot (plum/apricot)! Jake had 1 1/2 small muffins and a starburst :) (the starburst if he ate the 2nd FULL muffin...isn't that pathetic!?)

October 4: First cool day at the park!

2008-10-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today Nena met me and the boys at Granada Park and it was beautiful! We were there from 10:30-1 and it was COOL! We played on the playground, fed overstuffed ducks (Jake was really upset that they wouldn't eat his duck food, so he fed them cheese) and then had a picnic in the grass. It is so great to finally be back outside! I LOVE the Fall!

Midnight Madness

2008-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

So we thought we solved Jake's coming-out-at-night problem by not leaving his sippy cup of milk within reach in the fridge, not tuning the TV to Disney so he can watch cartoons, and finally putting a gate up at his door, with long and detailed speeches of NOT coming out until the sun comes up. Well last night he surprised us again with a new twist. He conquered the gate and had both TV's on ESPN. Matt found him snacking on popcorn and yogurt covered pretzels watching some sports center! Matt said, "what are you doing!?" Jake goes, "I don't KNOW!!" We have no idea how long he was enjoying his sports center party (population 1) but he was caught twice and we think it was probably an hour in total! Oh boy, what will he think of next!

Such a boy

2008-09-17T13:40:00.001-07:00

So today we were pulling out of church after bible study and Jake says "Look Mom! I got a booger!" He proudly held up his finger to show me (I'm looking in the rear view mirror). I said, "Ok, do you want me to take it?" Jake-"No." Me-"well what are you going to do with it"? Jake-"put it right here on the door". Just to add to the other grease and grime in my child-friendly car!

So much for the "Quick Shower"

2008-09-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I assessed the situation and decided it was a safe time (and my only chance) to take a quick shower before small group. Jake and Sam were both quietly playing in the play room so all was good. I took probably a 3 minute shower, and when I turned off the water I heard "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH" from Sam. So I rushed out in my towel expecting to see Jake laying on him of something, but he was minding his own business, up on a chair in the kitchen doing something at the counter. In passing I asked if he knew why Sam was crying and he said "he's just crying". So I went to pick up Sam and come back to the kitchen, only to find what Jake was actually doing. He said, "look mommy, I cut pear!" with a huge smile on his face. Oh yes, he had a STEAK KNIFE in his hand and had successfully cut wedges of pear (pretty accurately I must say). I lost my breath for a second as I gently removed the knife from his hand, at which point my baby starts coughing and then gagging. I bring him over the sink and start pounding on his back, and out comes a chunk of Matt's ESPN magazine, some saliva, and then a piece of bermuda grass (from an hour earlier when we were outside)! Oh, why do I bother with personal hygiene...

Sam is on the move...already!

2008-09-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, I thought to myself, "I don't think Sam will be on the pace Jake was on with crawling and walking, he seems to just want to hang out more" which would be totally normal at 7 months. Jake crawled in the 8th month and walked at 9 months and a week or something crazy. Two weeks later, the day he turns 8 months, Sam woke up and decided he was sick of sitting still, and now he is RIDICULOUS! The kid is 100% focused on how he can get from here to there and up there. He started scooting a little last week and now this week is starting to crawl more and two days ago started pulling himself up to a STAND! I don't think Jake even did that this early, he's so young and small, it just looks funny! But yeah, he pulled himself from tummy to knees to a full stand on Jake's train table and was SOO happy he figured it out that he just can't get enough of that action! Let the good (and scary) times begin. Seriously, pray for me and my safety attention to the new toddle-r in the home!

Jakester stories

2008-09-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

For all two of my viewers out there :) I had to share some cute recent stories and quotes from Jake.
- When Jake tells stories lately that include him, he refers to himself as "Jakesters"...never Jake. Like, "Mommy! Want to go swimming with Daddy and Baby Sam and Jakesters?"
- Yesterday he went to Nena's and then on to the library for story time. He arrived with typical bed head and being the good care-taker that I am not, mom took him in the bathroom to wet and brush his hair. In the process Jake told Nena that his hair had hiccups!
- Lately he's become quite intouch with his feelings. The two funny things he's said, trying them out, is (pouting) "Mommy, my toys aren't listening to me," and (pouting) "I'm upset with my blankies" (maybe he meant to say ob-CESSED with my blankies!)
- If Jake is trying to tell me something and I say "huh?" or "what?" he'll respond loudly, "MOMMY, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! I SAID..." Yeah, funny, but not cool. This no doubt comes from my attempt to teach him how to politely respond to me when he either doesn't hear me or doesn't understand what I have said to him, instead of saying "HUH!?" 10 times. Looks like he's pulling a little reverse psychology on me!
- And of course my favorite comment that I've been hearing a lot lately, "Sam, you my best friend!" Matt and I get it a lot too, usually accompanied by a thigh hug, which always warms the heart!

The Miracle of the Bottle and a Feisty Baby

2008-08-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

SO I am so excited about what God has done in my life (and Sam's) I just have to share. Sam has not yet successfully taken a FULL bottle in his 7 months of life! He would always just drink 1-2 oz. and then scream bloody murder NON-STOP until I finally came home to relieve usually my mother-in-law! Not only was it getting old, but I needed a solution within two weeks! I started back to work and each shift I've gone in has been totally stressful because the day care provider has had to hold him off and let him cry until I get to my break and can come nurse him. Each day I went in I was so stressed out about when he would need to nurse and if the timing would work out. Also we are going to Kyle's wedding over Labor Day weekend and Matt really wanted to leave the kids, but we can't if Sam won't TAKE A BOTTLE! It finally occurred to me after I felt I had exhausted all options that the one option I had not even visited on this issue was... GOD! I had not even been praying about it! I realized I was talking horizontally about it a lot, but never vertically. So I decided the next day (yesterday)I was going to hit it hard with Sam offering only bottles and pumping all day (which I loathe). I prayed about it that week and a lot the night before the big day. I woke up Thursday with confidence that the Lord WILL provide and DOES answer our prayers, but nervous because of the risk in pumping all my milk and if it doesn't go well (as it never has) having nothing in me to fall back on! I just kept praying...

...I went to yoga and our focus was PRAYER and SURRENDER! Living Streams is honored to have 24/7 prayer at our church this week in the chapel where we meet for yoga. On the alter was a big wooden cross with pinned prayers all over it. All during class we just kept our focus on the concerns of our heart and OFFERING them to God, surrendering them over to him, throwing them off our shoulders. Alisa also talked about her kids being so precious to her, but that they are not really hers, they're HIS! I thought of course of Sam. Why have I held onto this Lord? DO I trust you? REALLY? You CAN do this! You are capable! So I threw it off my shoulders and onto the cross where I pinned my prayer.

...I got out of class and called my mom where Sam was supposed to be napping but when I left him he was screaming. She called me back after Sam woke up to report that dadadadadad (drum roll) HE TOOK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE!!! ALL 6 OZ!!! I got tears in my eyes! This was GOD! Nothing was different except the prayers of me, my mom and several other loved ones! Througout the day I continued to pump and feed him bottles and he took it like a champ! No tears. It was truly a miracle. I had never yet seen God answer such a specific prayer for my children in such a quick time. THANK YOU JESUS! I am still on cloud 9 praising Him! California, here we come!

Where is Jesus?

2008-08-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

The other day we were on the way to work and Jake said "OWIE OWIE OWIE MOMMY MY OWIE HURTS! Will you pray for my owie mom, PLEEEEEASE?" (Does it get any better than your child asking you to pray for him?) So I said "YES! Dear Jesus, PLEASE heal Jake's owie, Lord, help it to feel better soon, AMEN!" So this same thing repeated about 3 more times where Jake shouted "OWIE!" and begged for me to pray for his owie. Then Jake said "Where is Jesus?" (I wondered when he would start to question his physical existence). I said "well, He is right here with us. He's in the car with us right now, he's outside watching over everyone on these streets, he's in heaven, he's in my heart, he's everywhere! Jesus is our invisible friend that we can't see but he IS here! (So I'm all proud of my answer, and after a short pause)..."Where is he?" He obviously didn't get an answer that made sense to him but I was so excited that these conversations are starting to happen and that JAKE is initiating it instead of me talking his ear off wondering if he even gets what I'm saying!

It makes me think how honest and faithful children are. I am so thankful that Jake could just candidly ask his mommy, "where is He?" If only when we doubt the Lord's presence in our lives we could ask the ones we love and trust, "where is He?" and get a true and bold answer, HE IS HERE! He NEVER leaves! Then maybe we would be stronger and more equipped to stand against the devils schemes when we are tempted to walk away. (Ephesians 6) It is my prayer that this is the accountability I have with my most loved ones and can offer to those I love.
Thank you God, for using children to teach us lessons you have for us!

Jake and Halle Skeens become friends while their nutty two year old siblings bounce in the next room

2008-07-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite video clip

2008-07-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

So I love this clip because nothing special really happens, it's just an ordinary day at the Shores home, but that's what makes it so special. It's a true glimpse of my boys interacting and daddy coming home from work ready to "hit the field". Mind you this was spring still so this could take place at 5 pm. These days Sam is not on the grass and the play time with Matt and Jake (yes, exluding me) lasts for about 2 minutes. How many days 'till October??

The Beach is no time to rest...

2008-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

...Batting practice continues! Ok, so this isn't Jake's best game day but can you imagine with all the excitement around him at THE BEACH!? He had only been talking about going to "da beeeech" in "Cal-e-foorna" for two weeks and here we are! Come on dad, give the poor kid a break! Can't he just be TWO!? But if I said that Matt would remind me that pros don't become pros by sitting around and relaxing. (uh-huuh!)

Two Little Monkeys jumping on the bed!

2008-07-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

Mia Skeens is Jake's best friend, and you can see why! These two have SO much fun together doing anything, but being silly and giggling is what they do best!

A Mover and a Shaker

2008-07-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just think it is hilarious that this kid actually gets restful sleep when I watch the shenanigans that go on in his bassinet! Here Sam is, 5 months old, and doing almost a complete (face-planted) pike while snoozing away.