Tanner ... The Days are just Packed ... why Stop to Sleep?

A few evenings ago, I was in the kitchen trying to get a meal together for my hungry family, when my youngest, Tanner, was pulling on me complaining that he was so hungry!! I grabbed a box of goldfish and set him at the table to eat a quick snack while I got dinner going. A few moments later I look over and see him half asleep eating goldfish. He couldn't even open his eyes, but he managed to search for the goldfish at the table and get them to his mouth, chew a few times and swallow. I started to laugh and did what any mom would do ... run to get my camera. Poor Tanner, summer is lots of fun, staying up late, playing outside, swimming in the pool. His days are just packed! We don't get naps in like we should. Shocker, I know! Some days you just crash wherever you are. For those of you that think that I am a terrible mom, yes, I did move him to the couch so that he could rest. He woke up about 1 hour later. The kids had already eaten and were headed to the pool. Mom thought she was off the hook for swimming, but Tanner woke up, ate, and headed to the pool. Rest time over, let's play!!!

Potty Train Tanner ... Check

It is hard to believe, but true!! I have potty-trained 5 kids and now I never have to buy diapers again!!! I am so happy. It is the greatest feeling to know that the last one is done. How is it that my first and my last have been the hardest. I guess that way I can really appreciate it! I told my husband that we need to go out to celebrate our victory. Tanner is so proud of his accomplishment. The other day, he told me," Mom, I am not a baby anymore. I am a big boy!" Finally, he has remembered what mom has been saying for the last few months. No more baby. Just big boy!! Just little word of encouragement for all you moms out there that are in the middle of potty-training : This soon will end. It will take hard work and dedication, but they will get it. Your child will not be going to Kindergarten in pull-ups. :)

My Green Shoes ...

Tanner and his green shoes go everywhere together. They are best buds! These treasures were discovered by my little 3 year old a few months ago when mom was going through the summer clothes getting ready for her Mom 2 Mom Sale. I made the mistake of asking him to try on the shoes to see if they still fit. Luck for me, they are going to work for one more season. It was love at first sight. (Apparently, he has no knowledge of the shoes from last summer) He wakes up asking for them. He eats breakfast with them, takes naps, and I have even found them in his bed. I can't really tell you what is so special about them, but if I would of known how much he liked them, I would of bought a few more pairs. Of course this season, I can't find them anywhere. I guess moms can't see the future. Oh, well. I can't help but smile every time I see my little Tanner and his favorite green shoes. So sweet!

Tanner's 1st Soccer Practice

Tanner had his first soccer practice last night and he could not of been more thrilled! Finally, after 2 years of watching soccer, he can get in on the action. He looks so big in his soccer gear that it makes mommy sad. They grow up way to fast. Like almost every event in our lives, drama occurred. Let me explain....

Steve (my husband) is coaching Kallie's team, so while dad was having practice, I took Emma and Tanner to their practice. We get to the field's, running late as usual, I grab the 2 soccer balls hand them to the kids and proceed to lock the van door. Tanner takes his ball in the parking lot and starts to kick it. When I turn around, Emma is frantically trying to tell me something and Tanner looks like he is about to cry. I soon discover that his soccer ball rolled under a car. No big deal, I thought, I will just bend down and get it. PROBLEM!!!! It has rolled under a Mustang and is wedged way under. Picture this, mom on hands and knees trying not to scream weighing my options. (I could send Emma under the car, but if she gets stuck, then what do I do? I really hope the owner of the car does not come around the corner.) I go back to our van to try to find anything that I can use to reach it. Everything under the sun is in my messy van, except what I need. Then I spot it. The snow removal brush thingy ... you know what I mean. After a few tries, I get the ball free. I look over at Tanner who is grinning ear to ear, "thanks, mom!" Now that I am dirty and sweating, lets go to soccer practice! Ahhhh!!!


It was worth it! Tanner had a smile on his sweet little face that never left. He was so excited to be out there. He was so proud of himself. During one of the drills, Emma and Tanner were teamed up to pass the ball back and forth. Tanner was having some trouble, but he was really trying. The ball would only go a few feet, no where near where Emma was standing. I heard her sighing in frustration, so I went over to encourage her. She turns around in disgust and says, "mom, he is just not getting this!" Emma can always make us laugh. "It is the first practice, Emma, he will do better next time." Good job Emma and Tanner. We are so proud of you guys!

Big sis

Some days managing the chaos of a large family can be pretty overwhelming. Our work as mom's is never done, no matter how hard we try to "keep up with it." But then, God gives us a sweet picture of why we do what we do. Thank you, Father. Today, I needed this!


When you play hard, you sleep hard. :)

Potty Training ... My current challenge!

Potty training with child number 5 is now underway. You would think with my previous experience in this department, I could do this with my eyes shut. Yeah, that's what I thought. I think the pure joy that raced through my heart when I thought of being diaper free has clouded my judgement. Or God thought that it would be helpful to give me a challenge to teach me a character trait that I am lacking or needing to polish. Either way, this is not the cake walk that I was hoping for.

I will be the first to admit that I have not been very consistent. I needed a few days where I could just hang out at the house and let him be in underwear. A few days ago, I got my wish. A sick kid has left me housebound, so I took my shot. The first day was a nightmare!! By 11:00am I had gone through 5 wet messes and one "other" mess that had resulted in a bath time. It was not pretty. By nap time, I was grabbing a pull-up and putting him to bed. The next attempt was much better. By 11:30am, I had no accidents and was bragging to dad when he came home from lunch. When I went to show him Tanner's big boy underwear, he was wet. Great!! One set back, no big deal. Thirty minutes later, I was getting on Tanner for spilling his drink on the floor. "What are you doing, son. Don't kick and splash the water all over the floor!" Upon closer examination, this was no water spill. He was playing in his own pee!! Unbelievable!! This child is not potty training material. Recall!!!!

All Boy!!!

Look at that face!! So sweet!! Do not let this sweet exterior fool you. Tanner is all boy!! When he is not sleeping or eating, this boy is on the move. He loves to wrestle, attack, run, jump, and anything else that will get your attention. He knows he is the baby, but he is convinced that he can do anything else his siblings are doing. Don't stand in his way!! If the kids are playing nerf gun fights, he is in the middle of the mix. If mom is trying to workout, he sees this as a perfect opportunity to pounce. He loves to attack dad and wrestle with him. He runs toward you at top speeds and tries to knock you down. He is freakishly strong!! I have been takin' down by him more than a few times. He plays hard and enjoys every minute of it!! Sometimes I look at him and think, where did my sweet little boy go! He then flashes me a smile and I catch a glimpse of it! Even though at times he is totally exhausting, I would not change anything about him. He can make me laugh with just a look. His facial expression tell you everything he is feeling. (It has gotten him in plenty of trouble!! We are working on it ;) He gives the best hugs and kisses and he loves his family. He lives everyday to the fullest! He is full of adventure and joy. We love you so much, wild boy!

My new personal trainer ... personal encourager?

My running buddy!

Who says that a mom of 5 kids can't afford a personal trainer. I even have more than one!! I know you are thinking, "how spoiled". The best part is that I get their advice and services for free! There is one down side to all this, they have limited experience! Kallie (7), Ry (5), Emma (3), and Tanner (2) are more than willing to help out mom when she is getting ready to workout! The other day I was on the floor doing an ab workout that was kicking my butt. I must have been grunting and groaning more than normal because the girls kept asking me if it hurt. I smiled and told them yes, but that means it is working! Emma looked up at me and said, "mom, just don't do it!" Seems like good advice at the time, but I knew that Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser coach) would not approve, so I keep pushing!! I response with, "mommy has to do this to get the fat off." "Oh, yeah," she says!

Rylee decided that she would give it a try, so she got on the floor and joined in. She says, "look mom, I am doing it! I am great at this!! I have big muscles!! This is not hard at all!!" I did not quite have the heart to tell her that she was not doing it quite right! I just smiled and said, "way to go, girl! You rock!" A few days later, I am doing a yoga routine and Rylee says, "Mom, I am so proud of you!! Your fat stomach is all gone! Look mom is it all gone!!" (I was doing table! Mental note: table makes me look like my fat stomach is gone) A few moments later I was doing boat and she comes over and pats my belly and says, "oh no! it is back, mom! Your stomach fat is back!!" I had to laugh, which messed up my move, but it was so cute!!
Today, my son Tanner woke up from his nap and came downstairs to find me doing that same ab routine!! He says, "what doing, mom? what doing?" I told him I was working out and I would be done in a minute. He hears, "come over here and jump on mommy so that this ab routine will be harder!" I am fighting him off, and trying to get done. I was sore from running, so this was not pretty, people!! I kept telling him it was hurting and he would come over and give me a hug and say, "it is ok, mommy!" It gave me just what I needed to finish. Thank you son!! I always love to get hugs. He was so concerned for mommy and I think was a little confused why mommy was doing this if it hurt!! I was wondering the same thing!! Oh yeah, I am trying to get the fat off!!! I guess I will continue to workout with my personal trainers and encouragers!! A healthy lifestyle will be a good example, right!!! I guess I better not give up! My trainers will be disappointed.

Puzzle Mania

After breakfast, I was sitting quietly reading my runners magazine, when Tanner came downstairs carrying a puzzle. I had to laugh because of the struggle with which he was grasping this puzzle. Out of breath, he tries to tell me something. I use my decoding mommy skills and soon find out the problem. He had a wooden puzzle piece in the right spot, but not at the right angle. He was fired up. He was asking me, "what's broke?" I told him that he had it right, he just needed to twist it. He fixed it and then left with a smile. On the way back to his room, he turns and says, "welcome, mom." Which in toddler, means "your welcome, mommy." (We are working on being polite) I followed him to his room and got on the floor and watched him play puzzles. With every piece he placed in the puzzle, he would raise both hands in the air and cheer. It was precious!! It is so fun to watch my kids growing and learning new things. He was filled with pride. He said, "I did it!!" It was also a good time to practice our colors and numbers. We talked all about dinos and even made some dino sounds. It was fun!!! I love to play with him.

Wild Tanner

As you can see, Tanner is feeling much better. He has now decided that he needs to make up for the week that he was down and out. "Mommy's Wild Child" is an understatement!! Tanner has been stuck in the house for over a week and he was needing to get out! I would love to send him outside to burn off some of that energy, but with the weather outside, that would just be cruel! It is a miracle that Daddy did not come home and find me acting just as wild as Tanner. Being stuck in the house for that long does something to you!! I have to admit that I am jealous how he can find fun and entertainment in the simplest things. For example, running from one end of the living room, full speed, and then throwing himself on the couch, can bring roars of laughter. One time is not enough, he will continue until he is so dizzy that he falls down. You can't help but laugh and enjoy watching him. He has mastered his kung fu fighting face. It makes me laugh every time I see him make it. What a personality!! (I wonder were he gets that?) Oh, to have the energy of a 2 year old, without a care in the world. Thank you Lord, for the blessings of childhood!! It is nice to have "happy Tanner" back. I really missed him this past week. His smile and laugh can brighten my whole day. Love you, Wild Man!!