Thoughts on Permanence, by O

"Jesus is in my heart, just like the marker."

??????

"He is there forever...like the marker."

Still not getting it.

"The marker in the kitchen. It's there forever (exasperated now)!"

Oh! I get it! We were having a valuable life lesson about the meaning of permanent markers earlier this evening.

"Yes, Owie. Once Jesus is in your heart, He is there forever, just like the permanent marker makes a mark that lasts forever."

Training Camp

I Cor 9: 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Owen and I are both in training, for something very important, I am sure. It seems we are both being pruned, the sharp edges of our characters are being softened and molded into traits more pleasing to the Lord. I am learning patience, understanding, perseverance, while O learns obedience, immediate and cheerful obedience.

What a hard, exhausting past few days it has been. I love this little man more than I could ever say. He fills my heart to overflowing, and I treasure the time we spend together. And so these days when we clash all day long hurt my heart so much. I can't stand reflecting on my day and all that really sticks out is disciplining O, over and over again. It breaks my heart. I wish I could take a break, just let him get away with it for a little while, but I know it would be so much harder to correct the issues later on. I wonder: Is this how God feels about me sometimes? He just wants me to obey, to rest in Him, to stop struggling against Him. I am so thankful He loves me enough to keep on shaping me. And I love O enough to stick with it too.

The funny thing is, the rules have not changed. It is the Boy who has changed and grown and no longer obeys without thinking and without question. He is pushing, pushing, pushing back the boundaries, and it is my job to remain firm. I just am so tired!

I love this new Bigger Boy. He thinks things through and reasons with me. He tells the best jokes and has the best smile I've ever seen, all teeth and twinkling eyes. We will both emerge from this with stronger characters and a deeper love for God and for each other. And I can't wait to spend some quality time getting to know my bigger O.

Two in One NIght!

And Episode 3!

I'm Far Behind!

Episode 2 is done!

My Brother's Keeper

Sweet Brothers.

Although they often aggravate each other to pieces,

when it comes right down to it,

they have a whole heart full of love for each other!

Owie keeps Nosy safe as they romp around in the great outdoors.

Ritual

Our bedtime routine with Owen keeps getting extended. I want to remember the run-down (for times when he doesn't need me to tuck him anymore), so here it is:

We read a book.

We say a prayer.

Then we sing.

First, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You," a blessing upon our son.

O has recently added "Oh How I Love Jesus" and "Jesus Loves Me."

(He has recommended we also add "Jingle Bells," but we told him enough is enough.)

Next, the zillions of repeated questions/ announcements start.

Here are just a few:

"I hope I don't get thirsty!"

"I hope I have some dreams."

"I am not tired. What can I do?"

We list: Say some prayers ("Jesus loves to have me talk to Him!"), sing some songs, play with his babies (John and Jeremiah), say his verses...then he always adds "SLEEP!" Great idea, O!

The past few nights, he has been having so much difficulty settling down. He screams and screams in his room for almost an hour, often slamming himself against the door or the wall. It is all very disturbing, breaks my heart just listening to him, and we can't figure out the root of the problem. One night I went in to try to calm him down with big hugs and kisses. This is what he said, all snuggled in and damp with tears, when I asked him what was wrong:

"I am having lots of trouble, Mommy. I keep having so many things to ask you. It makes me sad. But I am your treasure. That makes me so happy!"

You are my precious treasure, O. How I love, love you!

Antics

Nosy-Posy.

What are we going to do with you?

Here are just a few of your latest antics:

Today we had our first battle over fashion. FASHION? Yes, fashion. Noah has a pair of delightful, hand-me-down sandals. Sandal weather is upon us, so I put his sandals on him to go outside to play. He refused to stand up. I checked for sore spots or something poky. There was nothing. I set him up on his feet again. He went all limp and plopped back down on the floor, this time gesturing at his new Crocs. "They are too big, No-nos. You are going to wear these sandals today." The crying started as he was clinging to his Crocs for dear life, but I remained strong. He would wear these sandals! And wear them he finally did...until I discovered that he could walk out of them too easily and leave them behind on the sidewalk.

When I even subtly mention getting out of the bath tub, Scooter flops down flat on his tummy in the farthest possible corner of our rather large tub...and holds tight to his toothbrush as if it will save him from Mommy's reaching hands.

Today he signed, "All done milk." I love that he is putting words together!

Scooter also has said "Mam" repeatedly today when requiring my attention. Have I been renamed? I will answer to anything that sweet Baby wants to call me!

Another new development: When I call, "Come here, Noah!" the little stinker starts walking backwards to escape me. If I pursue him, he twirls around, teeters on one foot, and then runs the other direction, all done with the hugest grin imaginable!

Noah has a very important job to do...and he is all business about it. When I am doing laundry, he stands by the dryer and tosses the wet clothes in. And when the clothes are dry, he sticks his head in the dryer, fishes around for something he fancies, and then totes it out to be tossed upon Laundry Mountain to await being folded. What a good helper!

So back to our question:

Just what am I going to do with you?

All I can do is love you absolutely to pieces!!

Brotherly Generosity

Sweet Owen. Sensitive, tender-hearted, sacrificial Owen.

Here are my Boys hunting eggs. Jeremy is helping No-nos, while Owen does a terrific job on his own. Soon we noticed a trend. Every second or third time O found an egg, he would head for Nosy's Easter basket and plop the egg right in. Jeremy and I didn't say anything, just observed this for a bit. Sure enough...quite a few of Owie's eggs were ending up in Scooter's basket. This continued until all the eggs were found and both kiddos had baskets that were full to the brim.

So now the much-anticipated time had come to discover what was hidden inside each egg: a single, pastel, delicious M&M. This is the next scene that played out:

As I took a few pictures, taking advantage of the fact that the Boys were sitting still with their candy, I noticed something through the lens of my camera. Owie would open an egg and then feed every other M&M to Noah, sharing half his candy with Baby Brother. Nosy was thrilled with this development!

Deuteronomy 15:10 "You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. "

May I follow O's sweet example and be as generous with my time, belongings, affections...and my candy!

Our Easter in an Eggshell

What a wonderful Easter we had this year!

We started the festivities off with an Easter Egg Hunt at Gramps and Yaya's church on Saturday. It was a beautiful morning for searching for eggs!

The three year olds kicked us off with the first hunt of the day. O knew just what to do and filled his basket quickly. When his basket was mostly full, we had to reign the Boy in to leave some eggs for other kids. Once the hunt was over, Owie was excited to see what sweet surprises his eggs held.
My three Guys had so much fun!


The toddler egg hunt was located in the playground area. A few sweet ladies would toss several eggs in front of each wee one's path as they toddled along, and the babies would stoop down and pick them up. Now that's how I like to hunt eggs! Nosy had a good time, except he does not like to get mulch on his hands. Every time he bent over to pick up an egg, he would then seek me out to brush his hands off. Funny Boy! Even so, he got quite a haul!


They had the hugest bounce house I have ever seen set up in a field. It was a roller-coaster, obstacle course, muti-level, very intimidating bounce house. Owen was drawn to it like a magnetic force was pulling him. I checked out some of the other kids waiting in line for a turn. They were all big, older kids. "Are you sure you want to try it, Owie? There are plenty of other bounce houses just your size!" He was adamant. And so my not-so-big kiddo climbed and clawed his way to the top of this ginormous bounce house, overcame all the obstacles (Daddy did give his bottom one tiny shove over a huge mountainous structure), and lived to happily slide down the other side. And then we did the whole thing over again!

Easter Sunday, we joined my parents, my sis and bro-in-law, and some great friends for Easter dinner. Dad grilled steaks...yum! Of our time at the Cody house, the definite hit for the Boys was rocking away on various different rocky toys. The hit for Mommy? New navy blue Crocs for both Boys from Yaya!

Gramps made this pony, whom O named Corky after a horse Gramps had when he was a boy, run like the wind!

Home for a speedy nap and then we got to celebrate the secular side of Easter House of Halpin style!

The Boys are lined up at the entrance to the playroom and are raring to get started!

O's basket runneth over

As soon as Scooter discovered that each egg hid a single M&M, it was pretty much over for him. He'd find an egg and then rush over to me with great angst, shaking his egg, and babbling away. I only wish I could translate baby lingo. I'd love to know what he was so urgently saying! I think his face pretty much tells it all though! "I NEED CANDY!"

The Boys sweetly posed for me so I could get a few Easter shots.

One more stop to go! We headed to Gigi and Papa's for a cousin Easter Egg Hunt and delicious lasagna dinner.

Seriously. Why do we even attempt the group photo? I have hundreds of pictures that look just like this one!

By now, Noah knows the ropes. He's off!

Owie had so much fun racing around madly with his cousins!

What an amazing day to reflect on the sacrificial love of an awesome God for his lowly people.

He is risen indeed!

Botched

Do you notice anything different about my Nosy?

Let me give you a hint:
It's the hair. There is a story behind this way-too-big-boy hair cut.

It was Saturday night, Easter Eve. I had the boys in the tub, getting squeaky clean for Easter. Owie had just gotten a great hair cut from Daddy, one of his best. Noah was getting a little scraggly again. I loved the little curls along his neck line, but the shagginess above his ears was bothering me. I had given him a trim before in the tub, so I thought, why not clean him up for Easter. I grabbed the scissors and a comb and set to work.

I am not sure what changed between the last trim and this one, but that crazy Boy was all over the tub, actually diving to get away from me! Let me tell you, snatching snippets of hair off a small, dodging Boy leads to no good! It was the worst haircut I have ever seen! Big holes of hair missing, scalp actually showing through. I was hoping Jeremy wouldn't notice.

Eventually I got Scooter out of the tub, dried him off, and left him to run out to where Daddy was. By the reaction I heard coming from the living room, I can deduce that Jeremy did in fact notice the missing hair. But Super Daddy to the rescue! He grabbed his clippers and his tiniest guard, and while I held a squirmy No-nos, all the irreplaceable baby hair fell to the floor around me, curls and all. Jeremy did a terrific job repairing the damage I had done. The holes are no longer noticeable at all. However, my sweet toddler can no longer be called a baby, with such a grown up "do." He looks so mature now...and according to Jeremy there is no going back!

Big Boy: 15 months

Weight: 24pounds, 8 ounces (90%)

Height: 32 1/2 inches (60%)

Oh, Nosy-Posy, how you fill my days with light and laughter. Where your brother is quiet and observant, you are all giggles and gang-busters. You only have one speed: full steam ahead! You have an adventurous nature and are always up for anything, especially if you see Big Bro doing it! You join right in and play along just as if you were as big as your beloved Owie.

You are getting much more steady on your feet, although I often see you teetering on one foot, struggling to catch your balance, especially as you do a 180 to catch up with our resident runner. You are mighty fast, and can change direction without a moment's notice, making it especially hard for Mommy to catch you. One of my most treasured sounds in all the world is the pitter-patter of your tiny feet toddling across the floor. Especially when you are wearing pj's or Robeez, that little suck-suck noise on the tile or hard wood as you are prancing around warms my heart like no other.

One of my favorite things about this month: Your signing has taken off! You now put two words together ("More, please." "Help, please." "More milk."). You catch on very quickly to new signs and use them easily. I don't have to initiate the conversation by signing to you first. Often, you will toddle up to me with a toy and sign, "Help," all on your own. You are so conversational! You still rely an awful lot on the old favorite, "Uuuuuhhh! Uuuuuhhhhh," gesturing towards what you need (everything is an urgent need for you!), but as you get more proficient with signs, I expect that will taper off. As for verbal words, we are sticking to "Da-da" for right now, with a very occasional, "Ma-ma-ma-ma" thrown in. Just like your brother at this age, it seems you say some words for a week or two and then we never hear them again.

You should be an add campaign for oral hygiene! You have an adoration for your toothbrush and carry it around like a security item. (I guess that's not that weird coming from the Boy who still sleeps with a ladle!) Your Uncle Kyle is so proud!

Peek?

Your favorite pastimes of late: throwing things (I am trying so hard to train you to only throw balls...but Easter eggs look so much like balls....), taking a bath (Do you realize how awkward a soaking wet, limp, screaming toddler is to pull out of a deep bath tub?!), chasing O all over the house (much to O's chagrin sometimes), and doing anything outside.

You still throw fits occasionally, although I can see you becoming smarter about it. Now, prior to throwing yourself backwards onto the floor, you can be caught checking out what kind of surface you are on. If you are sitting on the carpet when the fit begins, tossing oneself backwards is a viable option. Hard wood or tile is reason to pause and weigh the cost of a sound head bump. Usually a few minutes into the fit, you stop crying for a second and scan the audience through squinted eyes. If anyone is paying attention to your situation, the fit continues. But if we have all gone about our usual business, you will pop right up and continue playing, the fit forgotten. I am on to you, Little One!

Scooter, you are a delight to me! I get excited to see you in the mornings, even though it is so early, eager to see what new surprises you will bring to our day. You light up my life! Love you, No-nos!

Sculpture

I love to see O's creative juices flowing! Today he made a tiny pink bird out of Play-Do. Excellent job, Owie! It's things like this that I want to remember forever...things that make simple days the very best of days!

A Post of Its Own

Our Arboretum petting zoo experience deserves a post of its own. Watch this story as it unfolds:

We arrived at the petting zoo area, a little fenced in arena with quite a few goats, one fluffy sheep, several chickens and one pitiful donkey. All the big kids darted right in, leaving us Mommies with the one year old crew. Will and Evan were very content just to watch their siblings romp around. No-nos, however, who likes to think he is 14, wanted DOWN! So I propped him up against the fence to watch the activity.

The bigger kids were having a great time grooming the goats.

Can you gather from the look on his face that something is just not sitting right with Noah? I couldn't figure out what was bothering him. And then...
...glory be! The fluffy sheep ambled over to our part of the fence. Noah went crazy with happiness: giggling, patting the sheep, huge smiles, lots of jibber-jabber words. Now I get it! Noah wanted to be in the petting zoo, not just watching the petting zoo.

So I scooped him up and ventured in. This is the face he made when I set him down inside the fence. Pure joy!

Right away he started signing "help." He wanted to dive right in and pat some animals. (I was so busy trying to help us avoid goat poop that I didn't have much time for patting.)

Owie is a pro at brushing goats. Noah watched him for awhile and decided that he was missing out.

He toddled his chubby little legs right over to the bucket of brushes, helped himself and chased down a goat! The Boy with no fear started brushing away!

I don't know if you can see his expression very clearly, but Scooter was so proud of himself and having the time of his life!

Lesson learned: Noah is just not the observing type. If there is action to be had, he wants to be involved! I'll remember that for next time!

Arbo Days

We have enjoyed our Arboretum pass so much this year! In the past week or so, we have visited three times, each time with different friends. The funny thing is, the Arbo has so much to do, we have not done the same thing twice

Here's the recap:

Visit 1: Gramps and Yaya at the fish pond

We spent a long time at a new fish pond, hunting for fish. O and "Grampth" spied quite a few!

Lots of love from Yaya

Noah and I blew loads of bubbles

Nosy has the best seat in town

Visit 2: Friends from Baylor NICU

We plunked down at the little houses and just let the kids run around while we did a whole lot of chatting. Unfortunately, it was a damp, chilly day at the Arbo.

Owie and Turner had a blast playing chase

Friendly Nathan

Thoughtful Logan

Holly snuggled with baby Jackson

Noah was warm and cozy, all bundled up.

Sweet Ashley and Turner

Visit 3: Amezcua cousins, Gigi, Oliver and friends Colleen, Hayden, and baby Evan. We participated in all the Mommy and Me activities.

Just look at those sweet kids holding hands!

Owie and Mia were inseparable

Ollie is such a funny guy!

O and Hayden share a secret

O got to join a rodeo! Ride 'em, Cowboy!

We were just in time for Kindermusic. We all spread out our blankets in the back to hear some tunes while we ate our picnic. At one point, Owen ran up to the stage area to grab an "egg shaker" to play...and never came back. I went to take a peak at what he was doing, and what did I find? My shy little boy was right up front doing a little jig with the singer! I observed him for a bit. He was right at home, dancing away with her! The look in his eyes might have indicated a little bit of puppy love for this wonderful musician.

While I was up front spying on O, Noah helped himself to his applesauce. He had a really good time!

Adorable Will. Just look at that grin!