Almost every night, somewhere between midnight and 4 am, I get one or two little creepers. They wake up from their bed and come and get in mine. The identity of the creepers can vary, most often it's Elijah and Isaac. They don't come at the same time. Sometimes there's only one, occasionally there's none. Sometimes Thomas wakes up and he's one of the two. Whoever wakes up third knows they have to go back to bed because the rule is only 2 people. There's just not enough room for more and they get wiggly and no one sleeps. I'm generally a super light sleeper and I feel them get in or I'll scoot over to make room. Sometimes I'm out so hard I don't feel them get in and in the morning, bam, there they are.

If I get up to go to the bathroom, boom, Elijah's up and following me in there. I sit down on the pot, (tmi?) and there's this kid in front of me sleepily rubbing his eyes waiting his turn, not 2 feet away. Audience, anyone?  As soon as I'm up he's already moving in for his chance. It's kind of funny. Sometimes, though, when I'm all sleepy I get a little annoyed. Back up, I want to say. Give me a little space. When will a girl get to potty alone? I grew up with 2 sisters and 2 brothers in my mother's house with me. I've been sharing bathrooms and bedrooms my whole life. I can go pee and change clothes and no one in the room will see anything they shouldn't. It's a totally random talent I have. As a mom of 5 boys it's come in pretty handy, I'll tell you. Because there's no naked time for this gal. There's no peeing alone either.

This morning I was getting quickly annoyed with the little guy who's up and at em right with me, following my every step to the bathroom like it's his job. Standing there waiting like every morning. It occurred to me in the middle of my annoyed state, he's like a duck following its mama.  It's not like having a couple kids come walking in there to tell me that someone is copying them, or Oliver coming in to just "hang out" since you know, I'm captive for a few minutes. (which also happens, quite a lot)

How weird is that? I'm sure there's a parenting philosophy about setting firmer boundaries and yada yada yada, but honestly, this morning I realized I don't really care. They don't barge in on other people or do it in public or at anyone else's house. Just with mom. Because let's face it, Mom is different. Wherever the Mama duck goes, the little ducklings follow her. It's what ducklings do, right?  I'm sort of proud to have the kind of relationship with my kids that they aren't afraid to get in my space and share it with me. They aren't afraid to hug me at any time in any place. They aren't afraid to ask me questions, like, "Who are you voting for" and "What's abortion?" Yeah, it's been that kind of week.  I want to be an open door for my kids. I don't want there to be a barrier between them and their Mom. That's not to say that I allow them to just barge in all the time. I do have some common sense.

These kiddos, they will follow me anywhere. I guess that's a good reminder to be mindful of where I go, eh?

Learned how old I am this morning after playing "touch" football with some of my family yesterday. Boy was it worth it, though!
We surprised my mom for her birthday. It was super fun!
Even if I'm not that great at football.

Every day when I take the kids to school we go by the airport. The sunrises are gorgeous. Always different and always spectacular. The edge of my picture always contains this tree. The tree is at the edge of a cemetery on the other side of the airport. I've been anxious to go take pictures and today I hopped out with my iPhone to get a couple, all the while pretending I'm using a cool Nikon or Cannon or something. The cemetery speaks to me, and I know by saying that I run the risk of sounding mentally ill. It is a reminder that death is not abstract, it is an absolute certainty that will happen to us all. I don't know the people buried here but I hear their message just the same. Enjoy this sunrise you see right next to us and over us every day. You don't know which one will be your last. Love your people. Love the people who aren't yours too. Make time today.
My Mema in heaven with Jesus, she would say, Bethie-roo, you know what you need to do. Don't waste your chances to do the right thing.
Every sunrise you see is an opportunity. Take it.

It means I've got a date with Dr Who, Sheriff Woody, Yoda, and two Darth Vaders this evening. Be jealous.

Yesterday, Isaac's preschool class went trick or treating at a retirement village. How CUTE is that? I caught the little sneak using both his hat and his pail for candy. He got twice as much that way.

Hope you all have a super Halloween!

Elijah: Mom, did you ever smoke around me when I was a little baby?
Me: Elijah, I've never smoked anything in my entire life.
Elijah: Good job, Mom. You made a healthy choice.

(can anyone tell last week was red ribbon week at school?)

Elijah: Dad you should be Frankenstein for Halloween. You have the hair for it.

Alex

Thomas

Elijah

Isaac

Oliver

Me and Steven. he said we should look to the left. We did.

You asked, we answered.

My hyundai is really low to the ground, which makes it uncomfortable to get my coffee from the window at Starbucks.

When I'm playing music on my iphone and an incoming message dims the music for a moment. Annoying.

When I get my coffee pot ready for the next morning but forget to turn on the preset timer. When I wake up the next morning, I don't smell freshly brewing coffee. I have to go turn the pot on MANUALLY.

When it takes HOURS to upload webcam videos to youtube.

When you need to purchase a bottle of wine or irish cream or whatnot, and you remember you live in a dry county and will have to drive like 20 minutes to cross the county line to buy liquor.

When you can't find a good parking spot and you wore heels that day.

You need softened butter but you have forgotten to put it out so it's hard and cold.

When I can't find a pen and you have to use a pencil.

When I have to take the dangly pretty bracelets off to type because they're annoying on the edge of the desk.

When I switch verb tenses and which grammatical person I'm using all in one post. But I don't care enough about it to go back and fix it. Also when I begin sentences with conjunctions. Or just sentence fragments.

Running out of small paperclips and having to use the big ones.

What are some of your "first world problems?"

What color would you say these eyes are?

Okay, for comparison, I've updated and added the other boys eyes too. I did this once last year, it would be interesting to find those and compare and see whose eyes have changed since then!

Also, don't forget, I'm going to do a video blog with Steven, (he said yes!) so on the post before this go and send me your questions and we'll answer them, to the best of our ability in a video!