I cheated

 After our Jackson trip last week all I wanted to do was relax.  When the boys and I are at home we can usually be found lounging in our pajamas.  Why dress up when you can be comfortable???  We enjoyed and afternoon of suckers….

My boys are so different.  If Ford eats a sucker and gets sticky he immediately wants to wash his hands to get the ick off of them.  Not John Brantley.  He was examining that sucker from every angle.  He needed to feel the sticky on his hands, arms, face, neck, ears, etc.

I promise I clean the Bumbo seat!!!

 Ford has seriously surpassed my expectations of being a big brother.  He is excellent with John Brantley and worries about the child more than I do.  The other day he decided John Brantley needed a snack…

 I am kind of like my grandmother, my dad’s mom.  When she would get something on her mind it was going to happen or she would continue to talk about it until it drove everyone crazy.  Well, I have been thinking about homemade rice krispy treats.  The ones my mom made back in 1990 before you could buy the premade ones in the blue wrapper.  Well, Ford and I made some this weekend and they were gone in about 24 hours.

 We were going to get “cute” and use cookie cutters to make fun Easter shapes, but we couldn't wait that long for them to harden!

 Before church on Sunday….

 Today while I was feeding John Brantley I got up to stir something on the stove.  When I turned around Ford had taken over.  He’s such a good little helper!

 Ford loves Big Red gum.  He calls it “hot gum”. 

He is working hard on learning to button his shirt and pants.  That’s a hard skill for little fingers. 
The other day Ford said, “Momma, I need some chocolate milk to keep me warm.”  I said, “Ummm no, that would be hot chocolate, but nice try!”
We were all riding down the road the other day talking to Ford about what he wanted to be when he grew up.  He said he wanted to be a farmer and astronaut and a few other things that I can’t remember.  Trey made the comment that he better study hard if he was going to do all of that.  Ford replied back with, “I’m going to work really hard on my coloring!”  All we could do was laugh!

 Ford literally never shuts up.  Excuse my choice of words, but if you know Ford then you can appreciate why I wrote that.  Lately when we are riding in the car he wants to talk about “strangers”.  I like to take the approach with Ford for him to be cautious of dangerous situations, but not to scare him or make him frightened of things because he will dwell on it for days.  He thinks all strangers are bad.  I tried to explain to him that all strangers are not bad.  A stranger is someone he does not know and that he should never go away with someone he doesn't know.  We discussed what to do if someone “a stranger” were to try to make him go somewhere with them.  He told me he would shoot them with his gun (he has a play hunting gun).  I told him no no, we don’t do that.  After MUCH discussion of strangers he decided to scream, kick, bite, pinch etc. anyone who would try to take him.  He thought that was a good idea and promises to always stay around someone he knows!

 The little man has learned to clap.  He mastered the skill this morning about 6:30 when we went to wake Ford up for school.  John Brantley woke me up at 4:44 AM for some TLC and snuggle time.  Ford takes 100% credit for teaching him to clap and John Brantley is very pleased with his new skill!!!

 You can believe me or not, I do have witnesses, but John Brantley says “Delta”.  Delta would be our beagle.  It doesn’t come out as “Delta”… it’s more of a high pitched squeal that sounds like... De-ta.

 Oh the faces of John Brantley!!!!

Yesterday I was invited to my friend’s 40^th birthday luncheon at her sister’s house.  I was so excited for the invite and a chance to get out of the house for some adult interaction.  I asked Gran and BoomPa if they would watch the boys while I went and they agreed.  I got to drive for 30 minutes in the car ALL BY MYSELF!!!  It was fabulous.  I turned the radio up really loud and pretended I could sing all the while I was getting stared at by other drivers.  When I got to my destination I enjoyed a mimosa, adult conversation, and a lovely appetizer.  Now I will be honest and admit I was B-A-D nervous about what would be on the menu.  Why?  I am a picky eater.  I have been all my life and I desperately wish I could have corrective taste bud surgery.  Trey likes everything but coconut and ironically I like that.  He just doesn't understand WHY I won’t eat certain things.  I wish, I really wish I liked everything.  My life would be so much simpler, but I don’t.  So it was time to eat and low and behold the entire menu was tragic for me.  And let me start by saying that her sister did a fabulous job on the meal, it’s me… not her!!  Salmon was the meat she chose and I don’t eat anything that swims, but I did manage to eat half of the fish.  Asparagus was one of the vegetables and I ate what I could.  Fortunately I saw rice but she put mushrooms in that so I picked around them.  We also had salad.  I like lettuce, but I didn't eat the tomatoes, purple onions, or peppers.  I tried not to make my pickiness obvious by eating what I could and not picking around all the stuff I don’t like.  Oh and I have a confession… I ATE THE ROLL!!!  I did.  I had to.  I know that not eating dinner rolls is my March goal, but I NEEDED that roll.  I’ll give it up a few times in April as well to pay for my cheating.  I did love the dessert; ding dong cake!!!

Regardless of my terrible pickiness, the meal was lovely and we all had a fabulous time visiting and laughing!!!