Michael William Applebee

1.        Honesty

You, my son, are the most honest person I know.   Even though you try to do things you shouldn’t sometimes, you are always honest about it in the end. 

2.        Your love for learning.

You thirst for knowledge.  There is never enough time to look under every rock, read every sentence, and watch every show.  You have more information up in that brain of yours than anyone I know J  Curiosity won’t kill this cat!

3.        How you look after your brothers.

 Even as the “middle” child, you are the “bigger” child.  You can pick on your brothers, but no one else can.  To see how Greyson looks up to you.  He wants to be just like you. 

4.        “Mayor Applebee”

You can talk to ANYONE.  It amazes me at how you can adapt to any situation.  You can talk to anyone from 2-92. I remember how you entertained a whole room full of adults you did not even know at a party one time.  You were probably 5, sharing stories about birds, and nature.  One man said “not sure if it is all true or not…but he makes you believe it!”

5.        Make me laugh

Never am I amazed at what comes out of your mouth.  You are so funny. 

6.        Your laugh.

You giggle.  I remember when you were little how your laugh was so contagious.  To this day, when you get going, everyone in the room is going.

7.        Take it all in!

I love how you take it all in.  You seem to absorb the world around you.  Analyze it, consume it.  It seems your brain is always going…I wonder sometimes what is going on in there J  The day you were born was an “emergency” because you were not moving.  They were so afraid there was something wrong with you.  I just thing you were taking it all in.

8.        Polite

You make me so proud, as I hear you call people sir, or say Thank you for things.  This will get you far. 

9.        YOU are YOU

There is no one like you.  YOU are so kind, so sweet, so fun.  You make me proud every day.  I thank GOD he choose me to be your mom.  How did I get so lucky?

Jack Theodore Applebee

1.        Your passion for life.

You soak in everything.  It amazes me to see how you have to try everything just once.  However, there may be a few questions before.  How every emotion shows on your face.  There is no denying when you are happy , your eyes sparkle- when you are mad those lines come out on your head (good thing you are not a girl…may be some wrinkles latter on!)

2.        Your kindness for others.

Being the oldest is never an easy thing to do.  But you do such a good job with it.  You help your brothers and teach them.  You genuinely care about how others feel.

3.        Your ability to lead.

Not just at home, but with your friends.  You have this presence about you.  But be cautious because with that comes great responsibility (or something like that right?).

4.        Your dedication and determination to do things right (and win).

In this aspect you are your father.  You are everything about your dad , that I fell in love with.  Such determination and strength.  I never second guess when either of you put your mind to something that it will get done.  Now on the same note, if you don’t win…yikes (it was probably someone else’s fault J!)

I remember when you were born, and so sick.  You fought against every odd they gave you.  You continue to do that today.

5.        Your freckles…each and every one of them.

6.        How you look out for me.

Not every 9 year old kid is worried about their mama.  You do.  You want to know if I am ok, how my day was.  This makes me happy.

7.       Sentimental

WOW, that is an understatement.  I remember when we got rid of the grill we had not used for over a year.  You cried and cried, I had to go out at 10 PM to take a picture.  You get so attached to things, your love and loyalty runs deep.

8.        Responsibility

As the oldest you have always taken care of your brothers, even when you don’t want to.  I hear “Mick-KEY” in my sleep, as you tell him 100 times to do something.  But also even when you were babies you would be the one pushing him on the bike, or holding on to him.  Now with Grey, who looks up to you so much, you help him with his meal, his games, and everything else.

9.        YOU

You are you and there is no one else in the world like you.  You amaze me every day.  Every day I thank GOD for allowing me to be your mama!

9 year's late

9 years ago today, my life changed forever.  Since that time, I have had something on my TO-DO-LIST tat has never been checkd off.  In the boys baby book it says I need to write a letter to them.  I am doing "The Happiness Project" and she suggest getting something that has been nagging you off your to do list.  It is not so much that I don't want to write this letter, but everytime I sit down to do it, I can't find the words to say how much they mean to me.  SO I will try....


30 minutes later:

So the letters got unbelievably sappy…unbelievably long…so I am cutting myself off at 9.  9 things I love about each of them (in no particular order)!

Be very, very quiet....

As you can see it was a rough couple weeks for me.  BUT, thanks to my family and friends, I THINK I have bounced back (knock on wood).

In my efforts to be more positive, and embrace the happiness, I have identified the transition started yesterday. 

We were driving home and Greyson says to Mickey (is his best Elmer Fudd voice):
"Be very, very quiet I am humping rabbits!"  I know so totally inappropriate, but I laughed and laughed hard! 

Ps-I did ask them all if they knew what humping was....Crickets....no one knew.  They just thought it was one of Grey's crazy words (Phewww!)


I also received a FB post from Jack's teacher.  Jack is the "student of the week".  He was reporting on his trip to New York.  His favorite part of the trip...Greyson licking the subway pole.  Yep, out of all of the things we saw and did, that is his favorite.  I just remember my horror when I saw him put his tongue way out and go at least 3 inches up the pole...ughhh!  All I wanted to do was pour a bottle of hand sanitizer on his tongue.  His response "WHAT?  I just wanted to see what it tasted like!"  Now that I look back, and know he did not get any horrible disease, this too makes me smile.

MY 11 Commandements of Motherhood

In reading "The Happiness Project", the author suggest writing commandments for your life.  I thought about this and I thought, well hers sounds good.  But then realized she is not me, and I am not her.  I pondered some more about what I could write, how it could relate to me.  Who am I?  Well right now I am the mom of three boys.  I know I am MORE than that.  I am a wife, a friend, a daughter, a co-worker...I am me.  But what consumes me is being the mama of three growing, young boys.  What I struggle with every day is "am I doing enough". 

I am blessed to have a husband who works in the schools.  This means I have a EXTENDED family unit.  I sit and watch any number of sporting events and see what wonderful children others are raising.  During basketball for example, the high school boys (who do not have to at all), take the time to teach my boys, to talk to them, to LISTEN to them.  My boys learn from their example on how to win with grace, lose with pride and work hard for what you want.  But I know these kids did not turn out how they are by luck alone.  They have parents who are there for them, and from who I can learn from as well.

Here is what I see as my new commandments of motherhood.  This will be the list that I will pray for every night.  These things are the items that I will care about and focus on.  I will TRY not to get rattled by the little things, as I know these are the things that matter.  These are the things I can pray I will instill in my boys.

-Manners are important...even for boys!
      No one wants a child around (or an adult for that matter) who doesn't have good manners.  It is not    acceptable to pick your nose...ever.  Please and Thank you will get you far.
-Winning is not the only thing, Losing is not the end.  It is how you learn and react from each experience.
     I pray that having three boys, they will learn that they can't always win.  However, up until now, that does not seem to be the case.  We have had countless tantrums and fights due to who won, how they won.  How the video game cheats.  Really???
-Flush the toilet and put the toilet seat down.
     One day their future wives will thank me for this.  I will sacrifice the countless "fall ins" for them.
-Your brothers are your best friends.
     This means under no circumstances is it okay to hit your brother with a bat, jump on him after having a running start, or put ice down his underwear.  When you are told to go to bed and are "secretly whispering" to each other and giggling, this makes my heart smile. 
-The house will be filled with faith and God's Grace.
     We are working on this one.  It will be up to Phil and I to teach them to love and trust in the Lord with all their hearts. 
-Don't judge other, or care about the judgment of others.
     I compare myself daily to other moms.  I am trying to realize that as I look to their day and think it may be easier, they may feel the same of me.  All moms yell at their kids in the middle of Walmart at some point (right??)  We do what we do to get by. 
-Education is the path to everything.
     So as you give me the dirty look when I make you do your spelling words 10 times each, or as we fight about what the right answers (I forgot Pluto is no longer a planet...oops!)  This my dear, will all come in handy sometime. 
-Be nice to girls.  ALWAYS!~
     Maybe not today, but someday you will thank me for it.  You will treat them with the utmost respect.  And if you don't I will personally come kick your rear end.
-Everyone is different.
     As a mom, I all too often forget that. I cannot discipline one the same as the other.  One loves birds, one loves sports and one just loves to talk.  They are different people with different hopes, different feelings.
-Follow through.
     Do what you say you are going to do.  No means NO, YES means YES. 
-Unconditional LOVE-
     Nothing you can do will make me love you any less.  I may yell and scream, but I love you.  Even when you put the lizard in your t-shirt draws.  Even when you get that lunch detention, even when you shave your brothers head down the middle.  I WILL STILL LOVE YOU!

2012..New things...

Here we go, we have brought on the new year.  I have struggled keeping up with this blog.  This last week has been very stressful.  Not for one thing really, but just a lot of little things.  None that really add up to much.  My family is healthy, my home is warm, I love my hubby...so I should be happy non stressed. 
Today the morning was a disaster.  I feel bad for the boys because all I do is yell.  I asked 3 (at least) times if everyone had their coats and bags…yes, yes, yes.
So when a special on Tim Tebow came on at 7:30, I said they could watch the segment and then we would go.  I did the dishes; all was well because they had their coats.

Walking out the door.
Jack “I forgot my coat at school”
Me “No you did not it is sitting on Bonnies cage”
Mickey is in the car no back pack, no coat.
Me “Mickey get your stuff”
Mickey goes in and can’t find it. 
I go in..guess where it is?  HANGING WHERE IT IS TO BE!
Grey is sitting in the car, all buckled.  Good job right?
NOPE
We get to the sitters and he does not have his back pack OR HIS COAT!! 
I yell at him and he goes inside and I was bad, left him without saying bye.  He looked back so sad.  J & M were freaking out.  “mom you did not say bye”  I just drove home got the stuff without saying a word.  As I was afraid to speak.

I again know that is nothing, I am so blessed in so many ways, I cannot count them. 

I am truly blessed to have such good friends in my life.  Two of them have agreed to begin a journey with me, that I feel, beyond a doubt, I NEED!  I was told by a friend that they were reading the "HAPPINESS PROJECT" http://www.happiness-project.com/
We are going to read this book, together. 
As the writer said in her book, "Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter."  Did it really matter that the boys did not have on their coats this am?  Probably not!! 
This book encourages you to write a blog, focus on the positive, focus on what matters.  So, such I shall do!