It's Official. . . It's in their genes

So, after living with four specimen of the male persuasion, I am firmly convinced that the un-explainable fascination with all things having to do with potty usage, potty talk, potty sounds, and potty smells that is so common among men and boys is in fact genetic and not necessarily a learned behavior.

Cases in point:

• When Gabriel was but a mere few months old, at the age when they are just beginning to laugh, he "passes gas" and he, barely even able to sit up by himself, starts laughing at himself. Please note: he had not yet been around long enough to learn that boys laugh at this.
• Gabriel and John Mark clamor to run and watch a diaper change of Daniel's when it involves a "poopy diaper." They don't otherwise interrupt what they are doing to watch diaper changes. The poop draws a crowd.
• Daniel has even observed the difference. The other day, when I told him that we needed to go change his diaper due to its obvious smell, he went around the house and gathered Gabriel and John Mark saying, "Bubba, Mon-Mark, 'mon (come-on). Poopy."
• When I had to gather some "samples" of one of John Mark's creations to take to the doctor - all three boys gathered around and offered play-by-play commentary along with descriptions and exclamations throughout the process. Sights and smells did not deter.

So, I have long ago given up thinking that this "trait" can be taught out of boys and men. Oh no. All I can do is to teach them the "whens and wheres" of exercising this characteristic.

Aren't you glad I didn't include pictures to enhance this discussion?

Big Men on Campus

So, I know school has been in session for a few weeks/days now. But, I thought you would like to see pics of the biggest little men to hit the campus of Unity Christian School and PALS. Watch out little ladies.

This, of course, is capturing the beginning of John Mark and Daniel's new year at PALS. John Mark moved up to the next class and when I picked him up the first day he demanded to know why I changed his room on him. He didn't quite understand the previous discussions we had about how "big boys move to new rooms." Bless him.

Daniel you will note, has his arm up in the air. This is because he is holding his lunch box which has a very long strap. He always insists on carrying it, but he can't make it stay on his shoulder, so most of the time he walks around like Estelle Getty on The Golden Girls carrying her purse around constantly in the crook of her raised arm. Bless him.

Gabriel was so excited to start Kindergarten. He was especially excited to take his new uber-cool camo backpack with orange trim (which is by the way his favorite color right now, not however, UT Vols orange or Univ. of Texas Longhorn Orange, but somewhere in between). Gabriel loves his school and likes Kindergarten but is a tad upset that they don't spend as much time anymore playing centers.

I am too. For those of you who don't have to spend time in the Education Realm anymore, Kindergarten is the new First Grade. We came home with a list of spelling words ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. While I shan't complain, because after all, we are able to go half-day, I am a little R-E-M-O-R-S-E-F-U-L about the T-R-A-J-E-C-T-O-R-Y the state is taking with its early childhood education O-B-J-E-C-T-I-V-E-S. I am not declaring them to be "Good" or "Bad" yet. As of now, I am only U-N-D-E-C-I-D-E-D while S-A-D.

Gabriel's Plan for His Life

Gabriel announced to me today that he intends to be a builder like Mr. Nathan (who no matter what else he does in life will most likely remain The Quintessential Builder in the boys' eyes, better than Bob the Builder and better than Bob Villa). He intends to build me a hotel in "Florida Beach." Meanwhile he will build a house for himself in "Florida Beach" with a pool. The pool will have a diving board where we can go and do twists. But the best news to me, was when he announced that "and I can take my wife to the Florida Hospital where she can go get her babies."

Oh, if we can just keep it that simple for him. "Yes, son, you can just go to the hospital to get your babies, like you can go to the hardware store to get a hammer and the grocery store to get a gallon of milk."

. . . I Want To Be A Pirate . . .

A week or two ago, we returned from our YFC conference/vacation. We had a great time and the fun kicked off when we got in the car! Our friend and co-worker, "Miss Kate," made the boys a cd to listen to on our long journey. Brilliant idea. Seriously. It was a life saver. Our-hands-down-favorite-song on the cd was Ray Steven's, "Pirates of Penzance" song. It has long been my favorite Ray Stevens song (if one really stops to consider one's favorite Ray Stevens song). For those who haven't heard it, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdMdZ-6NFzA and watch the video of a guy lip-synching it. (sorry the best I could do).

We listened to this song over and over for the 10 hour drive to Clearwater. Over and over while we were there. And over and over on the way back home. Aaarghhh. After a while, Mitch and I wouldn't have minded walking the plank!

As hard as it was to top the Pirate Song, we had tons of fon. We went to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa (saw sharks, saw divers with sharks, saw fish that looked like plants, and petted sting rays) all because our first day was a super-rainy day. We spent the rest of our days going to the beach (where we found a dead sea horse which the boys promptly squeezed to see its blood) and pool. We got to watch a movie while in the pool (a first for everyone) and catch hermit crabs in the bay. The boys (by this I also mean, daddy) also discovered the joy in throwing food off your balcony to watch the seagulls do aeronautical tricks to try to catch the food before it lands in the bay. This was done several times, much to my chagrin.

But everyone's most fun day was when we rented a boat for four hours and rode around the bay with our co-workers, Miss Kate and Mr. Joseph. We had a great time. Mitch was glad to know the boys have their "sea legs" as no one got sick. The best part though was when we found two dolphins and rode along besidethem for about an hour. We were so close to them we could see their eyeballs and hear them blowing air out of their blow holes.

We had a fantastic time and it was great for Mitch, myself and our co-workers to attend the YFC conference stuff as well.

Another high point for me was being able to take off one afternoon and drive over to Lakeland to visit my long -time college buddy, Abigail Scarborough. All throughout college I (with Anna Owens McCracken) would go visit Ab in Lakeland and we would romp around the beaches, Orlando,Tampa, etc. It was so exciting to see Lakeland again, see her parents, her husband, her house and meet her children, Walt and Kate. It was great getting to see her again in our old "stomping ground."

A great time was had by all at our conference/vacation at the beach (or "b*#ch", as Daniel kept saying!).

P.S. My apologies that the pics above of the boys on the boat are horizontal when they should be vertical. Haven't figured out how to fix that yet!

The newest Jolly . . .

. . . well, about to be anyway. Many of you may know we are in the process of adopting a new little boy, but have not been able to see him yet. I thought I would let you get a glimpse of Daniel. Our adoption hearing is next Wed. the 22nd. We'll see what happens.

This was him the day we got him. This was also all he came to us with. The clothes on his back. For those who know the story, it all happened very fast. My bible study ladies and their families came to us the first evening we had him and "blessed the socks off of us." They brought pizzas (enough for a week!), clothes, food, diapers, even an extra toothbrush and other kid necessities. They were amazing.

Gabriel and John Mark have been amazing in this process. After the first few weeks of adjusting to a new kid in the house, they have grown to love him as a brother; they hug on, play with, fight with, laugh with him just as if he had always been here. While it has definitely been an adjustment learning to juggle three kids and all the dynamics that come with that, it has been wonderful watching the boys through this process.

Our Maiden Voyage

So. I've done it. After consistently and quite stealthily reading other people's blogs (often without posting - hence the "stealth") for months, I have decided to take the plunge and start blogging myself. I think it would be the best way to record the adventures and misadventures of our family of three boys.
So. I cannot promise much. I am the mother of three boys after all. In fact, let me just take the opportunity to address any rising expectations.
Be ware of expecting a multitude of pictures. I will do my best, but I am bad at remembering to take them, worse at remembering to download them on the computer, and a novice at putting them on a blog.
I cannot promise new posts daily or maybe not even weekly. Blogger police, that is for you my dears. Let's just say that if I get to it weekly, we will all just be pleasantly surprised.
Less is more. Remember that when you look at my blog. I cannot promise a cool slide show of pictures, links to other sites, polls, and other cool things I have seen on other people's sites. Perhaps once I have logged more blogging miles I will know how to add more bells and whistles.
Really though, I have to remember that if you even know about this site it is because you love us already anyway and maybe won't care that this is a cut-rate production!
Bon voyage!