my memory

I update this blog for one main reason...to preserve my families memories.  I enjoy sharing my pictures and stories with other people (which is why I use a blog instead of a journal - although, I do use LDS journal sometimes if I want to keep things private).  Most of the things I write, I want my kids to enjoy reading down the road.  It is hard to remember the little things, so having this blog serves as my memory.  I enjoy going back and readying though old posts.  Things I wrote only a year ago, I have already forgotten, and would have never remembered had it not been for this blog.  For example, I was reading about how Chase used to hate baths as a little baby.  I completely forgot that because he loves them now, so that is what is in my mind - a bath loving Bubba!  I also enjoy reading about what a challenging sleeper Chase was.  I do remember that, but not the details.  He is such a great sleeper now that I don't remember all the little details about how often he woke up at night, and how he would cry for hours.  It was the most challenging thing that I dealt with during that time, and yet - not even a year later, I really don't focus on that, or remember how bad it was.  Memories are awesome, and I love that we mostly remember the past and all its goodness.  I love having a blog to remind me of how life really was. 

Here are some more little things that are probably not very important to those few people who read my blog, but they are so important to me! 

--I love how Chase gives me the biggest, sweetest grin when he sees me.  If I am coming home, and Jason had been watching the boys, Chase grins from ear to ear, and comes running (which is really waddling) as fast as he can with his arms stretched out.  I grab him, and he cuddles with me, and is so excited to see me.  He has a gap between his teeth, and he still has some teeth that haven't come in.  When he smiles, and I see all his cute teeth with all the gaps, I know others probably think he looks a little goofy...but it is one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen!  :-) 

--I love that Chase giggles and sequels after each bath.  I like to tickle his arm pits (or arm pitties as I call them), and he LOVES playing "where does the diaper go?" game.  I put it on his head, and ask, "Does the diaper go on your head?"  He tries to say "No" but it sounds like a muted, "ooooooooo."  I continue on through lots of body parts until we get to his bum :-)

--Chase still doesn't really talk, but one thing he likes to say is "ME!!"  (which sound more like, Mehhhhh.  Who wants a cookie?  "MEE!!"  Who wants to eat dinner?  "MEE!"  Who wants to go outside?  "MEEE!!"

--Wesley loves to talk to Grandma on the phone, and Chase really wnats to talk to.  He loves holding the phone, and will just "talk" and "talk" to grandma.  He doesn't say any understandable words, but he sure sounds cute while doing it!

--Chase often wakes up in the middle of the night if his pacifier has fallen between the slits in his crib.  I groggily get up, walk to the boys room, search around for it, and he goes right back to sleep.  Wesley sleeps though Chase's screaming, which is awesome so I don't have to worry about rushing in if Chase is crying. 

--One day the boys were standing next to each other, and we heard one of them pass gas.  I asked, "Who Tooted?!  Chase pointed right away at Wesley!! 

--Wesley has been scared of Monsters in the dark, and other "scary things."  I try to reassure him that everything will be fine.  Unfortunately, his absolute favorite book right now is a children's book by M, Night Shamalon (no idea how to spell that!) called Lady in the Water.    He wants to read it over and over.  I made the mistake of reading it really spooky, and even adding some screams in.  He LOVED it, but I think it activated his already overly active imagination. 

--One night I was putting him to bed.  He said, "Mommy - I have a question"  I asked what is was, and he said, "You know what?  I Love you!"  Sweet boy :-)

--He often says, "I have a question"  or "I have a statement"  He still gets the two confused, but he is getting pretty good.  He has a whole lot of questions and things to say all day.  He will hear someone tell a story...any story, and he will turn it into a story that happened to him.  He turn a little 10 second blerb he overheard someone say into a 10 minute story.  One day we were driving with my mom, and he seriously talked non stop for the 15-20 minutes we were in the car. 

--Wesley gets sooo mad and frustrated so easily.  If he doesn't get his way, he raises his voice, or cries, or starts to almost panic.  I am writing this because I hope one day he will learn that that is not an appropriate way to act, and maybe I will forget how upset he became over little things.  This will jog my memory! 

--I love that Chase will cuddle with me in the mornings, even if he is wide awake.  At Chase's age, Wesley just wanted to run around and play.  If Chase wakes up a little too early in the morning, I will bring him in my bed, and cuddle with him on my left side like I did when he was a baby.  He will just lay there, sucking on his pacifier, twiddling his little blanket, and cuddling with Mommy until I am ready to get up.

--I love that Wesley loves to "help" me in the kitchen.  He wants to sit on the counter next to me, and watch me put ingredients in the bowl.  If i don't watch him carefully, he will try to scoop up left over crumbs and who knows what to put in the bowl too!!

--At church at the end of last year, we took all the nursery kids into Primary to get them accustomed to the new environment they were going to be in this year.  Wesley and the nursery kids only stayed a few minutes, but as they were getting ready to leave, Wesley got upset and said, "Wait!  I need to say Thank you!"  THe leader kind of wanted to rush them out, but the Primary counselor said, "Its ok!  Let the boy say thank you!"  Cute little Wesley marched up to the front and told the President who gave the lesson, "Thank you!!"  It was definitely a proud Mommy moment! 

--Wesley is very outspoken, and will say things how they are.  He asked his piano teacher why she has so many wrinkles.  He asked my mom "what the big tummy" was on an overweight man.  He has asked me where babies come out of, and when Jason vaguely told him (in a way a three year old can understand), he wanted to see for himself on Mommy.  Ya...not going to happen!  :-)  He wants to know (loudly) why the man behind us is sleeping in church.  He squished my bra in church, and wanted to know what was in there.  "Mommy - are these two babies in your tummy?!"  The list could go on!

--Chase wants to read the same four books over and over again.  He will gladly sit though a book he picks out.  However, if I try to pick a new book out?  Forget it!

--Wesley calls a Hamburger, a "Hain-ga-ber"

--Each Morning Wesley gives me a cute smile and says, "good Morning Mommy!"  Which is them usually followed by, "Can I have some special milk?"  and "Can I watch some cartoons?"  I usually remind him to ask nicely, and he then says, "May you please get me some special milk?"  

--On Wesley's first day of Primary he was pretty crazy.  I walked in near the end, and he was running around, screaming, tearing up paper, and being silly.  Luckily, the next week he was great.  We will see how it continues, but I think I am officially the parent of "that kid."   His teachers are so sweet and loving.  Hopefully, his teachers and leaders will learn to work with his quirks, and will learn to love his sweet, silly and crazy personality, and not go too crazy themselves :-)  

--Wesley and Chase like to steal my glasses and try them on.  They have been bent, and re-bent over and over. They almost broke a few times (as well as Jason's).  Fingerprints cover the lenses all the time.  I get so frustrated when it happens; but now - writing this blog - I realize they are sooo little.  It is so not worth getting mad at them for getting dirty little smudges all over the lens.  They will be grown soon, and my glasses will be all clean, and I will feel bad for all the times I raised my voice over something so trivial :-( 

--Every time I turn my back, either Wesley or Chase is getting into something they shouldn't, or making a mess.  They like to pull up the stool to the kitchen counter, and reach things they are not supposed to touch.  All day, every day...it is an endless battle.  Chase gets my camera, or my phone and plays with them.  He likes to open my wallet and dump out all the cards.  I think I am missing some actually.  He likes to open cupboards and get food out.  Wesley likes to snatch coins or money lying on the counter.  He likes to knock all the mail off the table, and spread it all over the floor.  He likes to dump things out - salt and pepper; crumbs from a bag; toys in a bin; crayons, pens and colored pencils from his desk; coins from his piggy bank; "treasures" on my scrapbook desk, and so on.  I really do feel like I am cleaning up messes all day.  I don't mind it - I just wish things would stay cleaner for longer than a minute, lol.  However, I know it is not easy to remember this in the moment, but I know that they will be grown soon, and I have the rest of my life to have a clean house.  I will miss the toys, and the sweet little baby hands trying to knock down everything from my shelf.  I will miss a sweet little Chase pulling on my pants trying to tell me he wants to eat food, or he wants to brush his teeth, or that he wants to be held.  I will miss the hand-prints on my bathroom mirrors, and having a little guy at my feet while I am getting ready for the day as he pulls all the items out of my drawers.  I think it will be a sad day when all of my kids are in school, and I am getting ready all by myself without a little boy crying to be held, or trying to give me hugs.  I know someone who lost a child, and she constantly reminds those of us who are lucky enough to have sweet little kids running around, to enjoy it.  To now worry about the mess, or the fussing - to just be grateful we have kids making a mess, and that they are healthy.  This is another reason I love having a blog - writing this all out sure puts it in perspective.

I think this is enough for tonight.  I am going to try to make sure to document the little things, because I know the little things are what make up the majority of life.  I love my boys, and I love all the sweet, quirky, amazing, and beautiful moments of life.  It is easy to remember the big things, but it is the little things I don't want to forget!