Atop my soap box for a minute...

My friend Cindy (the one with 39 children) pointed out a very important study to many of her faithful readers yesterday. She has rediscovered an amazingly poignant academic work by Stanley Coopersmith, a professor with the University of California-Davis, who did an exhaustive study on self-esteem. Coopersmith discovered overall:

Students with low self-esteem graded 101.53 on the IQ test, while students with high self-esteem graded 121.18 on the IQ test...a 20 point difference, all other factors considered, resulting simply with how they felt about themselves.

Coopersmith also uncovered some promising information:

1). When the parents spent a lot of time with the children - 82% of the children had high self-esteem.
2). When the parents showed a lot of affection - 79% of the children had high self-esteem.
3). When the parents and the children had a good rapport - 88% of the children had high self-esteem.
4). When the children were held to high standards - 80% had high self-esteem.
5). When the children had constancy of rules - 88% had high self-esteem.
6). When the children had firm and fair parental decisions - 85% had high self-esteem.
7). When the parents dreamed of their children's achievements - 88% of the children had high-self-esteem.

Now, I have to tell you, these are EASY things for parents to do: spend time, show affection, be constant and firm, dream. It doesn't say a thing about buying the child a new video game system or $100 jeans.

I'm holding all parents accountable here, myself included. There are no acceptable excuses for not doing our parts...our children deserve it.

Please, get this Halloween candy AWAY from me!

I'm just sayin'...you know?! Pregnancy and no self-control is a dangerous combination. I'm not even a candy eater, but I swear that big, huge bag of horrible-for-me sweetness keeps calling my name, "Devin...DEVIN!" Ugh.

Sweet sounds

Reagan had her recital last night. All the students taking private voice lessons performed their solos for friends and families. The students all did a wonderful job.

I am partial, however, to our little songbird. All of us were there to cheer her on while she sang beautifully and didn't fidget...now we just need to get her to smile while performing.


Here is Reagan with her voice teacher, Mrs. Gist; two very pretty musicians.

Llamas, Landon

Overheard this afternoon while the boys were sitting in Dad's lap watching Animal Planet...

Landon: "What are dose?"

Hayden: "They're llamas, Landon."

Landon: "No dey're not, dey're mamas."

Hayden (without diverting his eyes from the TV): "No, they're llamas."

Landon: "NO BUBBA! Dey're MAMAS!

Hayden (uncharacteristically patient): "Nope, they're llamas."

Landon: "MAMAS!!"

Hayden: "LLAMAS!"

Dad (with an emphasis on the "l" sound): "Landon, they're called LLamas....LLLLLLamas."

Landon (content with Dad's clarification): "Oh."

Hayden: Looking at the TV with a smug smile full of satisfaction.

Guess who came to dinner?

To Landon's great delight, Dayden came over tonight. She did bring her mommy and daddy and even a brother and sister, but none of that mattered to our little baby-obsessed two year old. He spent most of his time checking her out and relaying all her activities by way of a Landon play-by-play.









Gina says a friend calls them David and "Re-David" as they look exactly alike. I'd have to agree.











Bailey was being very sweet to Hayden who wants nothing more than to impress his older cousin.











Keaton and Ashlyn played dress-up in the girls' closet.











Those cheeks...Oh my goodness, those sweet fluffy cheeks!

Gee, thanks Bro

Hayden got into trouble. I was giving him my sermon on good choices vs. bad choices and explaining to him how disappointed I was in his bad choice. I went on to try and further my point by telling him that what he had decided to do made Mrs. Constance sad, it made Daddy sad, and it made me sad.

Little brother, who had been watching quietly from behind me, decided to "help."

"Yeah Bubba! It made Teaton sad, and Reegan sad, and Susson sad. And you made me sad Bubba, vewy, vewy sad."

Clothes call

As you might have noticed, there has been a theme to Landon's pictures lately. He is either partially disrobed or is wearing nothing but underwear or a diaper...I make him wear something as he'd prefer to go through life in the buff.

The only problem he has noticed with running around almost naked is that when Mommy says it's time to go somewhere, she won't take a partially clad toddler with her. Inevitably, there is a frantic clothes search as few in the house neither see Landon shuck the clothes nor have any idea where he's stashed them.

This weekend I needed to go somewhere and Landon wanted to go with me. I told him he needed to find his clothes.

"I tan't!" he retorted.

"If you want to go with me, you need to go find your clothes," I reminded him for the umpteenth time.

"UGGGGGHHHHHH!" he sighed loudly, obviously taking notes from his big brother.

"Go find your clothes, Landon," I said again as he stomped off.

I hear him going room to room calling, "Clothes, where awe you?"

I waited a few minutes in the bedroom while he looked, hollered, desperate to accompany me on my journey. He came in and walked up to me, his head hung low, looking very dejected, no clothes in hand.

I knelt down to look at him eye to eye as he sighed, "Mommy, I don't hab dem. My clothes tan't find me."

A night of howls and screams (and that was BEFORE we left the house)

It was quite a big night. The tears to begin trick-or-treating began about 4:30. We still had dinner and dressing to do. Everyone somehow found someone to argue and fight with and the two boys were unbearable. Holidays are no fun around here...too much excitement and anticipation for little systems to tolerate.

I forced dinner down all of them and, as usual, the putting on of the costumes was a fiasco. The cold weather forced a change in Hayden's outfit which resulted in a melt-down like no other. I made him wear khaki pants instead of shorts. His response to the change was quite ugly.

Landon just wanted Daddy who was again out of town; not much I can do about that one. Landon's m.o. is that if he's happy and fed and playing; having Mommy around is just fine. If, however, he's tired, hungry, bored, mad at Bubba or just in a funk, the screams for Daddy begin and little will calm him. My frustration level stays at its peak when Jimmy's out of town, much like Landon's, I'm afraid.

The following photo was captured only after I promised them we would leave as soon as they let me take a picture. They begrudgingly gave in.














The above picture depicts the kinder, gentler side of Halloween; a crocodile hunter, a fifties girl, and a cowboy. There is nothing spooky or scary about those costumes.

The same cannot be said for the picture below:

A hormonal teenager and her pre-teen, pre-hormonal sister. This picture makes me shudder with fright. LOL!

Sometimes only a Sissy will do

I am so thankful to Granna and Pawpaw for coming all the way up here yesterday to babysit. They drove 2 1/2 hours here to stay with the other kiddos so I could attend Sutton's playoff game.

All went well until Hayden had to go to bed. Landon was not happy that Bubba was gone and then, after taking role and realizing that not only is Daddy out of town, but Mommy, who is always here, is missing too, Landon decided to get cranky. Fortunately, according to Granna and Pawpaw, he didn't cry, just whined for Mommy and could only be appeased by big sister, Reagan.

He would only lie down with her, no one else, and eventually fell asleep...they both did. What you can't see in the picture, and what I discovered when moving Reagan, is that under those covers, Landon has both legs sprawled across Reagan's legs and was holding on to her arm.

He wanted to be the first to know if she decided to leave him there alone, a move she would never have gotten away with.

Um...what?

I was taking Hayden and Keaton to school this morning. All our district schools are out today but Hayden and Keaton like to go to their school on off-days because the school is open for older kids to just play.

The students get to have snacks, lunch, play outside, play video games, and best of all, they don't have to wear their uniforms. I've never seen Keaton take so long picking out her clothes.

On the way to school, I was eavesdropping on Hayden and Keaton's conversation:

Hayden: "Why are all the other schools closed today?"

Keaton: "Because it's a holiday."

Hayden: "It's a holiday? What holiday is it? Are we celebrating Halloween? Halloween is not today, it's tomorrow, you know."

Keaton: "I know Halloween is tomorrow. We're not celebrating Halloween today, silly."

Hayden: "Then what is the holiday?"

Keaton (exasperated): "Hayden! It's Saint Bernard's Day! Didn't you know that?"

For some people the time change is just plain rough

Hayden was up and rarin' to go at 5am this morning. I know this because I was the one and only family member lucky enough to be up with him.

He took no nap, played outside, and was discovered by his sisters in the above position a few minutes ago.

The picture was taken at exactly 6:47pm...a little too early for bed, but perfect for his (I'm sure) 5am wake-up call for me tomorrow morning.

A night at the Halloween carnival

Steve (Hayden) Irwin and Sheriff Landon

The best thing about brand new cowboy boots is...

They go perfectly with anything...






















or nothing.

Bouncin' in the house

The hot summer days are gone but we've had a few quite warm Autumn afternoons that have allowed hours upon hours in the bounce house. The kids absolutely love the bounce house because of its non-stop entertainment. The parents absolutely love the bounce house because of its non-stop entertainment...and the naps afterwards are looooong.

Wacky Wednesday

This is Red Ribbon week at school and Reagan's school is having a mix-match dress up day. As you can tell, she has quite the school spirit. If you look very closely, you can see some nasty Halloween teeth she's added to her get-up.

Hayden looked at her mouth, thought a minute, and asked with a worried expression, "Reagan, you do brush your teeth every night before bed, don't you?" She assure him that the teeth were fake...and temporary.

Cool candids

Take that.


Back at ya.


Block!

Warning! For experienced parents only or very accepting friends

"I'm gonna get my Mom for this post."

Our children have always had favorite potty spots once they hit the age of realization; you know, the age (usually two to three years old) at which they know they shouldn't poop in their pants, yet they still do.

The girls always liked under-the-table spots, usually the dining room table. They really didn't care if others were seated at the table, which made dinner guests a little uneasy. The point, in their toddler minds, was that no one could see them so obviously no one knew what they were doing. Never mind the odd grunts and the odiferous haze slowly eking out from beneath the table, the girls were content that they were pooping their pants on the sly and Mom would be shocked later.

The boys, on the other hand, tend to use the piano as a hiding place to do their big jobs. I guess you could say that Beethoven had his kind of movements and the Jones boys have theirs. Hayden, who enjoyed under-the-piano jobs, eventually graduated to the potty and we were so thankful. Landon prefers the behind-the-piano position. In his toddler mind, he can't be seen, even though his torso and legs are quite visible and his intentions clear.

Today after church and lunch, as soon as we walked in the door, he made a mad dash to the piano. Jimmy, accustomed to the screams of protest if he dare mention going to the big potty, just told Landon to tell Daddy when he was done and he'd change his pants.

Landon was there a few minutes and then announced, "Daddy, I poop in da Big Boy Potty wike Bubba."

Jimmy, not about to waste a precious second, about tripped running to grab the sweet child and race him to the potty, sure the job had already been done and it would be a matter of awkward cleanup with a standing-up dirty diaper boy.

I ran straight to the bathroom and placed the long-to-be-used potty seat on the toilet while Jimmy hesitantly and cautiously removed the aforementioned diaper. The diaper was clean.

Had this child now decided on his own that this was his moment of potty glory? Was this the day we would celebrate for months to come, honoring the child whose new pooping spot was actually an appropriate, socially acceptable one?

Jimmy got a little stool (no pun intended) to sit on next to Landon and I went to grab books for them to read.

They read one book...nothing. They read another book...not a thing. They read a third book...narry a sound. They read the first book again...to no avail.

Landon then happily announced that he was through and ready to dismount when they heard a small little plop in the toilet water. If we had bells and whistles and confetti ready to go off in the restroom, no little boy could have been more proud and excited.

We screamed and jumped with him and mentioned that the next time he needed to poop, he should come here instead. He was a graduate. Big things were about to happen.

He walked away from that toilet naked as a majestic jaybird, proud as a peacock, and I swear he was two inches taller.

We would never have the heart to tell him that what had hit that toilet water was, in fact, just a "dangler" from his previous work behind the piano. But that's okay. He thinks he did it and that's all that really matters.

Marcus the Carcass

Even when you help Dad set it up in the bright of day...Even when you know it consists of only plastic and wires...Even when you know where each and every cord goes for it to work...













...Even when you watch Dad plug it in and know it's just a silly Halloween decoration for the front yard...














...The very best place to watch Marcus the Carcass when it's dark, is from inside your locked house, on stools, peering through the front door...where it's safe.

No wheels

Little is worse for a 17 year old than to be without her car, especially when she has to bum rides from friends and (gasp!) have her parents take her to school.

In Texas when a student turns 17 they have to renew their driver's license. Jimmy and I didn't realize this, but Sutton did. She mentioned it to me a few weeks after her birthday on a holiday when no government offices were open and the license couldn't be renewed.

When the topic of expired license and, subsequently, no insurance coverage with an expired license, came up again night before last, true panic set in. Sutton and I set our alarms for dark-thirty and made our way to the DPS office in a nearby town. We got there ten minutes before it opened but were still about number 40 in line. And it was cold, cold, cold.

We waited in our line and finally made our way to the information desk. The nice lady informed us that, yes, we could renew her license there.

"Do you have your license?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you have proof of insurance?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you have your renewal fee?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you have your TEA form?"

"Ummm, a TEA form?"

"Yes, without it we can't help you."

We left with our tails tucked, angry at each other; me with her for not telling me she needed a license renewal and a TEA form, and her with me for not already knowing she needed the darn things. Thirty minutes of a sermon on responsibilty followed that I'm sure she would love to forget.

Sutton then informed me that it takes 24 hours to get back the form after you request it from your school (proving attendance compliance), meaning not only was she not driving yesterday, but she wouldn't be driving today either.

The form was requested as soon as she got to school and will be ready today. She will now have to text me when to come and pick her up from school so I can take her back to the DPS station, forcing both of us to disrupt our days.

Her birthday was September 30th, today is October 20th; we are way late with this. It's amazing how taking a car away rearranges priorities in a teenager; what's considered an inconvenience one day (renewing a license), becomes the most important thing in the word once your parents have to tote you around.

Knock knock

Jimmy and I have been very cautious in regard to talking about my pregnancy. The kids know I'm pregnant, they've seen the ultrasound photos and videos, yet we haven't discussed the baby much in case something negative were to happen...we just wanted to give it a little more time.

Now that I am entering my second trimester, we've begun to talk a little more about the baby in front of the children. Last night, for example, as I was heading to my daily treadmill marathon, I was lamenting to Jimmy that my belly is already getting pretty round, lifting my shirt to prove it.

Keaton leapt from the kitchen area to the living room area (in a single bound) where I was standing; she has been waiting for this day for 3 months. Much to our surprise, she began kissing and rubbing my belly, talking to the baby as if he/she were already born and in our arms.

Hayden quickly joined in, moving his sister aside, lifting my shirt and covering my belly with rubs and kisses and sweet words for his littlest sibling.

Landon, who was not going to miss his chance, jumped on the ottoman and shoved both his siblings out of the way. He took one thumb and poked it in the top of my belly button and dug the other thumb in the bottom, spreading it apart much like opening a window.

He then leaned forward, peering into my belly button as if it were the peephole access to my uterus and called, "Hi baby! Awe you in dere?"

Communication

The following is a conversation overheard while the two boys were sitting side-by-side at breakfast this morning.

Landon: "Bubba."

No answer.

Landon: "Bubba."

No answer.

Landon: "Bubba."

No answer.

Mom, yelling from the laundry room, "Hayden Luke, answer your brother! He's sitting right next to you."

Hayden, irritated: "What Landon?"

No answer.

Hayden: "What do you need Landon?"

No answer.

Hayden: "Landon, I'm asking you what you want."

No answer.

Hayden: "So I guess you're not talking to me now; is that it?"

No answer.

A deep, deep, exasperated sigh quickly followed as the "ignorer" learned this morning how it felt to be the "ignoree."

You never know what you'll find...

...when a five-year old swipes your digital camera.

legs:

A lamp:









Henry Lee, our plecostomus:








One "red" hand:

Our fireplace flue (Would you look at those cobwebs! Unfortunately, I can't blame Halloween decorations for those. YUCK.








The little culprit:


I think it's time to put the camera high on a shelf. He's beginning to scare me.