The Yellow Envelope Project

The Yellow Envelope Project is an important initiative that we, the House of Shine, are committed to doing and promoting. This weeks post from Claudia addresses issues as to why one may hesitate in participating.

Please take a moment and read her post. Then, see if you can find it in yourself to at least give it a try.

I can promise you that the action of of anonymously sending out gratitude will invite more gratitude in your life.

To Love a Teacher

This past Wednesday evening JB was trying to thread a long piece of yarn string through an empty ribbon spool but the yarn was getting jammed in the spool and wouldn't not come out the hole on the other side. It wasn't a big spool. Probably only about 3 or 4 inches.

I watched him for a little bit and finally asked if he needed some help.

He sighed and told me how he had the yarn through before but couldn't get it back through. He brought it to me defeated. I tried and failed. I picked up a pencil and wound the yarn around a couple of times and we stuck the pencil through and voila! We had yarn threaded through a spool.

I fished for the compliment. A nugget of thanks. "Who's the smartest mom in the whole wide world?"

And wouldn't you know that little stinker thought about it! He hemmed. He hawed. Then he said this:

"Well, not the mom in front of me. Hmmm... I know. Mrs. Bingham! She's a
mom and a teacher."

What a brat!

I promptly got on email and sent this email"

And this was her response:

Well, I'm glad I made her day. You know, she is a pretty smart mom. And, I know she's a great teacher. If I could only convince her to move up to the 5th grade to have both boys in her class again. (They both had her for the 2nd grade.)

She keeps telling me something about 5th graders smelling. Pfft! Like they didn't smell in the second grade!

A Valentine Card

This is the card that Drew and JB gave me for Valentine's Day:

It could not have been more appropriate as the whole weekend was filled with poop talk and if you get offended easily stop reading.... I warned you.... and ball talk. Not to mention the levels of gassiness.

It's the simple use of the word ball. Throw the ball. Snicker. Dude, pick up your balls. Snicker. Poopyhead.

Boys. I sometimes have to have the mindset of: If you can't beat 'em, join em. But, there does come a point when it is just not appropriate any more and I have to threaten to take away a DS.

The inside of the card looks like this:


Their sweet print.

As I was scanning the card, I saw this quote on the back and thought it was funny. And good advice.

The truth of the matter is they're rarely poopyheads. And JB was sure to point out that it was mostly Drew who was the poopyhead but I don't really think they're poopyheads. Their just boys and boys are by nature.... poopyheads.

They can't help it.

Carrie Smith Photography

I can't wait to see all the photos that Carrie took yesterday. I didn't think I would like the ones with me. I mostly just wanted some good pics of the boys. But Look!



Aw! I love those boys. And Carrie didn't prompt them to be all cute and cuddly like that. They did it on their own. I can't wait to see the rest of them now.

We walked around West End for about an hour and she was really great with the boys. I just tried to stay out of the way because they tend to do better if a parent isn't around.

You can check out more of Carrie's work at her Site at www.carriesmithphotography.com.

Thanksgiving 2010 - Fishing

The boys had a great time fishing at the pond at the ranch. How could they not? You drop in your line and BAM! You got a fish!

My Name is Drew and I am the king of fishing.

Two boys. Two fish.

My name is JB and I am The Great Fisherman of this pond.

Drew has a big one. Well, bigger than most.

Say, "Ah." Or, "Pucker up!"

Brothers.

Proud of their catches.

And, look! I was there, too.

The Orthodontist

JB thought this contraption was funny and teased his technician by speaking chinese with it in his mouth.

Thanksgiving Catfish 2010

The boys and I went with my mom and dad to the ranch on the Saturday of our Thanksgiving holiday. Drew caught a small catfish on his hand line. It was the biggest catch of the day. More to come on the rest of the fishing adventures.

Dear Universe

I took this past week off from the gym after walking in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day last weekend. My shin was still a little sore and my knees were bothering me. On Friday, I went to lunch at Eatzie's on Oak Lawn. What I saw that day and my reaction to it will not leave me.

I had purchased my lunch and was just sitting down at a table outside to enjoy my hot lunch and read. There was a trash can at the end of the walkway. A Latino man, probably in his twenties, approached the trash can, opened it, pulled out someones discarded food and ate what was salvageable. I was struck with sadness for him. I was struck with the thought that I should do something but I was too afraid.

I sat down slowly and started opening my lunch. He walked past me and approached the next trash can. And I just sat there. Doing nothing. Feeling ashamed. And sad. I ate my lunch full of regret.

Why didn't I just quietly give this man my lunch? I could have easily done this and gone back into the store and purchased something else for myself. I could have come back to my office and had a free lunch that is provided on Friday's. But I did nothing.

So I just need to say this: I am so thankful for the abundance in my life and I am so sorry that I didn't do something for him.

Periorbital Cellulitis

One day last March, I had just arrived at work when the school nurse called and said Drew's eye was red and a little swolen. He had spent the night at his dad's house so I had not seen him that morning. I asked if it was oozing any mucous to which she said no.

Okay, then. Send him back to class. I am a firm believer if they're not running a fever or oozing anything gross then they can go to class.

No, she would not send him back to class. So, back in my car I got and went and picked the stinker up. It was a rainy day. Strict instructions here. If you're going to be sick, be sick on a nice day so I can at least enjoy it.

I called him a faker. I didn't see anything wrong. But, I made an appointment anyway just to prove that school nurse wrong!

Crap. What is periorbital cellulitis? And, is it contagious?

It's an infection in the skin around the eye. Here's what Drew looked like on the morning of Day 2.

Hey, Drew! Your eye is all swolen. Shoot, I guess you weren't faking it! I'll keep you home one more day lest that school nurse call me to come back and get you.

I got a lot of yard work done on Day 2. Afterall, I wasn't sick. I trimmed these shrubs. And, bagged them into these bags. (I hate that part.)

I turned these bananas into banana bread. (I love that part.)

The swelling went down throughout the day and the kid was bouncing off the walls, I swear. There was absolutely no way I was staying at home with him again. I'm not one of those moms.

This is what we woke up on Day 3.

Whoa! It looks worse than it did the day before! What is going on here? It's swollen shut! You're going to school. And, stay away from that nurses office!

Guess who called me first thing that morning. Go ahead, guess. Damn, school nurse.

I was not coming to get him! Can you say, "I'm looking for some attention?" You send that kid back to class. He's fine! He was bouncing off the walls yesterday! I'm not coming to get him.

I sat there and thought. And the mom guilt flooded in. What if he really is not feeling well? What if my baby needs his mom?

NO! He's fine.

And, at the end of the day when I went to pick him up, he was cheerfully bouncing off the walls at his after school program. Literally. Bouncing off the walls. And you can see for yourself the swelling went down.

Day 4 was getting a little bit better. And, I didn't feel guilty for sending him to school.

He didn't need his mom.

Funny Face

You funny, JB. You funny.

Love you.