Big Boy Bed, Bunk Bed!

 The twins were just 2 when we bought their big boy beds...we chose them because we hoped that one day we could bunk them.  Little did we know then that we'd be downsizing and glad for the option, but the boys just weren't ready when we moved in last year.  I needed both boys to be overnight potty trained and able to NOT fall out of bed before I attempted to bunk them.  When both of those requirements were finally met in the late fall....we didn't have all the pieces!  Whether the guy from Craigslist who sold them to us never gave us all the parts (which is what I think) or we simply lost them or left them behind in the move (still a possibility) is anyone's guess. 

Thanks, Papa!

SO...we convinced Papa K to make us the missing pieces and paid him with a French dip sandwich lunch.  Thank you dad, and happy birthday today!

C also got his big boy bed assembled the same day, so Grandma K and I were working on that while all the boys worked on the bunks.

It only took a couple of hours and all 3 boys have brand new beds!

Proud as a peacock in his big boy bed

Many many moons ago, the twins decided amongst themselves that M would be on top.  I don't know how or why they decided that, but I'm glad they did because it's exactly what I would have chosen.  They fight over just about everything, but this is one area that they have not.  That's nothing short of a miracle!

C is adjusting slowly to the big boy bed.  He's taken a couple of naps in there but won't even consider it at bedtime.  I don't mind - I just wanted the big boy bed ready to go for the day he decided to jump out of the crib (the way his brothers did and threw me into a tailspin for months). He has about two months to make the adjustment before that crib goes out in May's garage sale!

Tympanostomy Day

Or, ear tubes.

I'm glad it's over so the pressure on little C's ear's is relieved and that his ear infections should be finished.

Poor little buddy has been struggling with them since November.  He had one that didn't clear for two months this winter, and when it did, he still had fluid on both ears.

So he got a referral to an ENT, who turned out to be a Christian doctor who set my brother-in-law's nose when it was broken as a child.

Praise God for small blessings.  He's been very kind and gentle and just wonderful. Which is a beautiful fabulous relief.

Everything went well and smoothly, praise God, and he was in and out just as they said would happen.  C cried for awhile in the recovery room - I'm sure he was confused and uncomfortable, but once he woke up fully and ate his snack and juice, he was almost back to normal, just a little tired and dazed.

in my arms, groggy and sleepy

Feeling better, snacking on cereal before discharge

Those are the the only two surgery photos I got - it was just me and C, as Hubs is caring for the big boys today. They are at gymnastics now, and I'm home with napping C and the washing machine, breathing a huge sigh of relief and thanking God for all of his blessings. 

He's answered a lot of prayers this week, C's succesful surgery being just one.

Two, our townhouse in MN closed yesterday- the 2 year ordeal is over and we are very happily NOT homeowners anymore. 

Three, Hubs returned safely from a 4 day trip to Moscow last week. He said it went well and he never felt unsafe, but our family was on pins and needles as, if you've been following world news in the past week, it seems risky to be a) an American in Russia and b) just flying on planes at all.

So yes, I'm relieved it's finally over.  For the next few weeks we have no plans to have surgery, work internationally, or sell a house.  Praise God!

Heisman the Snowman

He didn't last long but he sure was fun!

Come on, spring!

Heavenly Questions

My boys have been curious about heaven lately, and I've been answering their questions to the best of my knowledge and as Biblically as I can.  In fact, N and M and I had quite an interesting conversation about a book I read recently, titled "To Heaven and Back," about a doctor who, as the title suggests, died, saw heaven,and came back.  When we talked about the book, I thought my kids asked intelligent questions and were getting the concept.

Imagine how pleased I was to learn they were also talking about heaven in their Sunday School class yesterday!  I thought, how wonderful that our church and our family are instilling the same values and that our kids are really beginning to understand such abstract concepts as faith.

Then Hubs showed me the picture he snapped of the kids' questions their teacher listed, the questions their class has about heaven. 

N's question was "Are there frogs in heaven?"

Other children asked, "Are there toys in heaven?"
 "How big is heaven?"
"Can you bounce on the moon?"
"Can you swim in heaven?"

M's was "Why did the pig cross the road?"

Boom goes the dynamite. 

Clarification

• In regard to my Friday post: the term "Crentist" is from the sitcom "The Office," not "Seinfeld." There have been only two sitcom series in my life that I followed regularly, so I sometimes get random quotes mixed up.  My Hubs and his brothers, however, have these brains that can remember every quote from every movie or sitcom they ever see! It's sometimes helpful; for example, had Uncle D. been here while I was typing on Friday, I could have asked, "who said Crentist?" and he would have told me the correct sitcom of course, and the season and the episode and then the script as well!  So thank you for the clarification, Uncle D!
• Secondly, we LOVE our dentist, Dr. M!  As it happens, his MOM reads my blog so I want to tell Mrs. M, we love him very much!  If I write about you in a blog, it is because I love you.  It's how I express my love.  By writing about you.  Strange but true.
• Also, I'm over the whole, woe is me-my kids have a half dozen cavities and I suck at tooth brushing education.  I had a ton of cavities as a kid and so did Hubs.  They're gentically predisposed to a lot of things that are going to cost us a lot of money.  I'm holding out hope that they all get my eyesight and we can skip the eye doctor so that they can just fend for themselves when they find out at age 36 they need lenses.  I'll be 67 years old then and no longer responsible for their eyesight.  
• I'm over the tooth thing because I've moved on bigger badder concerns, like C needs tubes in his ears and where the heck should we enroll the twins for kindergarten?!  I feel like their entire future rests on choosing the right kindergarten.  I know this can't be true, however.  I remember very little about kindergarten besides the fact that I got in big trouble for flashing the class my new big girl underpants at show and tell time!  I'm sure they were awesome, whatever they were.  Probably Care Bares or Smurfs, who knows, but I was proud! 
• As for C's ears, I'm vacillating between denial and acceptance.  Mostly I don't want to see him go under general anesthesia.  It freaked me out when N went limp in my arms for his dacryoplasty surgery at the same age.....  After re-reading that blog post, I suppose I shouldn't be so worried.  But still..tubes!  Swimming!  Hair washing!  (sigh) I suppose it's just more parenting education for me.



My cuties

• That's the news in Busytown.

Cold Here!

C and I reporting that today's weather is COLD! 

Stay warm where you are and hold tight...spring is just 20 days away!