Mom Hands

     When I was little, I used to pull a stool up to the sink and "help" my mom wash dishes.  I don't know if I ever mentioned it verbally, but I noticed how my mom's hands looked different than mine.  She had long, nicely manicured fingernails that she kept in shape herself.  My nails were short and cracked from where I was constantly chewing them.  She used lotion to keep them soft as soft as she could, but they were noticeably not as smooth as my fresh kid-skin.  I could see the veins on top of her hands and there were these, "lines" on her hands that made me wonder where they came from.  My Grandmother Bolen's hands were even more worn and I thought it was just something that came with age.  I was right, but only partially. 
     I had no idea what being a mom does to your hands.  My hands are used for so much in a day.  From washing bottles to wiping butts (both big and little) my hands see a lot of "dirty" in a day.  Cleaning products are used by them to clean our house, I lick my fingers when turning pages in books read to the boys, and they grip smooth leather when driving the boys from one task to another.  My hands are used to cook many of our meals, and even though I try to use utensils, my hands inevitably get covered with some substance.  My hands are "occasionally" used as the rod in discipline, but more than anything, they're used to comfort and love on all three of my boys.  Marcus doesn't hold still often, but when he gets out of the bath and I lotion up his long, slender body, he's as still as can be.  Even though he's so big, he still says, "Mama, hold me" in the mornings when he first wakes up, and my mom hands get to pick him up and stroke his sweet brow as he slowly emerges from his sleepy stupor. 
     Titus has been sick this week with croup (a deep barking cough that brings difficulty breathing) and I've been pretty much the only thing that has comforted him.  In the middle of the night, if he woke up coughing, once finished, I'd give him his pacifier again and he would usually go back to to sleep.  But this week, as I would put the palm of my mom hand on his sweet cheek, he would grasp it with both his little hands as if saying, "don't let go."  It was so sweet!  He's now starting to clap his hands so yet again, my mom hands are used to clap in recognition of his new trick.  I'm also using the tips of my fingers to feel inside of his drooly mouth in search of a new tooth because he has GOT to be teething.  With the amount of snot and saliva that cover his sweet rosy cheeks, a new tooth will be popping through any day now. 
     I write all this to say thank you to not only my mom, but all moms out there who make daily sacrifices of your physical body for your family's needs.  Whether you're a working mom, stay-at-home, or some type of combination of the two, it's obvious that you sacrifice your own needs/wants for that of your family. 
     I had a friend the other day who commented on an old picture of herself before marriage and children.  She said something to the extent that she was, "so skinny" and that was, "a few pounds ago."  Her baby isn't yet 7 months old and she's already feeling the pressures of being tiny again.  I'm all for physical fitness and proper health, but lets get real.  Y'all know that we skip many meals, snack when driving, and don't get proper sleep when you have a little one.  Our body is shaped differently, our hands start to get these, "lines," and (at least for me) my hair is changing color.  What's up with that???
     So thank you, Mama, for all the sacrifices you made for me and Olivia when growing up.  I didn't know or acknowledge it then, but I am now.  And thank you, fellow mama, for all you do for your babies.  It might go unnoticed now, but we will never get these years back with our babies.  Let's make it count.

     And with that said, here are this week's pictures of my sweet babies. :)

So cute!

He doesn't look sick, does he?

Marcus hit golf balls out in the yard while the neighbor's dog watched.

Helping spread mulch.

Marcus moved mulch with Mr. Mace midday.  (M week!)

Titus watched, too.  This day, it was 60 and BEAUTIFUL!

Chewing on a piece of asparagus.

Chewing on EVERYTHING.

Marcus was a good entertainer while we waited for Dr. Love.

When we took Titus to the doctor, the room we were put into was the "M Room." 

Snuggling under the blanket, playing ball. 

Listening to / following along in his book, "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel," who's name just happened to be Mary Ann.  Perfect for M week!

This week's field trip?  Welcome to Moe's!

Mmmmmm!  Moe's!

Still smiling but still not quite better.

"Hey!  Don't wash me!"

Marcus had to get in on the laundry action, too.

So stinkin' sweet!

He is named Marcus for a reason.  He reminds me SO MUCH of Mark, when we were in college, in this picture.  He was wearing a UNCA hat, too. 

Poor baby - but sweet snuggles.

Starting to finally feel better after more sleep and meds.

THAT family

     Before having children, and even a few months into having Marcus, I felt like we (semi) had it together.  Our house was still somewhat clean, so was our car, and even though we were getting a little later to events than I'd like, it wasn't usually due to having a baby (right, Honey?).  We still attended church multiple times a week, we were all dressed in clean, presentable outfits, and the worst thing that I had to deal with was having spit-up on my new sweater. 
     I would see these families out where the children were dirty.   It was not due to lack of baths, but they had a messy face from their previous meal, spills on their shirts, and dirty knees from where they'd been playing.  The mom usually looked disheveled and exhausted, the kids were loud and kinda wild, and their car...oh man, it was a train wreck.  I don't even want to think about what their house looked like inside.  They'd show up places a good 20+ minutes late and apologize thoroughly for their tardiness.
     I am sorry to say that I thought some pretty horrid things about "those" people.  I'd think, "why doesn't that mom wear make-up and try to make herself look better?  Surely she knows how bad she looks..." or "if you're going to be that late, why even bother coming?"  Awful questions like, "why don't they even look at what their kids are wearing before they walk out the door?"  and "can you not get control of your kids?!"  I'm so embarrassed to admit all that, but I find it cleansing to confess my sin and tell you how I NOW see things. 
     I get it.  Really.  I now get it. 

WE ARE THAT FAMILY.

     In my pride, vanity, and Type-A struggles, I still TRY to look presentable, be clean, and have polite children, but that's just it... THEY ARE KIDS!  They're sometimes so unpredictable even I can't foresee what's coming. 
     I used to see children wearing the shoes called "crocs" and say, "not my child...those are ugly shoes!"  I still think they're ugly (no offense) and think they're great play and pool shoes, but not shoes to go with a nice outfit.  So why would I let Marcus wear them 6 out of 7 days?  Because the fit that follows me saying no to him isn't worth it.  He absolutely loves the crocs he got for Christmas and wants to wear them 24/7.  So much so, that he even THANKS ME when I say yes the first time he asks.  He ADORES them. 
     Another example?  Why is he covered in marker and food crumbs when we walk in?  Because despite his shower this morning and being clean, he found markers in the car and "unintentionally" drew on himself while finding a snack on his own to devour while I was changing Titus.   The boy is so tall he can get into the fridge and pantry on his own.  He can even open juice by himself, hence the purple spots on his new white t-shirt.  Do you see what I'm saying, people!?  Even despite my best efforts, we're a mess! 
     I say all this for multiple reasons. 
1) God is using our children to really humble me and make me realize how arrogant and selfish I was before, and still am.  I still struggle with my own quest to keep up and even "be" the Jones, but the Lord knows that's not good for me, nor will it bring Him the most glory. 
2) I know many people aren't nearly as transparent as me, but inwardly you might feel the same.  I share this so you know you're not alone, but also to explain the "why" in it all.  Sometimes people are a mess because they just don't give a hoot.  Sometimes people are a mess due to circumstances outside of their control.  Either way, it's not for you to worry about. 
3) Finally, I find freedom in admitting that we are THAT family now and that I don't have to worry about judgmental glances and haughty looks.  Now you know that we aim high but still fall short.  It's not due to lack of effort, because trust me, I'm exhausted, but it's just a short phase of life.  Why get worked up in appearances?  Let's focus on pouring Jesus Christ into our hearts and the hearts of our children so when they grow up (and it'll be all too soon...) they can know, trust, and serve Him with all THEIR hearts. 

With all that being said, here are a few pictures of our messy crew. :)

The lion had lasagna and lemonade for lunch!  (L week)

Titus pulled all the books off the shelf, so Marcus enjoyed reading them again.

Sweet little Smiley Titus.

Marcus had his first swimming lesson this week.  He looks ridiculously silly here, but overall, did very well for a first timer.

We're such a mess I had to get Marcus to help me mop.

He did a really great job, too!

Silly brothers, giggling in the floor.

This is how you take a shower if you didn't get up in time to before they woke up.

Titus thoroughly enjoyed his pizza crust today at lunch.

Everyone loves a naked baby, right?

A Second "Christmas"

     Since getting home from Canada, my dad came to town, not just to visit, but to bring many of the Christmas gifts that we didn't have room in our car to bring back.  It was like Christmas all over again for Marcus and Titus.  Titus has a new puppy friend named Scout who sings and talk to him and we programmed him to even know and say his name.  Marcus have been more than excited about three main things: a teepee tent, his new set of golf clubs, and a new scooter (just like our neighbor JoJo's). 
     Also since Christmas, Titus turned seven months old and continues to be the smiliest little guy we know.  His nickname, "Smiley Titus," has stuck and he lives up to it, unless he's teething, in which he's quite the grumpy fellow.  He just recently began to cry when I dropped him off at the nursery at church, so the separation anxiety phase is now in full swing.  I don't even get out the door before he's wailing, but for the most part, he quits crying within five minutes. 
     He also was dedicated at our church this past Sunday along with two other babies.  I don't yet have many pictures, but he semi stole the show by babbling/talking loudly and then pulling off Pastor Clark's glasses while he prayed over all three of us.  A dedication is not saying Titus will be saved or even go to Heaven one day.  When he's of age, that's something that only he can choose.  It is, however, a public commitment by Mark and I to raise he and Marcus in the way of the Bible and do everything in our power to live out the Gospel and BE Jesus to him.  We pray for both our boys to accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, but again, it's something that they'll have to choose.  We can't choose for them.
     In other news, both my twin nephews had minor surgeries yesterday (on their eight month birthdays) but are now home and doing wonderful.  My dad also had surgery on his knee and hopes to go home on Friday.  Thank you for praying for his recovery as he has a few tough weeks ahead.  And probably the most exciting news of all for Marcus is that we signed him up for swimming lessons (finally) and they start tomorrow.  Depending on who's in the pool with him, I'll try to get some pics.  Either way, he's super stoked about the chance to get in the pool and learn to swim. 
      Finally, not that you'd care, but I do... I take pictures now on my phone AND using our camera.  The first set of pictures are in sequential order from my phone, then back up to the beginning of the year and you'll see pictures I've taken with our camera.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but I figured more pictures was better, right?

So very excited about sitting up in the bath.

Sweetness playing with "Scout."

All bundled up to go shovel snow when it was 7 degrees outside.

Hardly enough to shovel, but he wanted to.

He lasted less than five minutes because it was so cold.  I don't blame him.

Sweet Titus chewing on a frozen banana.

On the coldest day in 20 years, THIS is what Marcus chose to wear all day.

Sweet boy!

Sweet Boy #2

Semi-crawling: we're withing weeks, if not days of full-blown forward movement.

This is the coldest I've ever seen or can remember.  Brrrr!  And this is FAHRENHEIT!

Every morning they snuggle on the couch together.

K is for Key!

Playing hide and go seek with a 3 year old is easy.

This boy is LONG and THICK.

All bundled up!

Marcus and his two closest friends at Son Seekers.

When riding a new scooter, Safety First!

Decorating a gingerbread house didn't quite go as I planned...

The roof would NOT stay on.

The main thing is Marcus thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Sitting in his new fold-out chair.

Drinking orange juice from his special straw-glasses.

Like father...

Like son.

In so many ways...

K is also for Krispy Kreme doughnuts!!!

Apparently my lap is a super comfortable place to rest, more so than a bed.

Trying out his new wheels.

He likes them!

Loving Daddy's UNCA hat nowadays.

Hat day!

Can you see those precious teeth!?!

I participated in hat day, too.

How stinkin' adorable is this?

One of my favorite Christmas gifts: a chalk board.

This child LOVES to eat...all the time...seriously.

Look!  A seven month old!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

Preciousness

Working on the letter L this week.  I wrote in red, Marcus wrote in blue.  The only letter in his name I helped him with was the R.  I'm ONE PROUD MAMA!

This is a picture of a picture of Marcus when he was 15 months old in a pair of blue pajamas that were size 18 months.

This was Titus, today, at seven months old, wearing the same pajamas.  Uh oh!

This starts the pictures with my camera.

Mark teaching Marcus how to swing a golf club.

He's actually half decent.

Have you ever seen a cuter pair in all your life?

Sure do love them.

Mark and Marcus filling out the weather chart.

A fun way to match up capital and lower-case letters.

Absolutely cracking up at his big brother.

"He's SO FUNNY!"

Working on his "K" project.

K is for key - a big ol' key at that.

This new tent is fun!

Seriously, they both love it.

Showing off the UNCA hat - again.