Pull Ups for Seth

Yep. Seth has gone peepee on the potty again. I am pretty sure this isn't a fluke. Because it is such a big pain to keep pulling his diaper on and off, he has now switched over to pull ups. I don't remember when we did it with Brody, but I am almost positive he was well over 2!

Wow. This is just crazy!

You rock, Seth!

Halloween in August

It is still August. School hasn't even started yet. We still have a beach vacation planned for next month, but.... I just bought Brody's Halloween costume. ;) How is that for being proactive?

As a new parent, nobody tells you that you have to buy your Halloween costume MONTHS in advance if you want to get the costume your kid REALLY wants. When you have a baby, you just pick what you want your kids to be. No problem. see photo.


But then, when they get old enough, like Brody is now, he wants to be a specific thing... and that costume sells out before August! Lordy.

So, I had to go on Ebay and buy the LAST 'Hot Wheels World Racer costume' that exists on the planet. Said costume will be enormous on him, as he wears a size 2T and the costume is for a large boy, size 7. So, we are going to put my sewing skills to the test and see just how crafty I can be.

So, a word of wisdom, go NOW and buy that special costume... or you may be too late!

Can I get a Hip Hip for Me?!

Hip Hip Hooray! After MONTHS of not going to the gym because of my broken foot (big excuse), I finally returned to the Y this morning. A for effort! Big pat on my back! It is so EASY to want to stay home in my pjs!

So Far, So Good

Dad made it through the surgery all right yesterday and when I saw him last night, he was eating and talking and happy. He is an amazing man, always positive, smiling, and joking.

As of this morning, he was still in the ICU so they could watch his heart and make sure that the stress of the surgery didn't put too much strain on him. From what I hear today, he will be moving to a room of his own.

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers! You all are such a blessing!

I will keep you posted as he gets better and better!

Seth's Vocabulary

Click here for A sampling of Seth's vocab

That is a link with Seth saying just a few words of his vocabulary. If you are a parent out there, I would strongly suggest recording your little ones. We take lots of photos, bu you forget so quickly what they sounded like and how they pronounced things as they grow up!

18 months is one of my favorite times because of the language explosion!

Calling all prayers

Everyone out there reading our blog, please say a prayer for my dad, Chuck Stockton, or "Pa Chuck". He has just gone into surgery for an aortic aneurysm. It was a planned surgery, but after getting there, my mom and dad have found out that it is a more serious surgery than they were led to believe due to the age and functioning capacity of my dad's heart. For all of you that have known him during your lives, you know his heart is the biggest and fullest of anyone, so we are very optimistic that he will come through with flying colors! Please say a prayer for him and his doctors to have strength of heart, knowledge, and healing in this process. Thanks so much!

We love you Pa Chuck and can't wait for you to be all better!

Nothing like a little healthy competition

Okay, so we have been potty training Brody for about, hmmm, over a year. Since he was 2 1/2 we have been trying to get this kid to use the potty.

Well, today at church, Seth (18 months) keeps pointing to the bathroom door and saying potty. I said, "Yes, that's the potty." But he keeps pointing and repeating it... so I ask, "Do you want to go potty?" Seth gives me a huge smile and says, "Potty."

So, I take him in, pull down his diaper, stand him up in front of it (they have short pottys for the kids) and HE PEED IN THE POTTY!

I ABOUT FELL OVER!

What does one do with an 18 month old that shows interest in potty training?! I will be researching online tonight!

Yippeeeeee!

The Griffon is...

...totally awesome and incredible and awesome. And incredible.

The photos below are not mine, I found them online here.


Kurt and I went on a date night last night out to Busch Gardens for a few hours and then out to dinner. At Busch Gardens, we did NOT go to the Land of the Dragons. We didn't even stop to look at any kiddie rides. We had no strollers to push, we didn't even have a bag with us. It was surreal. I kept having the feeling like I was forgetting something.

Anyway, since it was just us, we could ride WHATEVER we wanted, mainly, the coasters. It has been a while since we have been on a coaster since we always have the kids with us.

The Griffon is the new coaster at BG and it is really unlike anything I had ever ridden. It was incredible. You sit in a row of 10 seats (stadium seating so all 3 rows have a fantastic view) and there is no floor to the "car". AND, since Kurt and I were in the far right seats, there was never any track under us either.


Griffon takes you up and gets you ready for a 205 foot drop, which is incredible. Once you get up to the top, it starts to go down over for the NINETY DEGREE drop, yes, straight down, 90, and then as it starts to go over, it STOPS and hangs at the top, with your arms and legs and hair hanging down for FIVE SECONDS. Incredible.




Then it releases you. Let me tell you, there is the feeling of loosing your stomach on a hill, but when it is literally 90 degrees straight down, it gives you a completely weightless feeling. It was AWESOME.



The second hill on this coaster is the same height as the first hill on Alpengeist, another coaster at BG, and is also a 90 degree drop.

I would recommend EVERYONE to ride this. If anything, just to experience the weightlessness. It looks like a scary ride, but it is over way too quick and really, all you have to worry about is the first drop. The rest of the ride is pretty tame, although it does have a loop.

Anyway, it made for a great evening.

Here is a video montage I found...


Busch Gardens Europe Gives A Sneak Peek Of Griffon To News Media - video powered by Metacafe

My pantry

It is REALLY hard to cook when your pantry looks like this!



The kitchen is officially in disarray!

Yes, I promise, You like it.

My sister Susan gave me a great idea. You see, kids are crazy, completely whacked. I can feed Brody something for dinner and he will LOVE it, eat every bite, tell me that it is his FAVORITE. Then, I can make it later in the month and he will scream when he sees it and tell me that he doesn't like "that"!

Well, I am now taking pictures of the foods he says he likes and putting them in a Word Doc. I ask him, "You like this dinner? I will take a picture of it so we can remember". And he seems excited about it.

Now, when he freaks out on me, I can show him and remind him that, "Yes, I promise. You like it."

Crazy.

An Accident Free Day!

It may seem like a small feat to some of you, but Brody had his first accident free day yesterday! It is the first day in 3 1/2 years that I didn't have to change his diaper!

Yay or Nay?

Okay, I need your opinion, anyone who is willing to give it... Yay or Nay for this as the new tile backsplash?



Also, isn't it crazy how my kitchen can go from this...



to this...




in 2 days? And I am sure it is only going to get worse. Oh, and does any one have any tips on how to refinish cabinets with a toddler who is always trying to get stuff out of said cabinets? Can't quite figure this one out.

Yo Gabba Aaahhhhh!!!

Okay, so there is a new TV show starting soon called Yo Gabba Gabba! It is one of those freaky acid-trip looking shows... and get this, one of the characters is called Brobee. And when they say it, it sounds just like Brody. So, you know how when you are naming your kid, you don't want to name them something like michael jackson or cher or lewinsky, or something that will immediately make people think of something else. Let' s just PRAY that this annoying creature doesnt make it huge and people will call Brody Brobee and think of this crazy thing whose arms are the same length as his legs (the green striped guy):



Here is the link for Yo Gabba Gabba if you are interested... maybe you could start a petition or something. :)

Yo Gabba Gabba!

Pick your adjective

Okay, call me what you will, I may be stupid, frugal, cheap, insane, mad, genius, economical, naive, etc...

I have decided to remodel my kitchen. By myself (except for when I drag Kurt into it. He has no choice, really).

Well, the first item on the list was lights under the cabinet . Done (after Kurt had to come rescue me and finish the job).

Next item on the list, taking down all the cabinets, drawers, etc (35 in all) sanding them all down, applying 2 coats new stain and one coat of clear finish, sanding down all the cabinet edges, staining and finishing them, and putting it all back up. This should take me all of 10 years. I have done 1.5 cabinets and am about ready to give up. Oh, and we bought knobs, too. Lots of knobs. 35 knobs.

After that, we are thinking a new tile backsplash. With grout. Throw in new counter tops, some crown molding, I am sure new paint, probably new window treatments, etc... The fun never ends.

I am probably a cheapskate, or am just trying to live within our means, but you have to wonder how much money it is actually worth to hire someone to do this, especially someone who knows what they are doing!

I will post pictures as we go along... should be a long and interesting ride!

Boxers or Briefs?

Well, it is official. I am sure you have all been waiting to hear, with bated breath. Especially Tony, if you read this, I know you love it when people drag on about their kid's poop. :o)

We have transitioned Brody to underpants. You would THINK that any normal person would not want to pee on themselves, let alone the other option. That would be your assumption. And you know what they saw about assume, right? "u" and "me", etc...? anyway...

Yeah, not so much in the Akers household. Poop and Pee are not things that seem to be abhorred, therefore, we have been spending the majority of our time lately talking about, visiting, reminiscing, celebrating, and focusing on The Potty.

*sigh* This has been, by far, the hardest parenting task yet.

But we found out... and this will show you just how impossible it is to deal with irrational people... Brody was set against underwear. Wouldn't have anything to do with it... but we just found out that he only wanted to wear underwear if the character is on the front instead of the rear. Well, all underwear that has ever been created and is available in the free world has the character on the rear. So, we now have a kid walking around with his underwear on backwards, by choice. I can't wait to see who this kid turns out to be. Should be pretty interesting ;)

Oh, the joys. :)

Is God in my nose?

After taking Brody back into his room tonight, he and Daddy had one of the most important conversations they will have...

Daddy, will you lay with me tonight?
No, buddy it is time to go to sleep.
I don't want to lay by myself. Can you just lay with me for one minute?
OK buddy, I will lay with you for a minute.
Because God is not with me right now.
Oh, Buddy God is ALWAYS with you. He is in your heart and in your room.
Is He in my legs?
Yes, He is in your legs.
And He is in my heart?
Yes, buddy, He is in your heart too.
Is He in my hair?
Yes, He is in your hair.
Is God in my blanket? Is He in my nose?
Yes, God is even in your nose.
Is He in my eyes? Is He in there (pointing to the air vent)?
Yes, Brody, He is everywhere.
Can I ask God to lay with me?
Yes, God would LOVE to lay with you.
Will He crawl up on my bed and lay on Poochie's pillow?
Yes, He would love to lay with you, but you can't see God. You have to believe that He is there and He is always with you.

So after Kurt left, Brody just may have asked God to come and lay with him. :)

Profound reazlization

I was sitting here today and realized... if I had actually become what I wanted to be when I was younger, I wouldn't be at all who I want to be! CRAZY.

I have spent little bits of time here and there throughout my life wondering if I should have pursued a career in singing. I have had so many people tell me that I should be singing, not just in my church choir or for weddings, but really singing.

Well, I wonder how I would be. Would I be as God-centered? Would I have the family that I have now? Would I spend too much time focusing on me as an actress/singer, instead of on the people I love? Would Christ be the center? Would I have Kurt, or Brody, or Seth? Would I have this wonderful warm home to enjoy? I don't think so.

So, how refreshing is it to realize that God knew what I needed more than I did? I was intended to be an artist, but a graphic artist that could stay home and raise my kids, as well as still work. I was intended to glorify God with my singing, in a way that continually humbles me and makes me realize that any talent I have is because of Him, so it should be use to glorify him, and not myself.

Thank you, Lord, for keeping me centered and leading my life in the way that it was truly supposed to go, as only You can.

*what a GREAT day!*

The mystery of life revealed

I have figured it out. I now know why we were placed on this earth.

God created this wonderful world for us to enjoy it, and to give Him the glory. Well, I give him ALL the glory for Baskin Robbins Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream, and I thank Mom and Susan for buying it for my to have at my birthday party! So, pretty much, thank you God, Mom, and Suz! Oh, and I suppose the people at 31 flavors.

:)

Just in case...

... you were planning on running out and buying him personalized pencils, Brody has informed us,

"My name is not Brody anymore. My name is Peter Lunchbox."

"So, we should just call you Peter?"

"Yes."

Everyone got it?

;)

*sigh*

just a really good picture. if only the world was always great natural light with perfect focus.

We are ALMOST there!

In an effort to make our kids actually WANT to spend more time in their PLAYROOM (a room just for them, painted with lovely kids wall murals, and full of all their toys), we have brought in the TV/VCR/SATELLITE/VHS to join the multitude of toys sitting at the bottom of a bin or box, the art desk, and the computer table and chairs WITH computer. Now, I think all we may need is an automatic juice and treat/snack dispenser and they may just want to stay in there for HOURS!

Yipppeeee! tee hee.

18 months is so much fun!

I know that every child is different, but both of my kids were so much fun at 18 months. They are just starting to "talk" and play and there isn't any tantrum throwing or defiance quite yet. Seth babbles a LOT and then looks at you like he expects you to know exactly what he said. I love it. Here are a couple videos of him talking and playing with us.

Our budding photographer

We let Brody take our old point-and-shoot digital camera out into the cul-de-sac the other night. He LOVES taking pictures, and I love the fact that he takes pictures of dirt and shoes and all the stuff that is down on his level. :) Here he is taking pictures. When I upload the pictures from that camera, I will have to post his first masterpieces. Stay tuned!

Oh, and my favorite, him taking the photo of the mailbox, with the lid open, from the back. He was adamant that the lid be open! :)