Go Rangers!

This is from Brody's game on Saturday, which he only played half of because then he had a meltdown and cried the whole second half. Oh, the joys of an irrational, unreasonable 3 year old! I do love this picture, though. He actually did have fun during the first half!

Things that I learned at Brody's soccer game:

1. Give the kid time to finish his orange slice at halftime.
2. Don't under any circumstances, break that orange slice in half, because that, in a three year olds mind, is the equivalence to Armageddon.
3. "Your team needs you" doesn't work on kids who have a broken orange.
4. Just grin and bear it. Even though your kid is crying over *nothing* and you are mortified at all the other parents watching you, it is still all wonderful!

No fingerpainting for Seth

Seth HATES to get anything on his hands, therefore no more fingerpainting for him... don't these pictures just tell the whole story!?

Evan, the newest Jedi Knight

I just had to share these... my nephew Evan just turned 7 (yeah, I can't believe it either) so I did these for him and put them in his birthday card. He LOVED them!

Kooky stuff

Okay, so there is some virus that is going around. It is really strange... symptoms are:

• no fever
• no change to consistency of BM (easier to write this than spell the other word)
• no mood change
• 4 hours of vomiting

That is it. Apparently, it is going around like wildfire. Half of Brody's swim class, and the class in the big pool were missing because kids were home getting sick.

I had it late Saturday night before I had heard anyone else had it. I thought I had food poisoning. Well, when I woke up Sunday I was perfectly fine, but Seth had been sick in his bed. He was sick a couple times, then it was over.

Brody got sick for about 4-5 hours last night. It started in his bed at the end of his nap, then downstairs on the couch (2x with towels under him, just in case), and then the poor thing learned the value of keeping a pot nearby for another couple hours (so sad). I slept with him downstairs on the pullout sofa to take care of him. (note to self... buy new pullout bed that doesn't feel like sleeping on rocks.)

Anyway..... this makes for MUCH LAUNDRY.

No exaggeration.... in the past 2 days, I have done NINE loads of laundry. Still two more to go. Considering that Brody's comforter alone is one, his waterproof bed cover is another. Crazy! We just keep the washer/dryer going constantly!

The kids would usually be at daycare on Tuesdays, but seeing that they have had this virus thing, I kept them home today (Miss Mary said she has also had it, but thought it was food poisoning also). So much for all the stuff I was going to get done! As it appears right now, my day will consist of cleaning up cereal that was poured onto the floor, toys that were thrown down from over the upstairs banister, mopping up vanilla yogurt, and reassembling the couch once the cushion covers are done in the dryer.

Sorry for a whiny, pessimistic start to my day! Hope you all have a much better day, with a lot less laundry!

Sucker for a Sweater Vest

I am such a sucker for cute boys in sweater vests on their way to church!

"Fancy Footwork Brody"

I realized that I never gave an update after Brody's first soccer practice. Well, we went again, and things were MUCH better. He loved it! He had his first game yesterday. I wasn't able to be there, but Kurt went and video recorded it and Mimi went and took pictures. Here are a couple of pics (Thanks Mimi!). Brody, who is always kicking up his heels, is referred to by Coach Dan as "Fancy Footwork Brody". I can't imagine why! And yes, that is the smallest size they had in jerseys, shorts, and socks. He looks like he could be a beekeeper, no inch of skin showing! Kurt says the referee got a big kick out of Brody during warm ups. :)

a Post for Kurt

For everyone else, this is a photo that goes along with a sermon we heard last week, but since you probably didn't hear the same sermon we did, this will just be a nice photo... but for Kurt, I want you to notice how you are holding him, but he is holding onto you too!

Remembering the joyous things

It is 1:43 am and I am not the least bit tired. I thought I would find a photo to lift my spirits... leave it to Brody!

Perspective

It has been a week since I last published. I had a lot of cute photos and stories and things that I was going to post, that is, until the shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I am having a hard time with this, but for a different reason than I would have thought.

I am ashamed to admit that I am completely shocked by my lack of emotion. Don't get me wrong, I am sad. Extremely sad. I am angry, at what, I don't know, but for the most part, I am able to separate myself from what is going on just 4 hours away from here and go on with life as usual.

Maybe, over time, the craziness of our world has been desensitizing me to these large-scale tragedies. I remember having a stronger reaction to Columbine, which happened in a place and to people that I had no connection with, other than the television media reports. At that time, I couldn't have imagined that kind of thing ever happening in this country.

But now, today, has it become "thinkable" that something like this could happen? Has it just become easier to go on with life even though this has happened in my own state, in a city where my in-laws live, and on a campus where they have worked? Shouldn't this be so tragic that I am emotionally spent for the families that have lost their children?

My intellect tells me what an incredible tragedy this is. In fact, I wonder if the reason I am so detached is that I just might not be able to wrap my brain around what has happened yet. I am hoping this is the case, and not that I am learning how to emotionally "deal" with this kind of violence in my world.

What is going to happen to this world as my children grow up? When they go to college, will I worry about their safety to a degree that I can't even comprehend right now? Will there be things that will happen in the future that will make the shootings yesterday seem "mild"? What a petrifying thought.

When I really think about it, I realize:
15 years ago, that could have been me there.
15 years from now, it could be one of my sons there.
Right now, it could be a friend there, or my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, a work acquaintance, a friend's child, someone from my church family, or a neighbor.

My point is, these kids were just like US, you and me; ready for their future, preparing, dreaming, planning, expecting, anticipating. And now they are gone. I spend moments of every day of my life thinking of my future, and you know what, we aren't guaranteed another one minute here.

As a Christian, death does not frighten me. It is actually something I look forward to. But I want to be sure that if I were to join Christ tomorrow, that I had lived this magnificent life in such a way that not He, nor any of those students who were taken away so quickly and violently, will be able to stand before me and ask me, "What were you thinking?! You had so much time to enjoy the earth and you did THAT with it?!"

I pray for all the friends and family members of those that lost their lives yesterday. I pray for Virginia Tech, that it will not forever be remembered for "the Virginia Tech Tragedy", but that the Hokie spirit will prevail, and the joy and honor and fanaticism apparent in all the students and alumni will prevail over this evil and will raise VT back up, to show the world what a wonderful, spirited, ALIVE school it is. I pray for this world, for the people that have so much anguish and hatred and sorrow that they could even have thoughts about doing what that tormented young man did, let alone carry out such a monstrous plan. I pray for God's peace, as only he can provide.

Oh, the Guilt!

When we became pregnant with Seth, it seemed that everyone we knew had advice on how to handle a 2 year old and a new baby, or how to handle having two kids in general.

But, nobody told us about the guilt we would feel.

I noticed after we had been at the grocery store for about 10 minutes today that I hadn't said a word to Seth. He was riding quietly and contently in the cart while I was chasing after, scolding, disciplining, searching for, and giving every ounce of energy I had to Brody. And then it hit me... Seth has to fend for himself much more than his brother did.

Maybe that is just the way it is when you are a sibling, or maybe since Brody is so high maintenance, Seth will be forced to become a "behind the scenes" kind of kid. Or, even worse, maybe I am just not as good a mother to two kids as I was to one. This is so disturbing to me! I worry that the MOST IMPORTANT job I will ever have is too much for me, that I am just not getting it done the best that both of these boys need.

When Brody was Seth's age, we would go to the store and I would take toys and snacks and juice. We would sing while I walked through the aisles and I would point things out and name everything that we saw. Now, I find myself mentally shutting down when I have spent every last ounce of sanity trying to get my 3 year old to "put on his listening ears" for the 8th time in 10 minutes. Not to mention chasing him down as he does "open sesame" with the front doors of the store and goes out on his own while I am trying to pay.

How does a mother balance a high maintenance child with one that barely says a peep, one who you could almost forget is there except for the occasional incredible smile?

Oh, there is so much guilt. Guilt that Seth will never have the one-on-one time that Brody had with me and Kurt. Guilt that Seth gets all hand-me-down toys, clothes, furniture, etc... Guilt that Seth hasn't even really started talking yet because we, as his parents, haven't been teaching him enough about the world around him. Guilt that Seth spends time during the day off doing his own thing while I am trying to potty train and run damage control for the kid that washes dirt in the sink, pours juice on his head , and takes all the dvds out of the dvd player and scrapes them on the floor.

Kurt and I have already realized we need to and want to start spending time alone with each child, so each one has one-on-one time... but is there any other advice that anyone can give me? I definitely love my little guys equally, but how can I show them this when one is so demanding of my time and the other isn't? Is this something that all mothers and fathers go through?

*sigh*

Just to make me feel better... here are a few pictures of JUST SETH, including his one year portraits.

Happy Easter!

Just a little yardwork...

You can't really tell from these pics, but we have lawn bags stacked 3 high and about 3 bags deep at the curb. There were 45 bags of leaves and yard stufff from our recent cleanup. Good Lordy! Just a word of advice, never think to yourself, "Oh, we don't need to worry about the leaves this year, we can just get them next year!"

Our Fish out of Water!

Brody had his first swimming lesson today and he LOVED it! It didn't take the instructor long to learn that if she wanted someone to be the first person to try the new skill, ask Brody. He was fearless and loved every minute. He was so upset when we had to leave and I promised we would be back in 2 days. His lessons are Mondays and Wednesdays for 1/2 hour. Not nearly long enough for him!

Unlike swimming, we had his first soccer practice last Thursday, and he HATED it. We left early with Brody crying and saying that he didn't want to play soccer and he didn't like his soccer team. Needless to say, we are waiting on trying that activity, if we ever do make it back onto a soccer field at all! Oh well, you live, you learn!

I'm seeing Blue!

Oh, if only it were socially correct to be as honest as a 3 year old. Brody points to a vericose vein on my leg today and says...

"Wow, Mommy, you have blue on your leg!"

*sigh* I guess there is no hiding anything from a kid, and there is no censorship on his part either!

;)

Laughs from the Peanut Gallery

Had to add this video.

Snow in March!

This is what I get for talking on the phone with my college roommate for 10 minutes, and not checking on the kids! One day this will be really funny. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe next week. :)

How Clean is YOUR Dirt?

Brody has just been helping around the house, while I was powerwashing the outside, he was washing our dirt... INSIDE. Thanks sweetie for being so helpful! :)

(Oh, and don't let the calm woman on the videotape fool you... this was quite a few minutes AFTER the initial reaction, which wasn't as civil)



So, after this fiasco, I gave Brody a bath, brought Seth and him downstairs for lunch, and while eating his lunch, Brody poured his entire cup of apple juice on his head. So, Brody is in time out now until he turns 8. You will see more pictures of him in about 5 years!

A couple new Brody songs

Back by popular demand! Long, long ago, I posted a Sing-a-long with Brody. Here is that page again, just in case anyone else is interested,
Sing-a-long with Brody

but here are the 2 new ones that I LOVE!

Here is Brody singing a worship song. (the song will play automatically)
Here is Brody singing the song from the movie Cars. (the song will play automatically)

Who Goes There?!

Okay, every now and then I will be out with a friend and they will mention something that they read on my blog! I am usually shocked, because I just assume that this is a journal I keep just for myself and the grandparents. I am so thrilled when I hear someone cares enough and is interested in what is going on in the lives of the Akers. So, if you are out there and check our blog every now and then, leave me a comment with this post... even if it is just a note saying "i read your blog". I would LOVE to know who is out there, AND... if you have a blog too, let me know! I LOVE keeping up with everyone and their pics!

By the way, look at the cool pic that Brody took of me on my new cell phone! A coworker actually called my old phone "vintage" so I have FINALLY upgraded to a phone that does more than just make calls! Brody seems to be a budding photographer. Either that, or he just got way too close with the flash on!

Our Puddle Jumper

I looked out the window yesterday while Kurt was replacing the boards around our garage doors and this is what I saw in our neighbors front yard.

Riiiight.

Seth only has 4 teeth. Therefore, he really can't chew anything big, what with having no molars, etc... Just try chewing everything with your 4 front teeth.

Well, anyway, because of the lack of teeth, he seems to choke on anything bigger than your thumbnail, so we are still cutting everything up into MINISCULE pieces, and then we still have to watch him like a hawk.

Today, we had lunch and then I went to the computer to catch up on some email while the kids played. It was awfully quiet, so I went into the kitchen, and there was Seth, downing Brody's french fries, whole, smothered in ketchup. There was ketchup everywhere, evidence that he had been there a while. I actually watched him swallow an entire french fry, WITH NO CHEWING. Unbelieveable. I didn't know whether to laugh or turn myself in for negligence!

Oh, please Lord, send Seth some teeth SOON!

Cabin Fever = Stir Crazy!

It has been so cold lately and we were trying to find ANYTHING that we could do inside that was fun. We went and bought some face crayons and Brody and I had fun painting each other. Here is *my* masterpiece...




And here we are together!




Then, today it was SIXTY degrees outside! We venture out to swing and Brody was LOVING it. I look at these pictures and see just how high he likes to swing! In the blurry one, he is parallel to the ground! He is so proud to do it all by himself and I can definitely see how he has grown up since last fall when we were on the swings!

Did anyone else have 60 degree weather!? I hope you enjoyed every minute of it!

Lots of fun stuff

There is so much going on in the Akers household!

Last night, I had our first Bunco group here at my house. It is an AWESOME group of women! We all had wine and beer and dessert and played Bunco for hours! The kids were over at my parents house and Kurt was out at happy hour(s) with his coworkers, so it was just the women! For any of you out there that aren't part of a Bunco group... find a group! It was AWESOME!

Also, we are definitely going to Austria this summer. We are going on a mission trip with our church choir... this is the website for the trip: www.artsinthealps.org. Kurt and I will both be going for a 10 day trip! Woo Hoo!

We signed Brody up for soccer today! He is so excited, although, I am not completely sure he knows excatly what soccer is, other than the fact that we kick the ball around every now and then and go watch Evan play sometimes. This is the league that he will be playing with in the spring: http://www.virginiasoccer.org/

And, I thought I would post a cute little video that we shot tonight before bedtime. Enjoy!

Ahhhh... to be one again

To quote a dear friend, Gaver, from college, "If it's good enough to eat, it's good enough to wear!" As you can tell, Seth has ventured into the world of feeding himself. Mommy and Daddy have ventured into the world of clothes soaking in sinks so stains don't set in.

What's been keeping me so busy!

I know it has been almost a whole month since I last posted, but I have been CRAZY busy trying to get our new website designed/coded/tested/posted. Well, it has finally happened! We are live!

Check out our new site!

http://www.keithhintongroup.com

Tell your friends, especially if they are looking to buy or sell in Hampton Roads! :o)

I should be back in the land of the living soon. I will post more then!

The arm is a wavin'

Seth has really started walking. He is still really unsteady, but he is starting to prefer being upright instead of crawling around.

The funny thing is, he waves his right hand when he walks. It really is cute. Here he is, a little over a year, waving and walking!

IT IS FINISHED!

On Saturday, Kurt and I had steak and potatoes and champagne in honor of a great moment in our lives. On Saturday, January 27,2007 (a mere 9 years after Kurt graduated) we paid off the last of the student loan!

Can I get a WOOOO HOOOOO!???

:)

For your enjoyment

I just found these on my computer and they made me laugh out loud, so I thought I would share.

Caffeine Detox

Oh, this is so not fun. I had been "off" of caffeine for a couple of years. Or, at least, I only had it occasionally. That is until we went to DisneyWorld and they didn't have diet caffeine free sodas readily available. So, once I start drinking caffeine again, I have to plan when I will go off of it because I get terrible headaches. This is so silly. Why I would knowingly drink something that I know I will become addicted to is crazy. This is day 2 off of caffeine and I am starting to feel a little better. I am really tired and EXTREMELY irritable. Poor Brody, I think he has had the brunt of it today. Just another reason I need to get off the drug.

Anyone out there who drinks a lot of caffeine drinks, read this. Lots of good information for you... http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?Id=2046 and if you are trying to quit, too... Good Luck!

Our New Office

Now that I am working full-time from home, I wanted a REAL home office. As part Christmas present and just part home improvement, we ordered new furniture, painted the office, got a new rug, accessories, etc... It is still a work in progress (new red drapes are on the way), but I am LOVING my new office... It is so strange how having a nice, organized, professional place will make you feel like working! Well, maybe not make me WANT to work, but it makes it a lot easier when I have to! I will post a photo when it is completely finished.

Our "other" lives

As I read through the blog, I realize... pretty much everything in it is about our kids. You would think that is what our entire life is all about. There are times when that is the case, but we do have a whole lot of other stuff going on. For all you friends out there wondering how KURT and JEN are doing, this entry is for you! Grandmoms and Granddads, you can just skip ahead to grandkid stuff. ;o)

I (Jen) have FIVE jobs right now. Yes, five. And I really enjoy all of them.

Job 1 is a new one that I started after the first of the year. I am working from home as a Marketing Director for a realty group, The Keith Hinton Group. Keith is a great friend of ours and he had a need for someone to do all his advertising, fliers, mailers, website, etc... so, he hired me on to be that person. This is a long term job (we have both promised to be in it for the long haul) and eventually I will be his right hand woman, not just marketing, but admin and office management stuff too. www.keithhintongroup.com (this is a brand new site, placeholder screen)

Job 2 is working for the company in Newport News, C2, (actually, it is based in Tysons Corner) and I go into the office every now and then to do voice over recording. I really enjoy that and hope to build up a portfolio of lots of different projects. I just finished doing some recording for Microsoft XBOX360 Training and I will be doing the Microsoft ZUNE training also. It is a fun job, just sitting in front of a microphone reading with my best pronunciation and diction. ;o)

Job 3 is with K12, the company I used to work for in Northern Virginia. I have been a contractor with them on and off since I was laid off a year ago. The work has been very steady since July and has been a big blessing. They pay well and I get to be home.

Job 4 is with Stampin' Up! I am still a demonstrator selling scrapbooking, stamping supplies. I do in-home workshops and have a great client base. It gets me all of my stuff for free, so that is the big draw.

Job 5 is being a stay-at-home mom, which is actually the BIGGEST job of all. I take the kids to an in-home daycare 2 days a week just so I can get some work done and keep sane. Otherwise, it is just me and the boys during the day! I love it. I can't imagine not being home with them.

Other than work, I go to our new YMCA to work out when I can. We just joined there and I really enjoy the water aerobic classes. With my awful knees (which I need another surgery on), I find that water classes are the best way for me to get a workout with much pain. Kurt and I are both in our church choir which meets every Wednesday night and we are in a small covenant Bible study on every other Sunday. He plays hockey in a rec league and also works out at the YMCA like mad. He likes spinning classes. Anyone else share that craziness!? He doesn't play half as much golf as he would like, especially since it is now actually winter here (it has been in the 70s for the past few weeks, but it is now 42).

Kurt still works as a graphic designer for The Virginian Pilot, the big paper down here in the Tidewater Area. He has been there for 2 years now, and although the job has changed quite a bit since he started there, he still enjoys it for the most part. He is a sub at church to play drums, but he hasn't actually been able to help out yet.

When I asked him what he wants me to write in our post, he says that he is "still much in love with his wife". I suppose that is a REALLY good thing. Actually, we are much closer now than we have ever been. The marriage is wonderful. I suppose a little of the romance slips away when you are in "kid mode", but we try to bring it back every now and then. We have a date night once a month (it is supposed to be once a week, yeah right), so we still get out and do things together. We have a date set up to get dessert at The Melting Pot soon. :o) I love that place.

The families are doing great. We see my parents and my sister and her family quite a bit since we live so close. Evan (our nephew) is 6, so he is a little older than Brody, but he still loves to play with him. They are four years apart. Evan is great with little kids and Seth is always making him laugh. My parents are loving their condo on the water in Portsmouth. They have a great view with a back porch on the water... and the porch swing is always the kids favorite.

Kurts parents live on the golf course in Blacksburg. We see them pretty regularly, but not nearly enough. Luckily, technology allows for a blog to keep updated, huh Grammy? They were just here for Seth's 1st birthday and they will be back in a couple weeks for Brody's birthday party.

Kurts sister, J.J. and her husband and kids (the twins, Will and Maddie) live in Salem, Virginia, in the same house the Kurt grew up in. The twins are a few months older than Brody and it is dangerous to get them together. Will and Brody are unstoppable when they are together.

We have a few vacations coming up this year that we are really excited about. Our church choir will be going on a missions trip to Austria in June. I have been there before, But Kurt has never been to Europe. It should be wonderful to be traveling together there WITHOUT THE KIDS. I said that "I am NOT changing diapers in Austria". The kids will have plenty of time with the grandparents.

We will also be spending a week in Myrtle Beach in September. That trip is a reunion with the Akers and some of their great friends. It will be 6 couples and all the kids. It should be a blast. We are really looking forward to that!

We love our home in Chesapeake. Every now and then we have to pinch ouselves. This is where we plan to be as the kids grow up and eventually move out. We have a list about 50 items long of all the stuff we want to do to the house *someday*. I suppose with the extra income now, maybe we will be able to start crossing off some of the list.

Well, that is us in a nutshell... everything about us with NO KID STUFF INCLUDED. It is hard to stay true to yourself when kids can take up so much of your time and energy. It is nice to know we are still ourselves through all of this!

Hope all of you, friends and family, are all doing well and had a wonderful New Year! We hope to see you soon. We are right on the way back from the outer banks, off of I-664 if anyone is passing through. Please feel free to email us! jenakers@cox.net

Our little One Year Old!

Seth enjoyed his birthday tremendously. All the presents and cake were right up his alley! I can't believe he is one already! They mean it when they say time goes faster with each kid!

I went today to look at the proofs from Seth's 1 year portrait. They were so wonderful! I will be sure to post a picture when I get them back!

Brody had his first note home from the teacher on Monday telling us that he had trouble listening and had to go to time out twice. Eeek. At least the teacher said that this was "so unlike him". I suppose I have to get used to having a child that is not perfect, considerring NOBODY is! Anyway, Brody made a card and took it in, apologized, and said that he was sorry and that he would listen today. Apparently he had to go to time out again today because he and another little girl were showing each other their belly buttons. How do you discipline and not laugh? :o) I guess it could have been worse than his belly button! ;o)

Guess what we are doing in our house

Why would we ever possibly need a big jar of M&Ms in our bathroom? :o) Wish us luck!

And I bet you haven't been getting your just rewards for all these years... did you know you are entitled to two M&Ms for "Number 1" and FOUR M&Ms for "Number 2"?!! You better go get yourself a bag and make up for all those years gone by! :o) At least, that is my philosophy!

Happy 1st Birthday, Seth!

Yesterday was Seth's first birthday! We aren't having his party until Saturday, so to celebrate his birthday, he spent the day with Mimi and me. He had his 1 year portraits taken in the morning, then lunch at Panera, then some shopping. Later in the day, we had his 1 year doctor checkup.

He is 33.something" long (75%)
21.something pounds (40%)
Head is really big (90%)

Poor thing had to get a shot on his birthday (they have combined Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chicken pox into one shot!), but he didn't even flinch. No tears. Nothing.

Anyway, we had a nice day together and he got to eat fruit at all his meals. ;o) That is a TREAT for him!

Here is his monthly photo I took of him on the chair. Look how big he is!!!

Seth is practicing!

Tomorrow is Seth's 1st birthday! We have been teaching him how old he is and he has finally gotten it!