Nicknames...

We purposely chose names for our kids that are hard to shorten or make into nicknames. I just never wanted my kids to have a childish version of their given name. For example... I like the name Mike- but hate the version Mikey. I like Jim- but not Jimmy. You get the idea...
Despite our best efforts, our kids have adopted some alternate names, and ironically enough, we are the ones who started them. I recently used one of these endearments in public the other day and got some weird glances.
Oh, what have I done to my kids? :)

AARON: When Aaron was born he was extra noisy fussy and was waking up all the other babies in the nursery.  His sweet nurse had to keep him with her when he wasn't with me so the other babies would rest. She kept snuggling him to keep him quiet and referred to him as her "sweet little teddy bear" when she told us about his behavior in the nursery. Thus his nickname AARON BEAR was born.
Also, his Uncle Jordan coined the term Double A for him. (Like the battery) Although not used as frequently, he has been called this on occasion too.

CALEB: We named Caleb before he was born. Aaron was not quite 3 and would come hug my big tummy. He would try to say Caleb, but since he was still learning to talk it would frequently come out simply CUB. This has stuck. I frequently find myself referring to Caleb as CUB, CUBS, CUBBY BEAR, CUBBY, CUB MAN, etc.

KELLIE: Kellie doesn't really have a great story with her nick names. She is sometimes called Kellie-girl, MISS Kellie or Girly. Lately she has simply been called WOMAN. I guess those names are appropriate, seeing whereas she is the only girl around here. :) Also, as a baby I affectionately called her my little FUSS- BUTT. Fortunately for her that name has seemed to drop off with age.

LEVI: Levi is frequently called BABY Levi by his siblings, spoken as if the "baby" part were his title, like Mr or Mrs. My nickname for him is a bit odder...  
JUNIOR BACON CRAB CAKES, or JUNIOR BACON for short. Let me explain. It just kind of slipped out one day. Matt sometimes calls him Junior, since he is the littlest around here. What goes with Junior? Why Bacon of course! (I've been to Wendy's a bit too frequently, I suppose) and the Crab part came in because he was fussy with his teething. Crab logically then gets expanded to Crab Cakes, which is also appropriate since Cake is sweet and so is Levi. I know it sounds crazy, but silly as it is the nickname stuck. I suppose I could try to replace it with something better, but I'm kind of attached to it now...

SO, while other people may look at me funny, at least I KNOW that JUNIOR BACON CRAB CAKES is really a sign of great affection for my baby. Here's hoping this one will wear off before he's an adult,or he may have some uncomfortable explaining to do... :)

33 (a day late...)

Matt turned 33 yesterday, but unfortunately was in El Paso on a business trip so the partying got delayed until today. We spent a lot of time cleaning up the garage today (which is not much fun) but I made it up to him at the end of the day by making one of his favorite dinners, pork chops.
One tradition we've adopted the last few years is to take a few minutes to reflect and remember why I love each person on their special day. Here's some thoughts on Matt... )
MATT IS AGREEABLE.
Matt is so easy to get along with. He typically adopts a go-with-the flow kind of attitude, which probably helps when life gets crazy chasing out 4 little kiddos. I sometimes wonder if he isn't too agreeable... because sometimes it's hard to get his real opinion out of him. He genuinely enjoys trying to please the kids and I and frequently tells me, "Don't worry about me... I want what ever you want!"  (A girl's gotta love that!) He is typically putting our feelings first, though, which is very sweet of him.
MATT IS A GREAT DAD.
I love watching Matt with our little family. I remember watching in the delivery room as Matt picked up Aaron for the first time. I wasn't sure if Matt would be nervous since he had never really been around babies, but I was pleasantly surprised. He reached for Aaron right away and started dancing him around the room. He was so full of joy.
Caleb and Matt have a great relationship too. Matt really "gets" Caleb. They enjoy a loving, humorous banter and when Matt's had a rough day, Caleb is typically the first to cheer him up with his witty remarks.
Matt has a special relationship with Little Miss Kellie. She is convinced the world rises and sets with Matt. He tends to spoil her (just a bit) and I don't mind really mind being replaced by the "other woman" in his life. There is just something special about that Daddy-daughter relationship that is beautiful to watch.
I love his endless patience with little Levi. He is so gentle and sweet to that little guy and it fun to watch how secure Levi is in Matt's arms. Levi really loves him.
I couldn't ask for a better father for our kids.
MATT MAKES ME LAUGH.
I love that we still find things to laugh about. It is kind of fun to have been in a relationship long enough to have countless inside jokes. I especially love that we both enjoy watching silly shows like The Muppet Show, or PSYCH, and that we both laugh endlessly at the witty songs form Brad Paisley. It's really nice to have a best friend to giggle with.

I love you, sweetheart. Hope you had a great 33rd birthday. You deserve it!

SNAP!

Our kids are pretty good sleepers but very rarely one of them will wake up screaming, which usually means one of  a few things.

1. They've had a nightmare and need some snuggles
2. They've had an accident and need to go to the bathroom and some dry sheets
3. They are sick and are about to vomit

None of these are things we look forward to, but part of being a parent is dealing with whatever late night emergencies come up. Here was our most recent experience...

3 am.
Caleb screaming.
Matt groggily jumps out of bed to go calm him down before he wakes up the baby.

MATT (whispering): Caleb... What's wrong?
CALEB: My underwear is all wrong!
MATT: What?!?
CALEB: It's itchy. My strap isn't right.
At this point Matt investigates and finds that his elastic waistband is, in fact, folded over on itself. He then proceeds to right this problem by pulling on it and giving it a good snap so it would lay flat.
CALEB (1/2 asleep): Thanks dad.
He then promptly fell back asleep.

Matt and I had a good chuckle over this. Who knew someone could be so grateful for having their underwear snapped?

Foxes

A family of foxes has moved in to our back yard and is living under our shed. We have spotted two adult and six kits. Unfortunately, they tend to be a bit aggressive and have been chasing the neighbors cats and have been tormenting our poor dog, so we have made a call to come and have them removed and relocated. Foxes are typically nocturnal, but you can see how brazen they are, as they are out in full daylight. Thought you might enjoy the photos...