Chanel's funny lil' quirks & our sensitive lil' Briggs

While Briggs was at school today, Chanel and I took a bath.  She said so many funny things, I couldn't relax at all.  I wished I had a piece of paper nearby, so I could remember all of them.  But I remember this one: while I was shaving my legs, she said, "Mom, I can use that thing on my legs, too.  I cut off my eyebrow."  I tried to explain that she can't use a razor until she is fourteen (the first number that popped into my head...not necessarily an age I'm sticking with!).  Chanel quickly replied, "But I AM fourteen, Mom!  It was my birthday today!"

Today wasn't my proudest day as a mom.  Briggs usually exceeds our expectations (which are already WAY too high), but not today.  Chanel had just thrown up, (she's totally fine now, and never throws up ever...so we're sort of confused) and we'd finally comforted her enough.  Then, Briggs happily ran across the wood floor, but unfortunately snagged his bare foot on a small piece of wood.  Jonathan and I tried look at the damage, but Briggs made it quite difficult to do so.  He was freaking out.  It was as if he had lost his foot or something.  We tried to patiently calm him down, but nothing worked.  Jonny finally used a medical tweezer thing to pull it out.  Briggs screamed and cried and panicked and yelled and hollered and wiggled around, writhing in pain.  Holy cow.  Jonathan and I looked at each other, baffled.  It is a little sliver.  He wouldn't calm down, so I carried him to his bed for a long time out. 

After he calmed down, I checked his foot.  There was still a little tiny piece left in there.  I explained that I would put pain-relieving Neosporin on it first, then take it out.  He began a mini-episode of the earlier trauma...freaking out.  I lost it.  I screamed as loud as I could, and told him to calm down.  Ironic, since I was ANYTHING but calm.  I quickly pulled out the remaining sliver, even with his uncontrollable flailing and screaming.  Sliver was gone.  He experienced another time out, then we had our little hugging session.  He got in the shower when I asked him to, and kept saying things like, "that didn't even hurt my foot!" or "I didn't even feel the tweezers!!"  I tried to calmly explain that sometimes things seem worse than they are, but he always can trust Mom and Dad to help him feel as comfortable as possible.  I told him we would never try to hurt him. 

I learned more than he did.  I do not know everything about my son.  He is not the bravest kid in the Universe.  He is a little on the sensitive side...well, a lot on the sensitive side.  I learned I am not patient with my kids all the time.  But, the most important thing I learned was that I love Briggs as he is, especially as I see his weaknesses and we work through it together.  I count myself very blessed.

This coming Monday, I have a doctor's appointment.  My OB/Gyn wants to do another ultrasound to check up on Max's kidney, which measured large 8 weeks ago.  Right at the moment, I have 2 perfectly healthy kids.  They have their quirks and their crazy moments, but I need to breathe, and take a snapshot of my life right now.  I have no idea if Max will be okay, but I have faith that I can handle whatever comes.

Christmas Highlights

Chanel, being Chanel, at the Pool

This is basically the way she is all the time.  We laugh so hard at her antics!  We love her so much.  Note the eyebrow...her right one is missing a lil' patch.  Last night, while she was in the bathtub, she said, "Mom, here's your sharp thing", and handed me my razor.  While in the pool today, I put two and two together and realized she had shaved part of her eyebrow off!!!  She's still adorable.

Briggs's First Snorkel

Here is a lil' snipet of Daddy and Briggs, snorkeling at the pool.  I don't know if a Dad could be more proud!  Briggs caught on immediately, and could swim for several lengths of the pool without coming up.  Amazing how comfortable he became when he realized he can breath while he swims!  What a great swimmer!!!

Christmas Time is the Best Time

This was the most proud I've been...at least when it comes to my kids.  They exceeded my expectations and did an awesome job!  I asked them if they wanted to do it, and they did!  I never expected Chanel would have done this without a temper-tantrum in the middle of the performance!  This was at the Thornock Christmas party.  It's their first performance ever!!

Chanel's 3rd Birthday!

Chanel and Briggs, picking up bday balloons for her princess party!

Nelly, Savanna, and Isabelle...the princesses

Isabelle

Looking through the loot bags before dancing to princess songs...

I love the dollar store...unicorn riding sticks!!??  Nice.

Chanel is our lil' baby girl, who has now grown up!  It's nuts!  We can't believe how big she is now.  We love her so much.  She's a HAM and a half (we have NO idea where she may have received this trait).  I'm so grateful to have such a sweet daughter, who I know will be my best friend for life!

Building a Fort at Grandma's

Briggs had so much fun doing this!  Every boy needs a fort.  We are so lucky to have so much space to roam and play up at Grandma's house.  The night before, he asked me to tell him stories about when I was young.  I told him about the ranch, and how my cousins and I played almost every day.  We would run wherever we wanted to go, played in the tree house, sledded on the toboggan behind the truck, made mud pies, rode horses, explored, hiked, ran through the sprinklers...his eyes were soooo wide.  He was really excited to hear that I lived right next to my cousins!  He said, "no fair!  I want to live by Dax!"  So, before we built a fort, Briggs said, "Mom, I want to just explore, like you did with your cousins."  Off he went, to figure out what to do.

Nobody can understand just how charmed my childhood was, unless you were there.  We didn't have all of the fancy toys.  We rarely watched TV.  Seriously!?  I know.  What a different world it is today.  Our kids love to be outside, because we're such a culture of indoor stuff...video games, TV, movies, tons of toys, food, candy...etc.  I often wish I could raise my kids the same way I was raised.  However, I'll gladly settle on going to Grandma's any chance we get!