Baby Girls Are So Much Fun!!

Today my mom, Kelly and I threw a baby shower for our daughter/sister, Joanna. It was so much fun decorating with pink, especially when you're used to everything blue! We can't wait to meet Charis Noel Fleming in December. YAY!

3 Favorites: Baskin Robins, Praying & American Flags

Michael, Nee Nee and I went to Baskin Robins for dollar scoop night on Tuesday. I've taken Michael one other time and he just had a ball having one on one attention. He loves "banilla" with sprinkles, and of course wanted to keep picking out the pink ones to eat. I think his favorite part is walking around when it's dark outside because he's rarely up that late. He loves the moon and touching the lights on the bushes. Afterwards, we walked...I mean ran (at his request) holding his hands up and down the sidewalk peering into little shops. One of the sweetest things for me was listening to him pray for Jonathan on the way to get icecream. Before we left I had to get something in the house and noticed JA was not falling asleep but rather screaming his little head off...which is unusual. When I got back to the car Mom and I prayed that he would calm down. Then Michael prayed in a quiet voice three more times, "Dear Jesus, help Jon Jon sleep. Be okay. Amen." Before we arrived to BR I called to check on JA and he was asleep. It was neat being able to share with MD how God had answered his request.

One thing MD and I try to do is find all the American flags when can when driving. Well, yesterday he found one and exclaimed, "Mommy, Amer flag! It's too beeeaaauuutiful, Mommy!" I wish you could hear how he said beautiful. Beautiful and delicious are my two favorite words that he says.

Playing at Poppy & Nee Nee's House

Sugar & Chalk & Everything....NOT nice!

Well, this has been quite a week filled with destruction. I've noticed a pattern that when Michael David gets sick he seems to go into destructive mode. He gets really bad sores all over his body from eczema and seems to be hyper-active b/c when he sits he cries and itches non-stop.

He came downstairs to find Jonathan and me playing and said, "Mommy, Michael made a mess." I asked what he did and he proceeded to say, "Michael spilled salt in the kitchen." I knew right then it had to be the sugar I left out on the counter for my morning coffee. I told him that if he dumped it out on the floor that he would get a spanking b/c we've talked about these kinds of things before (his past time favorite is going into the pantry, retrieving cereal boxes and dumping them out on the floor). He then ran up the stairs and when Jonathan and I found him, he was trying to clean up all the sugar with his play shovel. Really, he was just spreading it all over the floor. "Michael clean up!" he exclaimed. Later that same day he confessed to drawing on the wall with chalk and on my parents' oven with crayon. Yesterday, I thought he was playing nicely downstairs but then heard him in the bathroom trying to flush the toilet. I found the whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet and the water just about to overflow onto the ground. Yes, I had to reach in that nasty toilet to save myself from an even bigger clean up! Friday night Jon also found a puzzle letter in the CF slot of our computer. It will have to be retrieved by a professional...Jon pushed it farther up when trying to get it out. Let's just say mommy had to pray a lot this week for patience in training and disciplining!

Sweet Moments

MD has always been a challenging child. That's why it's so precious to see God changing his little heart even now at 2 1/2 . Even though these moments are sometimes very short lived, I don't want to forget and take note of God's blessings.

Listening to Michael play in his room right now...
"I'm sorry Jesus. Make Jesus sad. Make Jesus happy!" (not sure what he did to make Jesus sad...he seemed to confess it and turn away from it though!)
"Be sweet to the puppy. Pat the puppy. Go to sleep puppy." (whispering to the stuffed puppy he was holding)
"Twinkle, twinkle little moon, Mommy!" (on being proud of the fact he made up a "new" version of the song)

What a treasure he is. How I pray the Lord takes hold of his heart and uses all of MD's energy for furthuring His kingdom.

Car Talk... Going to jail & Electing Barack Obama???

Yesterday on the way to Piggly Wiggly Michael exclaimed, "Michael going to jail!" I asked him why, but he kept right on, "Policeman come get you...gonna give you a ticket!" I again asked, "Why, Michael? What happened?" He answered sadly, "Michael naughty. Hit Jon Jon." I then thought of Daddy's conversation with Michael when he got out of his bed the night before. Jon thought it would be funny to tell Michael if he got out of bed that the policeman was going to come get him and take him to jail. Guess this line of thought transferred onto being ugly to his brother. HA!

Then, on the way home from lunch with Aunt Joanna and Uncle Joshua, Michael kept saying, "Mama, Marack Omama!" At lunch Joshua taught his nephew to tell me the name, Barack Obama. Well, since everyone (including me) laughed, Michael just kept right on hamming it up. On the way home he wouldn't stop saying these new funny words! Finally, I said, "Michael, ..." and he finished my sentence by saying, "you too much!"

Fort Swimming!

Aunt Kim, Ye Ye and the kiddos

Today, Ye Ye took us to Fort Jackson to swim. When we arrived a bunch of soldiers were undergoing training exercises in the pool. Thankfully, we were able to jump and play in the kiddy pool, and Ye Ye treated us to a Burger King lunch. There's nothing like a good Whopper on a hot summer day! Thank you, Ye Ye!

The Zoo...I'm no poser!

We had an adventure at Riverbank Zoo & Garden today. It was fun taking the boys now that both can enjoy different aspects. Michael David was enthralled by the birds you can feed. One landed right on the back of his shoulder! He gave Daddy a plesant surprise...a nectar filled shirt! MD and Jon Jon loved listening to the monkeys yelling back and forth to each other. You'll notice in most of the pictures MD is doing something crazy. It's so hard to get a good picture of him because he always seems to be on the move.

My two boys...

Jonathan turned 9 months old yesterday! He's such a delight, although he's teething at the moment and has been quite fussy this week. Jon Jon, as Michael calls him, is content to sit and play with toys set before him. He does enjoy a change of scenery, but it's funny b/c his brother was never content to be still. Michael's just now starting to play by himself for 10 minutes at a time. They are so different in looks and personalities.

MD has very fair skin, blonde hair, light blue eyes and a long, muscular body. He's been into everything going one hundred miles an hour from day one. I think he'll acheive a lot with all of his energy! He started out as a serious child and was always wary of strangers or faces he hadn't seen in a while. Even though MD has always been active, he is cautious (which I'm thankful for...it scares him to go toward roads or crossings without holding my hand). He is now a really funny little boy and loves joking around, just like his daddy.

Jonathan has a medium complexion, brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a long, chunky body...although I don't notice that he's long b/c he's soooo fat! He is content to sit, watch and giggle at MD...yes, he's 9 months old and doesn't crawl yet. My neighbor was shocked that he can't rise to a sitting position or crawl. I told her my doctor doesn't seem to be worried. He told me at his 6 month visit, "If you were that fat and long would you be able to role over easily?" I'm convinced he'll walk before he crawls. He likes to stand and cruise around a bit...but not much. I think Jonathan's favorite thing to do is talk. He loves to babble and tell you his opinion on things. He gets this serious look on his face and goes on about things...who knows what! Michael and I just look at each other and laugh, and then Jonathan goes crazy too.

My boys are such a joy even though some weeks and days are harder and more challenging than others. I can't imagine my life without them!