Everyone is Asleep

It's late.

Everyone is asleep.

I should be. Yet here I am.

I'm fighting the urge to go snuggle deep in the covers with Slaten and breathe in his boyish smell.

Or gently pick up Cullen and rock him while I feel each rise and fall of his chest.

Or wake Sweet Husband up just to put his arms around me so I can feel his warmth.

Why is it that I wait until this late to want these things?

Maybe it's the innocent look on their faces as they lie so peacefully.

Maybe it's the realization that another day is gone and they're that much

closer to not needing mommy as much.

Why is it I crave quiet time, but when I get it my thoughts are

consumed with wanting to hold my family?

Because they're my world.

And I want to freeze time to really soak in these memories.

To remember the quiet noises Cullen makes while dreaming.

Or the small snores that come from Slaten.

Or the happy laughs that Sweet Husband sometimes does

in his sleep (that he doesn't know about...).

I need to remember this feeling throughout

the day, everyday. So I'm writing them here as a reminder,

that I never want to forget how I feel about them

in this exact moment.

Staying Home

My Favorite and Least Favorite Reasons for Staying At Home

FAVORITE



1. I don't have to shower or get ready to go anywhere. Which really if I think about it I don't necessarily shower when I do have somewhere to go...

2. I can snack whenever I want. Except if it is Debbie cakes... those I have to sneak off to the closet to eat. Cullen has wrapper radar and usually he finds me with a mouth packed full and an empty wrapper. Then the crocodile tears start so I end up giving him one.

3. Naps. I love naps. I think they should be mandatory for people of all ages. If I were president I'd set that in motion.

4. Sometimes I clean the house. This could also go on the least favorite list. I enjoy a clean house, but I detest having to do it.

5. I get cuddles all day long.

6. If I'm waiting on a package I can open it as soon as it arrives. And I get to scare the mess out of the postal worker when I fling the door open and yell, "I've been waiting for you!!!"

7. If I want to wear shorts and work boots around the house, I can do so without worrying about ending up on a site like The People of Walmart.

8. I can spray paint all day long if I feel like it. Which seems to happen quite a bit. Except today, it's raining. Sad face.

LEAST FAVORITE

1. Sometimes I want to take a shower and get ready to go somewhere, but I have no where to go so Sweet Husband comes home and wonders what I'm doing in a business suit and platform heels.

2. Apparently sitting around eating debbie cakes isn't a good thing and causes jiggly thighs and saddlebags.... whoops.

3. Occasionally I want to go out somewhere, but can't because it's nap time. So I have to just sit quietly in my room as to not wake the children when really all I want to do is scream Spice Girl songs at the top of my lungs.

4. I'm suppose to clean the house...

5. Two little kids climb all over me nonstop throughout the day and that results in bite marks, pulled hair, and pinched thighs.

6. I don't get many packages.

7. My parents are threatening to take a picture of me in my shorts and work boots. So this is forcing me to think up a new wardrobe for hanging around the house.

8. Days when it's raining and I can't spray paint just aren't as much fun.

My Little Shop

Hey friends! Just a quick little post to invite you

all to check out my Etsy shop,

The Little Cottage of Funk.

I finally got around to making a few new things. Hope everyone is having

a great Monday!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleCottageofFunk?ref=pr_shop_more

Here are a couple of the things I just listed:

Tomorrow

June 26, 2004

  The day was finally here. I woke up feeling excited, but not at all nervous. I kept thinking, "shouldn't I feel nervous? should I be getting cold feet? Isn't that what normal brides feel?" But I wasn't. I was way too excited to feel any other emotion. For the past year we had run around planning our day. Getting ready to become one. I was happy the day was finally there. Some questioned are decision. Some weren't too sure we would last. We were too young. But the answer was simple for me. I loved him. I didn't want to grow up and then get married. I wanted to grow up with him. So what I was 18 and he 22. I didn't want another year to pass without being able to say he was mine forever. So we ignored all the negative and pushed on to our day because we knew what we wanted. Always have, always will. Love.

  I got ready with my girlfriends. It started to rain. My hopes started to drop. I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding. We couldn't do it inside. My dreams were set. This was my day. It was suppose to go how I envisioned it. A few tears were shed. My dream wedding wasn't going according to my plan. The wedding advisor tried to convince me to change my idea and to that I said "No". I didn't care if it was raining. It wasn't a torrential down pour. It was a light sprinkle and you know what? The guests can sit inside and watch from the window if they want. I was to have my outdoor wedding come rain or shine. And I did.

  I was standing with my daddy about to walk out to marry the man that made everything in my life seem right. I was anxious. More so because of all the eyes that were going to be on me. I felt beautiful. I loved my dress. I spent many a paychecks on that dress, but I wanted that to be the dress that I was in the moment I became his wife. I knew he'd like it. I couldn't wait for him to see me in it. My dad escorted me to the double doors. I made a comment about needing to go back upstairs to use the bathroom. He told me, "It's time." I took a deep breath and the doors opened.

  There were our friends, our family, our future. His smile was the biggest I have ever seen. I couldn't help but mirror it. I thought I would cry, that he would cry, but we didn't we just smiled. My heart was fluttering. I couldn't believe it was time. We were to become one and nothing would ever get in the way of that. We took our vows. We still take our vows. Every single day. We made the choice and everyday we still make that choice.
 
  Sure, we were young, but we knew what we were doing. He kissed me and took my breath away and there we were... Man and Wife. His hand was so firm around mine and our smiles still just as big as we walked back up that aisle. We did it! We were married! Just kids. Just plain Love. Forever and always. I like to think that we have the love that is in movies. What you see is what you get. Sure times can be hard.. I'm not saying it's always rainbows and butterflies, but our love is pure. We're meant to be together. We fit perfectly. So with that I say

Happy Anniversary, my dear sweet Husband.

I chose you that day and I still continue to choose you.

You are my heart and I look forward to many more years

of our love. Even though it has been 7 years

our story in nowhere near through.

Love always,

Kate

And Our Last

Dear sweet 18 month Cullen,

   Hey little fella. Where to begin? You came into our lives a lot quicker than we expected you to. We weren't quite ready for you... some days we still aren't, but we couldn't have gotten a more beautiful little boy. You're very adventurous. You like to climb... EVERYTHING. You hit your head at least once a week. Some days I worry about your brain and have thought about investing in a helmet. You've had a black eye already. Don't worry you should have seen the other.. table leg..? You want to eat everything you can get your hands on and a lot of the time you stand by the pantry door crying for "bite bites". I call you piglet, but I mean it lovingly. I love your little chunky booty.

  A couple of things we need to discuss... Number 1: I am not a chew toy. Though you may find me tasty and my thighs a bit juicy.. that junk hurts! And when I sit down crying holding the spot you bit, don't laugh. That's not polite.  Number 2: Leave it alone. It's going to fall off. Not to mention the spontaneous showers we all get when we don't realize your diaper is down in the front. Number 3: It's okay to go play. Mommy will always be right here watching. My lap is always open for you, but trust me it's much more fun on the floor with the toys! Number 4: It's okay to ride in the shopping buggy the right way. It makes shopping so much easier for mommy if you do.

  You're a man of very few words. You correctly shake your head yes and no and say "Nu-huh" when you don't want to do something. You give kisses on demand and always love on everyone. You say bye bye to strangers. You sign "I love You" to family. You never fight with other children (well except your brother). Some days you surprise me and use a new word. Then when I try to bribe convince you to say it again you smile and say "Nu-huh". You're stubborn. I don't know where you get it from (no comments mom and dad). You like to take adventure walks. We usually end up next door at Honey and Pops house. You mostly like to go see the chickens. Maybe it's because you know they're food... just kidding we don't eat Honey and Pops chickens...

  Every time we go out and about I am told how pretty my little girl is. Yes, you did read that right. Everyone thinks you're a girl. It's the curls and big long eyelashes. Your daddy wants to cut your curls. I refuse. They remind me of your other grandmother. She had ringlet curls and I'm convinced you inherited them from her. You look like me. I love that. I really thought you would look just like your daddy since your brother does, but no you're my special little carbon copy. You also have my temper... something we're both going to have to work on. And where your stubbornness is hard to deal with now I know it will come in handy when you're a teenager and faced with certain situations because you'll be true to yourself no matter what. So we'll just deal with the stubbornness without breaking it down because I think you can handle it.

  We are so proud of you and the little boy you are becoming. You're growing too fast though. Please work on that. I like our night time snuggles and how you grab my hands and put them around you so I will hold you tighter. I like that you have to have "baby" to sleep. I like that I think you're asleep and when I look down you grin your big toothy grin at me. Or when I quit rocking you start bucking your body to make the chair rock some more. I don't want these things to ever stop.

   We're so thankful we have you.  We love you so much our little one.

  Love,

Mommy

  

Our Very First

Born into love.

Unsure what to do.

Tears from frustration.

Kisses for you.

Sweet disposition.

Long, red hair.

Love without question.

Cute smiles to share.

Growing too fast.

Personality budding.

Making new friends.

Imagination booming.

Loves Mustangs and Cars.

Hates New food.

Pretend trips to Mars.

Mischievous Moods.

Quick cuddles for mommy.

Toys shared with all.

Closet checked for monsters.

Fast to sleep you fall.

Forever our love.

Our very first son.

Prayed for your life.

The Lord said "done".

Love and happiness.

Our Pride and Joy.

We love you so much

our very first boy.



Oh Dog

So I've been meaning to write a post for several days now, but I've been doing

important things like:

Watching movies

Making Super Hero capes

Not showering

Taking naps

You know... very very important things.

I was in the process of taking a very much needed nap this afternoon, but it started raining and thundering. I, of course, love the rain and bunder, but I knew it would mean very bad things for nap time. I was snuggy, cozy in my nice warm bed (on Sweet Husband's side. It's like a new bed when I can switch sides) when the thunder started and I just kept silently praying that the boys would stay asleep. Cullen didn't. Sigh. So I brought him into my bed and tried to get him back to sleep. It would have totally worked had our stupid dog not been panting so loud. I tried to boot her out of the bedroom, but then she just scratched at the door. Cullen was then wide awake.

I can't figure out why my dog is more scared of storms than my kids. I'm pretty sure she's never known a dog to get struck by lightning. She's never been caught in a storm without some sort of protection. She's never been smashed with hail, or sucked up in a tornado, or swept out to sea by a hurricane. So why on earth is she annoyingly scared?!? As soon as the first drop of rain hits the house she starts shaking. Her eyes get really big and she will do all the naughty things she's not suppose to do like climb on the furniture or step on children. She starts panting and whimpering and gets very clingy. I'm thinking if this gets bad enough we're going to have to seek out a dog whisperer since I haven't mastered the Dr. Doolittle skill yet. (It's on my list).

Of course it's done raining now. Both boys are now wide awake. Silly dog is sitting under my feet. And mommy's peace and quiet nap time is over. Oh well, I guess I'll just rest my eyes while my superheros entertain themselves.

Silly Dog

Smallest Super Hero

Fly, Slaten, Fly

Off like a shot

Best Daddy Around

Bedtime stories

Afternoon snacks

Hugs and Kisses

Rides piggy back

Boo Boo kisser

Listening Ear

Bath time giver

Nothing to fear

Happy Fathers Day to the best daddy around.

We love you!!

Slaten, Cullen, and Kate