"Strawberry Superheros"

We took a literal "field" trip on Tuesday to a strawberry patch to pick berries. I wasn't sure how long the picking would last, but I thought the boys would enjoy it -- and they did. Each boy wanted his own quart basket to fill. All three were very tenacious, but Drew was the one who just sat in one spot and silently picked as many as he could. At one point I saw him stomping what I thought was a bug, but it turned out he decided to stomp several of his strawberries! After I told him we could go home and dip some in chocolate, he decided saving them was better than stomping them.

I told the boys they could eat a few while they were picking, but Evan replied, "I'm a hard worker and hard workers don't eat while they're working." Who only knows where he came up with that idea?! It certainly wasn't from his mama! When we got in the car he commented, "I was a hard worker, now I can eat some."

At the end of picking I told the boys to smile for a picture with their berries. It was Joel who directed this shot, telling his brothers to hold the berries above their heads, but it was Evan who said, "We are the Strawberry Superheros!"

Drew's Helicopter Outing with Mom

Drew got to ride in a REAL helicopter at the airport near Grandma and Grandpa Heibel's house! This was a special "Drew only" outing because Drew loves helicopters so much -- he has told us for about six months now that when he grows up he wants to "drize (drive) helicopters." When Grandma/pa heard about the opportunity to ride in a helicopter, they knew Drew had to try it. He was very quietly excited and only nodded his head quickly up and down when asked if he wanted to take a ride. He absolutely loved it and silently took in every minute of the brief 5-minute ride. (Grandpa and Mom accompanied him and we loved it too although Mom wasn't quite as silent! ha!)

After the flight, the people at the small airport gave drew a little airplane for him to play with. The kid played with that little toy for over an hour all by himself (after some aerodynamic flight tips from Grandpa of course). Drew was completely in his element; it made me smile just to see him so happy -- and without any older brothers bothering him. Recently someone asked me what energizes me as a mom. My answer: spending time with just ONE child. Yesterday's outing with Drew re-confirmed that with me because I found myself falling in love with Drew all over again. (The honeymoon didn't last long -- this morning he was spanked once and in a time-out twice!)

We're Moving!

The White Family is moving to Reno, Nevada!

Ben has been interviewing for a new job since April because he is unsatisfied with his current job situation. He was offered several jobs including one in Tennessee and one in Reno. After a lot of prayer and discussion, we decided the job in Reno looked like the best opportunity for our family.

Please allow me one minute to say that I am so proud of Ben. The Reno Hospital staff interviewed many doctors and the recruiter and the hospital Vice President told us that Ben was “their number one choice.” In addition, the CEO of the hospital in Tennessee wanted Ben to join their staff so badly that after Ben declined the job, the CEO called and emailed Ben asking him to reconsider. This process re-opened my eyes to what a wonderful, smart, compassionate person Ben is.

(Wow, that was sort of like reading a Christmas letter from the “perfect family” who live in their dream home and have amazing vacations with their fabulous children who are all on the honor roll and excel in sports.)

Ben and I visited Reno in April even though we knew of Reno’s reputation for prostitution and gambling – before visiting Reno I actually told several people that even though Ben was interviewing, I was “99% sure” we weren’t going to be moving there. (I was…do I have to say it?….I was…wrong.) As we flew into the city we were both shocked at how beautiful the landscape was. Reno is a city that is a little smaller than Toledo and it sort of sits at the bottom of a “bowl” that is surrounded by mountains. It is at one-mile elevation so the year-round temperature is very similar to Ohio, with all the seasons just minus the humidity (yahoo!). The people were so friendly everywhere we went and we immediately felt like we “fit in.” After Ben’s day of interviews, we spent the next day with a realtor looking at houses. We were quite disappointed with how expensive houses are and how SMALL the yards are, but we were amazed at how family-friendly the town is. As the realtor was finishing the tour, I began crying – I knew this was a town in which our family could live and that Ben and I were beginning to fall in love with Reno.

After some negotiations, on Tuesday Ben finally accepted the job offer in Reno. We are looking at moving near the end of summer or early fall and are going to take another trip out there in July to look at houses (particularly looking for houses that are earthquake proof!).

Yes, I will have to be on anti-depressants for several months before and after the move. I cry every time I talk about it, but I know it's in Ben's best interest (which is ultimately in the family's best interest). I will severely miss my family, friends, church, house (yard!) and neighborhood. On the flip-side, we will be 4 hours from San Francisco and just 30-45 minutes from Lake Tahoe! I guess Ben and the boys will have to learn how to ski.

And the best part about living in Reno -- if Ben's job doesn't work out, I can always work at the Bunny Ranch.

The Best Job in the World

Have I ever mentioned that I love this stage in my life? Too often I hear mothers complaining about being home with their children and that they can't wait to "get away." And so many times people say to me, "Being a mother is the hardest job in the world." Well, let me say that I LOVE my job. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have moments where I need some Calgon to "take me away," and, our baby-sitter's number is on speed dial, but I do cherish the time I have with three young boys.

It's so fun to see Joel experiencing a whole new world outside of our four walls. He comes home from school with stories of things that happened that day, nuggets of knowledge he's gained, and/or friends he's made. So many times he surprises me by knowing something that I didn't know he knew yet (i.e. I had no idea he was getting good at telling time). However recently my heart broke when he casually mentioned that another student had made a derogatory comment to him one day; I think it bothered me and hurt my heart more than it bothered him. Joel has also become more knowledgeable and aware of being a Christian. After church one day he told me they spent most of their time in Children's Church worshipping Jesus. He has also occasionally volunteered to pray at the dinner table. I love to watch Joel grow because he's our oldest child; I enjoy experiencing the world over again through the eyes of a first-grader.

Then there's Evan -- he just loves every minute of every day. Evan puts his heart and soul into playing, especially when he's being a four-year-old super-hero or a Power Ranger. He's so good at pretending that he's beginning to "rub off" on Drew and now Drew is getting better at make believe. Evan and Drew play so well together! It amazes me every day how little they even need me for entertainment -- that is until it's time to clean up the mess they've made. Evan has also been extremely polite and well-mannered recently. I'm not sure what's gotten into him, but he says "yes ma'am" and "thanks Mom for ____" twenty times a day! He thanks me for everything! Evan is also very style conscious. Every morning he comes into my bedroom and asks, "Can I wear cool clothes today?" "Cool" to Evan means picking out his own outfit and the shirt must have something on it -- a football shirt with lightening bolts on it is his current favorite, especially because it makes him go fast. I dread the thought of Evan going off to school in a year because quite frankly, he is my entertainment every day.

At this point in Drew's two-and-a-half year-old life, he's all about Mommy. When he's hurt -- it's Mommy he chooses (even over Daddy) to soothe him. And when he's somewhere new or he's unsure in a situation, it's Mommy he clings to. I love this so much because the other two boys would choose Daddy ANY day over me, but Drew is a mamma's boy -- at least for now. (There is one exception to the rule -- if Daddy's calling the boys to wrestle, Drew is all about DAD!) Drew also loves to help me cook. No matter what I'm making, he wants to be seated on the counter watching and helping. However, Drew is the most ornery of the three boys -- many times he laughs while being disciplined because Evan laughs when Drew gets in trouble and if Evan thinks it's funny, then Drew thinks it's funny. And one thing that is hysterically funny to both a 2 year-old and a four year-old -- poop and butts. My friend Shelley, mother of an 18 year-old boy, tells me boys think that's funny even when they're 18. I guess I'd better get used to it!

I just wish my boys would stop growing right now; they seem to be at the perfect age for my maximum enjoyment. There have been times through the last 7 years that I wanted them to grow out of certain stages, but right now I am in heaven! I just love where they are now. I was telling my sister, Mindy, recently how much I have been enjoying the boys and, wondering where my optimism was coming from, she questioned my caffeine consumption for the day. I laughed but also wondered if it was true -- did I have an extra cup of coffee that day that made me feel euphoric? But now I know for sure that I really do love this stage of my life -- because it's 11:30 p.m. and I haven't had any coffee since this morning, yet I'm still blogging about how much I thoroughly enjoy my boys.

So, if I knew there was a job opening that was posted as "the hardest job in the world," I'd be the person filling out the first application because this is the BEST job in the world. I love being a mom!

Quiz Team and Mind Games

Joel had his first official "Quiz Team Meet" this weekend and he did a GREAT job! Quiz Team is an activity sponsored by our church where children (first grade through junior high) memorize biblical facts and then compete against other church teams throughout Ohio. The older kids have many meets throughout the year, but the first and second graders only compete once a year.

Joel started the year kind of slow because Ben and I didn't study with him as much as we should have. But about a month before the competition I recorded all the questions and answers onto a tape and had Joel listen to it at bedtime. Ben and I weren't sure how much Joel had memorized so I was a little nervous about how well he would do. But Joel did an awesome job!

To get points for an answer, the child must be the first to buzz in (sort of like "Jeopardy") and answer the question correctly. Once a child answers five questions correctly in a round, they "quiz out" and are not permitted to answer any more questions until the next round. Joel quizzed out three of the seven rounds!

The meet was two hours away and started early in the morning so just Ben and Joel spent the night in a hotel, hung out at the pool hot tub, quzzed all day and then went to Red Lobster for dinner and to an arcade after that. On the way home Ben asked Joel what his favorite part of the two days was. Joel's response, "Quizzing."

Ben and I are so proud of him! Ben commented that Joel was "in his element" while quizzing; he really seemed to love it. The funniest part was that at the beginning of one round Joel was leaning back in his chair with his head leaned back as if he wasn't even paying attention. The question started and Joel was still just "hanging out" in his chair. Then, just as it was time to hit the buzzer, Joel jerked up and was the first of the eight kids to smack the buzzer and answer. When Ben and I were talking and laughing about it after the meet Joel told us he was just pretending to be tired so the other kids wouldn't think he was going to "buzz in." Joel has obviously mastered the art of "psyching out the competition." smile

The First Broken Bone

Joel has just earned the distinction of being the first person in our family to break a bone. Although with three boys, I'm guessing this won't be our last break. I made sure to introduce all three boys to the orthopedic doctor so that he would recognize us when we make a return visit! haha

Here's the part of the story where I win the "Mother of the Year" award...Joel broke his arm a WEEK ago and I just took him to the doctor today. Yes, I feel awful! (Once again, my dear sister Mindy who works for Children's Services, please don't report me for this!)

Last week I took the boys to a local playground and Joel fell off a large climbing rock landing on his side with his arm taking the brunt of the fall. After Ben and I both looked at his arm and had him move it in all directions, we were both convinced there was no break. Joel didn't complain much about his arm except occassionally he said it was sore, but after giving him ibuprofen the pain would subside. However, yesterday I noticed he was holding his bent arm against his body and protecting it with his other hand. But for Joel to have his left arm slightly bent is not really abnormal (due to the affects of his extreme prematurity at birth). I started asking him to move it all around and he could do everything until I had him lift his arm like a chicken flapping its wing -- he couldn't do that at all (or maybe he just didn't want to look like a fool!). That really concerned me, but not enough to lose any sleep. :-) This morning after Joel took a shower, he couldn't even raise his arm high enough to get his deodorant on (yes, he's 7 and needs deodorant!). Now this is when I was really concerned -- a stinky boy in this warm weather with NO deodorant?! Off to the doctor we went.

The break is a simple "buckle" fracture at the very top of his left arm, close to the shoulder, so they couldn't cast it. The only "fix" is to have Joel wear a sling for the next two weeks. The part that concerned me the most was when the ortho doctor told me it could affect his growth in that arm (meaning it might make his left arm slightly shorter). My dad recommended a solution: Joel could wear a super-heavy watch on his left arm for the next 10 years in hopes the weight of the watch would stretch his arm! haha

In closing, I would like to say two things:

1. Thank you to my brother Mark. Just this morning I was in three different doctors' offices (radiologist, pediatrician and orthopedic) with all three boys. Let me tell you, my faithful blog reader, there is not much for boys to do in a doctor's office. We were entertained for a while with a matchbox car and two laser lights (sorry, Dr. Radiologist, I hope your sight is back to normal now) that the kids happened to have in the car with them, but when those toys became boring, I resorted to tracing kids' hands on the paper exam table covers. Then...as a last resort...I began to tell stories of my brother Mark's adventures at the hospital as a child. All three boys had their eyes glued on me and listened to every single word of each hospital visit Mark had. And believe me, this took up quite a lot of our waiting room time. So, thank you, Mark!

2. Ben, my dear doctor husband who said Joel's arm was fine, please stick to examing pregnant women!

Conversation Exhaustion

This morning I left Evan and Drew alone in the car while I made a quick dash into a store (I could see the car from the store and yes, I locked and alarmed the car). When I came out I found Evan out of his seatbelt. Then the following conversation ensued:

Me: “Evan, what were you doing?”
Evan: “What did you see me do?”
Me: “I saw you out of your seat."
Evan: “Well, that’s all I did.”
Me: “Drew, what was Evan doing?”
Drew: “Ezan spit.”
Evan: “NO I didn’t!”
Me: “Then what did you do?”
Evan: “I forgot.”
Me: “If you forgot then I’ll just punish you for spitting.”
Evan: “I didn’t spit!”
Me: “What DID you do?”
Evan: “Drew will tell you.” (Then Evan covered his ears so he couldn’t hear Drew spill the beans.)
Me: “Evan, you have three seconds to tell me what you did or you’re getting punished for spitting.”

At this point I was all prepared to hear some huge, horrible act that he had committed.

Evan’s crime? “I took the batteries out of the remote control” (to the DVD player).

And THAT conversation is why I am tired at the end of every day!