Room Rules

Karson and Isaac have recently become fixated on making rules for "their rooms." I'm not sure if it's meant as a form of torturing each other (most likely so) or just kids expressing themselves.

They make these drawings, grab the tape and run straight to their door for posting.

Isaac unfortunately cannot spell or read so his rules consist of drawings. His room rules are: no colored balls--see all the different "colored" balls, no 8 year olds--huummmm?, no happy people, no sad people, no scared people, and no SMOKING. When I asked him about the green circled picture, he said "only mad people can come in." No problem there, his room is usually a WRECK in some form or another. It doesn't really make me mad, but it certainly doesn't make me chipper =).

Karson's room rules are a little more forward and insulting: I only let perfecto pepol like me, no stained shirts, no heart problems--what?, no nerds, ugly or stupid pepol, no shirt, no shoes, no room and no smoking.

Gotta love these hooligans!!!

Hot and Cold

I'm happy to report that our kids haven't killed each other yet this summer. However, it is only June 10th. Honestly, they get along most of the time. I wish I noticed them playing nicely together more than I notice the SPARRING and YELLING (I guess the demands for my immediate attention are greater when this is happening). Their relationship for the most part is HOT and COLD.

Last night, the kids were in the dining room coloring and "getting along". I had just sat down for the 1st time that day to watch a little Hoarders when Isaac came running into the living room upset. He said "Karson made a No Boys Allowed sign for her door and that means I can't come in." I said what any mother would say, "well, just make a sign for your door that says no girls allowed." To which he responded, "I don't even know how to spell that." So he runs and grabs his paper and markers and happily (evil-y) creates his own sign. I like how he put YES BOYS in the corner of his sign. I mean really, look at the rooms below...

and decide for yourself which one you'd rather be in. Umm, I'll take the girls side--thanks boys for un-inviting me in =).

Sheesh, it's funny how I can ask the kids NOT TO DO SOMETHING and they never listen. BUT, if it's written on a sign and plastered on their door, then it must be law. Maybe I should start writing out our house rules on paper and taping them up around the house??? So thankful that Miles isn't to involved in their "drama" yet. I love it when he collapses during the day. He tries his best to keep up with his big bro and sis, but he forgets that he is still a 3 year old.

Summer Summer Summertime

Okay it's not officially the summer season, but we have started our summer full force.

Karson's last day of school was last Friday. We missed out on the "last week of school" activities last year because of our Disney trip. It was nice watching all the kids receive their awards this year. Karson took home the Outstanding P.E. Student award (which is an honor because each of the "specials" teachers just chooses 1 boy and 1 girl per class). She also received the Ravenous Reader and Wonderful Writer awards. Karson ranked 94 percent on the STAR national reading and is reading at the level of a 3rd grader after 6 months of school. Whoo Hoo!!!

I also love reading Karson's journals that she brings home at the end of the year. I assume the kids write in them daily. My favorite page is the one below:

It says:
My family is great.
My brother is funny.
My other brother is cute.
My dad is lazy.
My is strong. (I'm thinking it was supposed to say MOM)
I am smart!

*HAH--I thought it was funny that she said Matt is lazy. Matt didn't think it was as funny =).

We have already been to Beech Bend four times. The kids ask to go daily!!! It's actually one of the first years that I don't feel stressed out about going. I'm able to sit and watch them enjoy it. The FREE soft drinks this year is AWESOME! I guess they are trying to compete with Holiday World??? No chance. Beech Bend is close to my heart. In fact, I do believe I rode some of the rides that my kids are riding (yes, some are that old). I made the mistake of riding the swings a few visits ago. Oh my, I thought I would die. And to top things off, a kid barfed right in front of me.

Good thing the kids have stomachs of steel. They rode the Flying Bobs over and over again. If Isaac had a choice though, he would spend his entire time at Beech Bend at the Petting Farm. He lovesssss the baby goats.

One of the nice things about the spring/summer season are weddings. Matt and I fortunate when (he is) asked to be a part of one. Matt performed a ceremony on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend for a couple at church. I haven't been to any outdoor wedding that I can think of, but it would be SUPER hard for anyone to top this one. It was like a picture out of Southern Living magazine. Everything was gorgeous, from the table linens to the barn decor. I asked my talented friend Melissa D. to snap some family pics. for us. I wish I had color coordinated better because I thought the pictures turned out beautifully.

Karson and her friend Chase boogey-ing on the dance floor!!!

We spent Sunday afternoon (of Memorial weekend) at Nolin Lake. Oh yeah! I have logged many hours on Nolin Lake. Our kids are more familiar with Barren River because it's close to BG, but hopefully, they can make some fun memories at Nolin too.

I love the simple, inexpensive things that capture our kids attention. They love getting codes out of the Baby Bottle Pops and using them on the website (total cost at IGA is $1.49). GROW sea animals are always a hit and making me a Dollar General fan (total cost $1). And, last but not least, Silly Bandz have taken over our house. Who knew $4.99 could make a child's day??? Good stuff!!!

I had to put this picture in here. Very rarely does Miles get to play with kids who are his age. I guess when you're the 3rd child, you think and act like your older siblings and always want to be around them (and their friends). I want Miles to have some exposure to his peer group prior to starting preschool this fall. I invited a handful of his pals over for a playdate yesterday morning. His friends Zoe and Lydia came over. This is Miles and Lydia doing YOGA. They are just the cutest!! I'm looking forward to many more playdates with his buddies.

Hodge Podge Post with a Popourri of Pics.

Isaac graduated from Greenwood Park E.E.P. on Monday night. I could hardly keep a straight face when he walked in with a HUGE lamb hat on. The kids act out Nursery Rhymes at the beginning of the show. Isaac was the lamb in "Mary Had a Little Lamb." He did a fabulous job following Mary all over the stage. Once all the kids perform, they leave the auditorium (change out of costumes) and come back in for their program. I wish I could get some pictures of the show, but my camera simply doesn't do well with the lighting in the auditorium. I did get two pictures afterwards. One with his teacher Ms. Denise and one with me. Miles was well-done mid-program and ready to get home so Matt had him in the van post show. The program started at 7 p.m. which is late for my little man. Isaac's only request for graduating was a LEGO. I thought that was a fair request. I have a feeling the 12th grade request will cost more than $10.96 and won't be available at Wal-Mart.

My talented friend Melissa DeVries took spring pictures at EEP. I wish I could pull Karson out of school for this but simply cannot come up with a valid reason for her missing half a day just for pictures. I did manage to snag some adorable pictures of the boys though. I would love to do some photos this summer of all of us--we desperately need some updated family pictures.

Softball and baseball seasons have officially begun. About as soon as I got each of the kids ball schedules penciled into my calendar, the rain MONSOON began. With the first schedule, I was loving the fact that I would be able to attend all of the ballgames (with amazingly NO conflicts with other events). What was even nicer, almost every one of Karson's games were scheduled at Phil Moore Park, and Isaac's were at Cumberland Trace. Both fields are less than five minutes from our house--give me a glass of sweet tea and a lawn chair b/c I'm in heaven kind-of-thing. BUT, the world's BEST scheduling came crashing down in flames when the rain began. NOW, not only are we playing on field's that are 30 minutes from our house, but most of our games are on Wednesday nights. I know the commissioners did what they had to do to make the season work, but I'm quite bummed with the new schedules.
At any rate, I love watching my 1st grader play. The 8 and under league is no nonsense, these girls came to PLAY! Karson is one of the younger ones on the team--I believe some of the girls are in 3rd grade (quite a difference mentally and physically). However, my Karson is blessed with the athletic gene if she could just gain more self-confidence. The girl can smack the ball. Fielding, on the other hand, is a different story. She has what I like to call SPASTIC GIRL SYNDROME. She jumps around and waves her hands in the air like some crazy person when she gets excited. She did it in basketball too. Not sure what that's all about, but it's funny to watch. I'll try to get it on video for your viewing enjoyment sometime.

I wish I could say that watching my character Isaac play was exciting, but let's be honest, these games move very slow. There are a handful of kids that make contact with the ball, and each one of them gets six pitches. They only play two innings most of the time. Whereas, Karson plays about five or six with three outs or five runs. I know that they can't do that in Isaac's league, but the kids lose interest really fast (I imagine the fans do too). And, one thing I know for sure, is that little boys need LOTS of action. Heck, big boys need LOTS of action too. But, hey, it's a learning experience right. I hear people say that they don't want to push their kids into organized sports, yadda, yadda, yadda...I totally want to push my kids into organized sports. Why, you ask, because it's CHEAP, it teaches them about teamwork, it gives them exercise, they get a uniform and trophy, it lasts a couple of months, and most importantly, it give us a chance to spend loads of money at overpriced concession stands, why else???

Here's my man # 1 Deaton, up at bat. My big man, Daddy Matt, is the coach. Look at that pitching form, A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Miracle Mike

Thursday morning started off like any other in the Deaton household, a MAD rush to get everyone ready and out the door by 8 a.m. I was especially excited about preschool because it was BIKE DAY which is always a fun time. The morning came and went quickly. My friend (and co-worker) Betsy told me that my sister wanted me to call her when school was over. I was thinking...hmmm, maybe she called mom and asked her to keep the boys longer so she and I could go out and eat =). With about 10 minutes left at school, I saw her van pull up (we were outside on the playground with the kids). To my surprise, Isaac and Miles were with her. As she approached, I could tell something wasn't quite right. With tears in her eyes, she told me that mom had left for Louisville because my uncle Mike had a massive stroke and most likely wouldn't make it. Once I wrapped up the day at school and got my boys wrangled up, the waterworks began. My uncle Mike, 55, never married, has no children and is the world's BEST human being. He would do anything for anyone. I just couldn't imagine life without him. Matt and I made babysitting arrangements for the kids and headed to Louisville that afternoon. The scene in the CCU at a hospital is enough to make anyone emotional, but it was especially emotional seeing my grandparents and mother. My Memaw just broke down when she saw us. Mike was there but not there if you know what I mean. Matt and I talked to him, stroked his arms and hair. He had his eyes open the whole time and tears flowed as we spoke to him. Well, the day came in went. Floods of visitors were in and out the whole day. The CCU team kept scolding us about how many people kept coming in and out. Something you should know about Mike is that he had a stroke seven years ago. At that time, the doctors found a hole in his heart. His heart was functioning at 20% and normal is 60-65%. The doctors were amazed that Mike had lived that long with such a low functioning heart. They recommended a heart transplant at the time which he refused. He said, "if I get someone else's heart, that means they died." We knew that something like this could eventually happen again, and it did on Thursday. At about 10 p.m., the decision was made to take Mike off the ventilator. He had written a living will and did not want to be kept alive via life support. All of us gathered around Mike, holding hands and prayed and cried. Your heart tells you one thing but reality (and medical science) tells you another--I knew this would be the last time I would see my uncle. Matt and I decided to come on back to Bowling Green that night. We got home around 1 a.m. and crashed after an incredibly emotional day.

I woke up Friday morning in a fog and started crying again knowing that my uncle didn't make it through it the night. Matt called my dad to see what was going on. He said, "at 2:30 in the morning...(we assumed he would say Mike passed) Mike started smiling and looking around. And, this morning, things are even better with his vitals, and he even knows the names of people." WHAT!!! I immediately emailed Karson's teacher and told her that she would NOT BE at school today. We needed to get to Louisville ASAP. We got the kids in the van and got up there as quickly as possible. I had taken my camera the night before, but it didn't seem appropriate to take a photo under the circumstances. BUT, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to document this day and had a photo snapped of him (and the one of him with his parents, at the top of the blog). We had to come back home Friday afternoon because Isaac had a ballgame, but Mike's prognosis was looking better and better. Over the weekend, he has made great strides in his recovery--reading, walking, talking, eating, recognizing everyone and remembering. He is a WALKING, TALKING MIRACLE. As of today, his short term memory is poor--but, HEY, mine is too! Plus, an amnesia drug is administered to anyone in his circumstance who has experienced extreme trauma. As all the medicines leave his system, he is starting to feel pain in his chest and breathing. Those of us that have had epidurals can totally relate to the pain felt when that wears off. His MRI is still inconclusive which is normal. And, he will be getting a defibrillator put in Wednesday. Please pray for my Uncle Mike--we are truly grateful for all the people who have been lifting him up!!!

Another Chapter Closes

Isaac has grown up this year. He's slowly becoming a young man. I have seen so many changes (especially in his maturity). This time last year, I couldn't even go check the mailbox without him noticing I wasn't in the house. He would get frightened and start crying. I knew that 4 year old preschool would help, and it has. Ms. Denise has been an excellent teacher. I have no doubt that Isaac is 100% ready for kindergarten. In fact, he is a whole lot farther along academically than Karson was at his age. He can do simple math, recognizes many words, and has quite a memory. He's fortunate having an older sister who has taught him most of it. His graduation program is on Monday night at Greenwood Park, sniff, sniff--I can't believe this school year is coming to a close.

I have to post my class spring picture for memories sake. I feel like I say this every year, but I truly have the BEST bunch of little one's this year in the 3 year old program. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter, smarter, more loving class. Of course with great kids, come great parents (and grandparents), and there is no shortage of those this year either. Everytime I've needed help, they are THERE. They are so generous with their time and shower me with nice compliments and things. I love these families and are going to miss seeing these sweet faces in the fall.

Skimmies FUN

While mom and dad are away, the kids will play! Matt and I were lucky enough to be one of the first guests at the opening of Olive Garden in BG this afternoon. We dined like royalty (thanks to a gift card from a friend for my bday). I could seriously drink a gallon of their Bellini peach tea. In fact, I'm going to google the drink recipe when I finished with this blog =). I don't mind taking the kids to fast food kid-friendly joints; however, nice sit down restaurants are avoided if possible. Kids + fine dining = uneaten, overpriced food and wiggle worms that can be LOUD. Matt called his brother Ben to see if he'd keep the kids while we dined in peace. Thanks BEN!!! When we got back home, the REAL fun began. The kids were knee deep in the low water in our front yard from the rain this weekend. Our neighbors Mia and Laila joined the kids in their splashing, and the DeVries boys were also over enjoying the fun!!! It was a fabulous end to a gorgeous day.

Two laundry cycles and OxiClean didn't help with this muddy shirt. Looks like we'll be tie dying it =)!!!

Isaac, as always, ended up in his skimmies. These skimmies are extra special because they are cut HIGH and expose the "goodies" if you know what I mean.

Anything Isaac does, Miles is sure to follow...he, too, stripped down to his skimmies. Mia and Laila seemed completely unphased by their exhibitionist neighbors, but I'm sure there will be a day the boys will be mad that I let them run around in the buff around their "girl"friends.