Thankful Thursday: Little Valkyrie, Little Viking and the Bun in mah Oven!

Ah, mah babies!  They alternately drive me crazy and make me happier than anything else in this world!! :)  Kids will be kids and are up for all sorts of mischief.   My lovely kiddos are NO exception.  For example, thanks to Little Valkyrie, I'm now the proud owner of the worlds most expensive earring! Seriously.  One earring, not a pair.  The worlds most expensive earring.  You can see it in the specimen cup on the
right.  How expensive, you ask?  Well, a full tank of gas, a fee to a late night pediatric urgent care, a different fee to the E.R. at the local children's hospital, betadine, neosporin, a prescription for a course of antibiotics, and a whataburger breakfast.  Why?  Because the back of her earring had become lodged in her ear, she tried to pull it through, it didn't work...see where this is going?!  Cranky Pirate and I were alternately horrified and angry!  I couldn't believe it!  Who's kid was this that thought it was no big deal and actually told the doctor to NOT use pain meds to take the earring backing out of her ear!!

Also, thanks to Little Viking, I know have some pretty fancy permanent artwork decorating my new fridge.  I swear, I turn around for 2 seconds and he's found the sharpies and the(apparently) perfect and beautiful canvas that is Mama's new white fridge.  Not content to color on the butcher paper I gave him, he felt that this would be a much more appropriate manner in which to express his artistic abilities.  However, this was after seeing his sister color on the fridge with dry erase markers....he thought it was ok and can't differentiate between dry erase markers and sharpies.  Does that make it any less irritating? No.  But does it bother me? No.  Let me explain.  I was irritated with the behavior, but I'm not bothered when I see it or that the drawing is there.  At this point, I don't even notice it most of the time! :) 



Ah, on to baby #3!  My new little girl!!  I'm still not sure what nickname to give her.  Something wonderful to keep in with theme I've started, but I'm lost for ideas.  I'll sort it out eventually.  For now, she'll just have to be #3! :)  What started out as a non-eventful pregnancy hit the wall at the 19 weeks ultrasound.  Of course, that led to a level 2 ultrasound.  I refused genetic counseling and any further testing.  She's beautiful and God meant for us to have her.  So, whether the markers turn out to mean something or she's completely healthy, she's my little girl.  As I write this, she's found a nice spot in my ribs that is apparently quite ripe for kicking!  She's definitely showing her temperment already and she's very(VERY) hardheaded! :)

However, when I'm feeling discouraged about the kiddos, or if I'm having a rough go, and really worry that I'm not cut out for this life, my kids go and do something like this!  Voluntarily holding hands and walking together....nicely!  With Little Viking very loudly proclaiming his love for Little Valkyrie.  I have no words to describe how wonderful this makes me feel, to know that my children love each other!

 Or when the day has just gone on a bit too  long and I'm really just feeling the wear and tear of the day and I come home to see this! :)  My kiddos, playing nicely in the paddling pool!  Now, granted, this lasted for about 30 minutes before they wanted to start fighting over the water hose.  Thats beside the point.  To see them doing something nice, without being told to, makes me feel better about things.  Makes me realize that they will get it one of these days.  For now, they're babies, and part of childhood is tackling the learning curve that is being in this world.  So, at this point, just getting through the day is enough!