I've been working on this post for a while now. It sometimes takes me a couple of days to get all my videos and photos in order. I have had so many cute videos of the boys I've taken over the last month. I want to share them all, so that you all can see the most handsome, charming, bashful (Chris), sometimes incorrigible (Tyler) boys ever. You would have to sit at your monitor for a couple of days if I posted them all. I love all my boys so much and whenever I feel down they always make me feel better. Even now, while they are sleeping, I can watch one of the 5,721 videos I have of them and they just make my heart so happy. So here are a few of the latest videos of the two most adorable little guys ever!!! (big bro is usually at school during filming, but if by chance he's not, he always opts-out of video time.)
This is the corresponding video to the post from the other day. I just love these guys and love bath time! Seeing how happy splashing makes them, I can't help but smile. I will mop up a million more soaked bathroom floors, if it means hearing these guys giggling and splashing.
Not sure why this is such bad video, but I hope you can get the cuteness out of it anyway. Chris was so grumpy a few minutes before I took this video, but one look at his daddy and he was all grins. Love that boy and his energy.
Tyler LOVES to read. And this is one of his favorites. He was so excited about recording us reading a book that he was always one page ahead of me! But he's so cute when he reads, he mimics the exact way I've read the book to him before. It's so awesome to have kids that love books. I will read the same book 5 times a day everyday, if it means getting to hold my buddies and read a book with them.
This is a start to my videos of some of the most good-looking, charming, and bright boys you'll ever know. I will be posting more, especially since Chris is learning so much so fast. He learns so many new things everyday, I try to capture a few on camera every now and then, but mostly I just try to enjoy my boys every day. They are such a blessing and a joy in my life.
I love being a mother. I love my children so very much. I'm not gunna lie, it isn't for the faint of heart. It is the most rewarding thing I could ever have been called to do. I know I make mistakes and I know I'm not a perfect parent. But I don't think my boys doubt the fact that I love them tons. I hope that they can feel a small percentage of how much I really love them. I am so grateful for the blessing that they are, and will try to cherish every day with them. I will work relentlessly for their good because they are mine, and I am theirs. I just love my days with my boys and at night tucking them in their beds and kissing them goodnight, I love it so much, I would never have thought a heart could feel so much love for these precious little gifts. Sometimes I feel like my heart will just burst if I have one more ounce of love squeezed in there. But I will keep cramming it in there because I LOVE THEM for eternity.
I'm sure you're all holding your breath and on the edge of your seats wondering what I'm going to say next. This post will be used for a standard family update only....you can exhale now. So nothing too terribly new or exciting here.
Robert is doing work crew at his current job, which he is enjoying much more than being at the TC all day. He is still a reserve officer for WPD, and has been attending the Reserve academy twice a week as well. He was also recently honored to drive in the procession for a fallen officer from Rainier.
Anthony is doing good in school and is learning real life experience via his paper route.
Tyler is starting to act out much more, hopefully it is a phase. He is a very good boy most of the time, but does like to go head to head and see just how far I'll let him go.
Christopher is all over the place! He is a very busy baby! He pulls himself up on anything he can grab a hold of. He is also learning about gravity and balance and it shows. He has bruises all over his little head. He is an easy going lad, but definitely lets you know if he doesn't like something. He likes to laugh and gets a big kick out of everyone clapping and cheering when he does something cute or brave, and claps along with us.
Mom is doing motherly things, trying to divide up her attention a million ways. Trying not be too hard or too soft, balancing play and discipline, loving her boys and her life. Also, truly appreciating all that her mother has done for her. Currently she is designing a logo for a Portland radio show all about CHD's. She will share it with you when it is done!
And now for some long overdue pictures. Sorry they are all of Ty and Chris. Everyone else is always coming or going. We'll pin everyone down soon promise. Enjoy! I didn't take any pictures of Chris in the bath until I was really confident in how well he sits up.
Boys playing after bath.
I swear I didn't even tell him to do that! I just stood there and pushed the button.
Splashing in Ty's eyes.
Still splashing. Tyler is playing with a funnel and a shovel, not any of the real toys he has.
More splashing.
Laughing at himself.
Cutest face ever....melts my heart!
Silly boys.
Dropped the washcloth.
This could turn into a very wet game, very quickly!
Oops! "I didn't mean to throw the washcloth on the rug mom!"
Before the splashing starts.
Two of my favorite boys! They both love to snuggle!
So you have to start at the bottom of the pictures and work your way up for them to be in sequence, and yes sadly this is all tonight. I won't take pictures for a long time, then I'll be thinking "I better take some pictures." And I take like 500 in a day. We didn't have an exciting day, so this is just the nighttime routine. Hope everyone is having a great 2011! Huge hugs!
It's sad to say, but I always hesitate when I'm about to write a post like this one. My only wish is that those of you reading this whom have the privilege of knowing me, will read my posts with the intentions that they were meant. It's also sad that, even though most people who read this are friends and family, I continually have to write a disclaimer somewhere in a controversial post. My baby brother and I both know that if you feel deep down like you should do something, then you probably should do it. And so I write.
I know that some people in my family will not like this post. I know that some people will be called out, and I'm not really sorry about that. I also know that many people live their day to day lives in denial in some form, me in included. With that being said, if you still want to read the post, be my guest. As previously mentioned, I often use this blog as an outlet as well as a journal. I know that many will wish that I would put some cute pictures of the kids up, and leave topics like this alone. Oh well, too bad.
There I was, in a dark and gloomy snide field. Not really, I was just in my living room. I was sitting here thinking about things that I think about sometimes. I know it's shocking. I have been having a hard time lately with this particular topic. I think this is due in part to the Holidays, when we are all supposed to be giving and helping and loving each other. I'm not sure why people don't do this all year round, or maybe they do and it's just more during the holidays.
Either way, I am aware that some people do it more than others. And I'll be grateful for those who normally wouldn't be giving, turning the table's, even if it's only once a year. Back to the point. I'm not even really sure what the point is as of this moment. I guess I just get tired of people stereotyping and labeling others. I think it all boils down to pride, ignorance, and just plain stubbornness. Don't get me wrong, there are good forms of pride and stubbornness, and maybe even ignorance, if you really wanna play devil's advocate here. But overall, I think these things are harmful to ourselves and others.
I'll quit beating around the bush. If any of you asked my mother if I've always been a big fan of Mother Teresa, she'd say a resounding YES. Even from a young age, I remember the kid's Time magazine publishing a huge story the year she died (1997). I always idolized her and wanted to do humanitarian work like her and was heart-broken, as a 12 year old to hear, of her passing. Spirits like hers are immortal to kids, you see. I never cared what religion she was, her nationality, her height, weight or her complexion. I could care less. Those are not the measure of a person anyway. Not to get all MLKjr-ish here, but it's the person's character that matters right????
It baffles me to think that certain people feel that only certain religious denominations, cultures, races, ethnicities, are capable of charity. Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun, she was also an Albanian, and a citizen of India. Now that I'm old enough to understand all that that entails, does that make me like her less?? Does that make her work less valuable?? NO. (The reason I'm using her as an example is because I don't think most people's view of her is bad. I don't often hear her name used in a sentence to describe a less than desirable person. She is a Peace Prize recipient after all.)
I'm not sure how I'm going to tie this all in at the moment, but I'll sure try. A huge world wide contribution like hers is not what is required of us. As the man in the accompanying video shows, we may have been raised a certain way, but we are all human beings. We may not have horrible conditions as the people in the video do but there are people who are hurting and suffering. I do not look at this video and see an Indian, or a Hindu, I see a very selfless human being who is more giving and charitable than I can hope to be. Please take 3 minutes and watch this video. It will say some of what I'm trying to say with much more impact. PS sorry it's half cut off, I didn't have time to adjust the html code and youtube disabled the original video due to negative comments.
I'm sincerely not trying to preach here, but I am trying to show that no matter who you are, you may be in the position to help someone someday. I hope that you will. I hope that we can stop labeling those cultures and religions we do not understand and treat everyone as we would want to be treated. Once again, it's a simple concept, but how difficult it seems sometimes.
I think at heart we are all like little children, we just want love and respect.
Ps To my mother, who has been telling me about CNN Heroes for months, I was originally going to post a short video with all of the top 10 Hero's, but youtube disabled the video due to negative comments. Isn't that sad??! I don't have cable so I couldn't watch the broadcast, but I had seen a few of the top 10 Heroes of 2010 on youtube months ago, not knowing they were the CNN Heroes!
I would love to hear some thoughts on the video or the post. Do you think I'm way off base?
