Excuse me, while I vomit.

Why you ask? Because, once again, I just realized what a huge thing it is that we're doing. Indulge me for just a minute... You know how after becoming a mother it randomly hits you every now and then that you are solely responsible for another human being. You. have. to. keep. them. alive! Most of the time you're good, just doing your thing, fulfilling responsibilities. Then when it hits, it hits like a ton of bricks. And you get light-headed. And want to cry. And you DO cry. And then you get sick and puke because you realize how big this responsibility really is. As if you haven't been doing exactly what it is that is scaring you. Well, that's what just happened to me. Again. You see, 2 weeks ago, out of the blue, we decided to up and move our family to North Carolina. A place where I had never been (and still haven't) and Nate has been to for 24 hours-just long enough to interview for a job. And we leave in 2 days. And Tayvin was supposed to start school yesterday but didn't. So he'll go to his first day of 1st grade in a strange state, strange school, with no friends. And he'll ride the bus for the first time knowing nobody. A school with no Chinese immersion program. And he'll eat lunch at school for the first time by himself. And when I think of that sweet boy (who is acting so brave about all of this) doing all of this alone, I just want to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby. (Which I did do, btw, for 2.5 hours.) And then I think of Tahnyon who is attatched to my dad at the hip. And he's so excited to move to "Nort Car-ca-yina" but has no idea what is coming... That he won't see his grandpa every few weeks anymore. That the horses will be fed without him. That his muddy 'moose boots' will have to relinquish their spot in grandpa's garage or stay there until they no longer fit his cute little/big feet. That the hook his cowboy hat hangs on will be empty for who knows how long. And then I do curl up in a ball. And then I think of Miss Arahlee-who just started calling Grandma "mah-ma" and riding with grandpa. I think of how much older she'll be before we can bring her back to visit. I think of SO many wonderful friends/neighbors/family that we are leaving behind....And then I do cry like a baby. Or vomit. :) But once all of that is out of my system: I think about the incredible opportunity this is going to be for Nate and the success I know he'll have, I think about all of the good I've heard about NC, the history sites that we're all dying to see, and the southern manners that my kids will be exposed to. I think of cute tiny southern drawls and the ethnic diversity that my children will grow up with. And I take a deep breath, get back to packing, and know that everything is going to be alright.

Overheard:

Me: "Tahn, what do you have?" Tahn: "The ma-mote?" (remote) Me: "What do you need the remote for?" Tahn: "Cause I da boss." ______________ Tahn kept saying something and I couldn't understand. When I don't get it, usually Tayv does. He didn't either. We kept guessing. Finally Tahn said very calmly: "No, that is not the word that I am say-hing." :)

Overhead : Bampa

Staying true to form, Tahnyon and my dad are BEST BUDDIES and pretty much can't get enough of each other.

Me: "Tahn, will you say the prayer please? "
Tahn: "Yes. Hefee Fafer, Thank you this day. Thank you bampa. Thank you bless I go bampa's house. Name of Bampa, amen."

<3

Overheard:

Walking out of church yesterday...

Tayv: "Mom, this is the picture I colored in cry-mary today. This one is a picture of me and daddy. And on the other side is a picture of you in the hospital."

Me: "Oh? You put me in the hospital?"

Tayv: "Well, my teacher asked us to draw a picture of something that would be a good reason to fast."

Family Pics Oct 2011

I've basically decided to give up on family pictures. At least until I'm skinny (er). But here they are anyway.

Overheard: Problem

Tayvin: "Mom, in school today we were supposed to say a problem." (I think they were working on math problems.) "And [insert random schoolmate's name here-we'll call him Braxton] said his problem was that his mom told him he couldn't play Cars 2 anymore that day because he'd already played too much. And I was like, Braxton! That's not a PROBLEM-Your mom's trying to keep you smart!"

Overheard: George

Randomly at dinner Tayvin asked if two girls could marry each other. Silently I was freaking out. I strongly believe that we each were given free agency and can choose how to use that but the institution of marriage, created by God, was meant to be between a man and a woman. (See my beliefs here.) But how do you explain this to a 5 yr old who, thankfully, knows little about where babies come from and nothing about sexuality. So, I'm freaking out and Nate is saying nothing. Thus, please don't judge me for my answers. :)

Tayvin: "Mom, can two girls get married?"
Mom: "In some states, it's legal. Not in our state. But God created us to marry a person of the opposite gender so we don't believe that it's right even if it is legal."
Tayvin: "Oh. So if they get married in the states where it's legal what happens to the kids?"
Mom: "There usually aren't kids. Unless they adopt. But it takes a man's body and a woman's body to make a baby."
Tayvin: "Is that ok?"
Mom: "Well, I believe that a child needs a mother and a father. Sometimes that's not possible but if we have a choice, that's what we should try to do for our children."
Tayvin: "Why?"
Mom: Blah blah something about daddy being able to teach him things that I can't and vice versa.
Tayvin: "George only has a dad because he was adopted."
Mom (assuming he is talking about a classmate who I suspected has two dads: "Oh? Does he just have one dad or two?"
Tayvin: "Just one."
Mom: "Is he tall and skinny?"
Tayvin: "Yah. And he has a yellow hat, a yellow suit, and a black hat."
Mom thinking that's interesting. I've never seen him dressed like that.
Tayvin: "Ya know, Curious George?"

End of serious conversation. Hahahaha!

Overheard

Walking to the car in the garage-
 Tahnyon: "Mom. Bikes. Ride. Maybe? (Gee, can you guess what my answer always is when he asks to ride bikes.)


Tayvin: "Mom, I'm trying to use these pirate hooks to climb the walls but they're not strong enough yet. I call them, 'have a lot to learn hooks.'

America the Beautiful

Status on this day in 2010:  "Stacia LOVES this country, all it stands for, it's freedoms, and all those who sacrifice for it!"

Today:
 "Since I was a little girl, the Star Spangled Banner has given me chills. It was the first song I sang to my children and will make me tear up everytime. There are no words to describe the feelings I feel for this country, for our founding fathers, for the sacrifices that so many servicemen, women, and their families make, for the freedoms that we so often take for granted, for those lost on Sept 11th, for so many heroes, and for those who live on. God Bless America!"

Facebook statuses...

Usually I know words. But is 'statuses' a word?  Anyway, facebook does this thing on your profile where it tells you what your status was last year on this day or two years ago, etc. And sometimes, no, a lot of times, I post things on facebook but not on my blog. So now, thanks to fb, I can transfer them over so I have some of those things documented. My first...

Sept 6, 2009
Stacia thinks her little guy is the cutest... "There's somepin' wrong with my covers."


sorry if you really don't care about my status on fb from two years ago, i do. :)

Overheard: spy

Tayv: "Hey Mom, wanna play spy?"
Me: "Um, maybe. I'm just going to do something for daddy's b-day then I was going to try to get your presents together for your b-day."
Tayv: "Oh, ok. I'll probably spy on you."
Me: "hahaha, no I don't think that's a good idea."
Tayv: "Oh, I don't think I'll see anything because I'll be hiding behind a wall."

thing 1 & thing 2

With 3 birthdays coming up in the next month I've got b-day planning on my mind. Which reminded me that I never got around to documenting the boys' combined b-day party last year....Thing 1 & Thing 2

 

thing 1 was slightly confused by the Cat in the Hat's appearance... "Mom, I thought Ryan was going to be the Cat in the Hat?!"

But he got over it in time to color a hat.

The Cat helped too.

Even Tahn decided he might be ok with the overgrown feline.

Of course there's always time for spinning.

And did you know things like to hang upside down occasionally?

Again, "Mom, seriously, who is that?"

 Back to pinning the hat on the Cat....

Sue Sue didn't want to give up her hat.

Thanks for coming Fragas!

Creepy Ry, but totally cool.

My sweet mom who always saves my tail.

Apparently Kenz has a crush on The Cat.

 And just so we're keeping this blog real, Tahn went from this...

 to this... 

 to this...

 which is how we ended up like this...

 and this...

Thanks to Ry and Jen for creating a totally cool Cat that MADE this party.

 Only a thespian can bring out reactions like this...

and especially this...

Seriously, if you know my dad you know this is TOTALLY unheard of!

Enter the cupcakes...

And of course, he would be the one of my kids that would try to grab the flame. He has no fear of getting hurt.



That's my boy!



Don't forget about the watermelon and sno-cones!

Oh, and the 'Lava Man' scooter that shoots fire.


Man, I love these kids!