Good morning, rovers!
This is what would constitute as a “camera phone dump” or is it a “phone camera dump”… I think I’ve always called it a camera phone… but really isn’t it a phone camera? Ahhh, I need help.
I’m not sure how many of you have 2 & 1/2-year-old boys but let me tell you, there are no other earthly creatures like them. If you have one, you know this, if you don’t, you’re just going to have to trust me. We are working on potty training. He’s actually doing great, it’s probably me that needs help. Anyway, usually he doesn’t protest going potty but there are occasions where I casually mention, “Let’s go potty, Rover!” And by his response you would’ve thought I said, “Let’s go in here and rip your toenails off real quick!” Head goes back, mouth drops open, loud screams of “Nnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooo, I no go potty! I no go potty!” And then, sometimes I say, “Let’s go potty, Rover!” and he smiles and says, “Ok, Mommy, I want M&M!” It keeps things interesting to say the least. While we’re on the subject of the little man, today at lunch he wanted Golden Grahams. Now, I can’t blame him, they’re probably my favorite cereal of all time, but I tried to rationalize with him for about 2 minutes. In case you didn’t know, it’s really super hard to rationalize with a 2-year-old. I said, “You had those for breakfast, Mommy’s going to make mac ‘n cheese. Let’s not have Golden Grahams for lunch!” Again, you would have thought that I said, “Rover, put the Golden Grahams down and let’s go in the bathroom and take your toenails off!” So, I did what I probably shouldn’t have done, but around here I’m choosing my battles, I got a teeny tiny bowl from the cabinet, put about 17 Golden Graham squares in the bowl and put a little milk on ’em and handed it to him. He was elated and I began to make the mac ‘n cheese in peace. While he was working on his appetizer of Golden Grahams, I looked over at him and I said, “I’m going to start calling you Graham!” {you know, as in Golden} First, let me tell you, he is a man of few words, we’re making progress but the girls were far advanced than him verbally. Anyway, he looks up from his cereal bowl at me and with a straight face and says, “I’m going to call you Poopy Head!” And this is where I needed some expert on hand to tell me it’s not appropriate to laugh at your two-year-old when they tell you they are going to call you a Poopy Head but I lost it. I laughed… and finally gained enough composure to explain that Graham wasn’t a bad name and that he shouldn’t call his mommy a “Poopy Head”.
Maybe that was just my pay back for taking too long in TJ Maxx recently. Did you know most men don’t like TJ Maxx? I’m just doing my part to break him in early. One day, his wife will thank me. Mom, Erika and I can sniff out a TJ Maxx miles away. We used to go on vacation and dad would drive us around to different TJ Maxxes and sit in the car and wait for us, only darkening the door to tell us that he was leaving with or without us!
This is random. I’ve been doing a little de-hoarding around here. I could potentially be a candidate for the show. Anyway, over the last few years, I’ve learned that in my accumulation of stuff I have often misplaced the lids to my giant tupperware bins that I store all my crap in. So, I’ve resorted to only buying these… because the lids are COMPLETELY attached. Did you know that a giant tupperware without a lid is nearly useless? And a lid without a giant tupperware tub to go on is equally as useless? Trust me.
Remember when I went to the dentist? I do. This is a picture of me in the chair… not a bad view. Then they reclined my chair and I closed my eyes until the torture was over. Nobody keeps their eyes opened do they? Surely not.
This was also on my phone…
The boys were gettin’ down.
And this is on my phone too…
I texted it to my friend Linsdey, who is quickly becoming an expert on caterpillars/butterflies. We were hoping he’d turn into a butterfly… until, I got on the internet and read he’s a moth caterpillar and likely the little creep that devastated my zinnia seedlings. I texted Lindsey back and told her it was going to take some self-control to not break into the girls plastic tub and kill him. I’m half-happy to report he’s still alive.
And this was on there too…
Sometimes when I take the Rover with me to Lowe’s or Home Depot {in his pj’s} I promise some “sit” time before we leave and some how he convinces me that he must sit on each and every make and model and by the time we leave I’m glad he’s in his pj’s because it’s probably time for bed.
And this is from today…
The horrible weather last night not only kept me awake but dropped a load of branches in our yard. I was thankful to have their help in the cleanup endeavors. Speaking of the weather last night, I’m sure a lot of y’all had it rough too, every time the lightening would pop close to our house my electric toothbrush that was plugged in in our bathroom would turn on. At first, I could not figure out what was going on. I kept hearing something in our bathroom but it would turn on and off, on and off, and finally I went in there and realized that apparently it’s super sensitive to surges or something and ripped that sucker out of the wall. All while Rover was in bed saying, “I no like dunder!” I said, ” Me neither baby, me neither!”
And this was on there too…
It’s a very telling photograph… my husband has fabulous arms of steel. My husband tries really hard to be ambidextrous. We were knee deep in rental house information, salad and pizza.
And this is not from my phone… 🙂
This is also not Fairhope, AL. But this is an areal view of where we will be living this summer. My first inclination was to say, “You really picked a house without me first seeing it? Does it smell like an old person? I thought we were shooting for Fairhope?” This is not Fairhope people. I had some things figured out in my mind and this location was not necessarily one of them. Not because it’s not a super fabulous location, I mean look at it, it’s just not what we had talked about or what we were leaning towards. But thankfully I have shifted my thinking and I’m excited about what will be in store for our family this summer. We are heading down that way for spring break this weekend and I’m anxious to see our “new” place. Our new place that happens to be considerably closer to Justin’s office than Fairhope, which means more face time with daddy which is the whole point! Thank you all for your comments, suggestions and emails about Fairhope… there’s no doubt we’ll make our way there a lot this summer!
And I think I am almost done…
a few more stragglers rolled in last week to Honey Bee Tee’s… Firetruck Raglans & Rooster Raglans!
And… before I go, I’ve got a little something for you to think about.
Did you know there are 6,000 children in foster care in the state of Alabama? 6,000 is a lot of children. A lot! I just want to put that little bug in your ear… let it sit there for a minute and it will bother you enough to want to do something about it! I’ll be back with details soon!!!
Mary Lanier
April 6, 2011 at 6:58 amI just never knew the creature of boy! I mean, I met my husband at 15 so you’d think I would have a small idea of what they were like! We take the whole “Little boys make noise” to a new level! 🙂
Andrea
April 6, 2011 at 7:01 amWhat a great idea, a phone camera or camera phone dump. I should do that same. Love all the pictures. Two year old boys are a breed all of their own, you’ve got that right!
Stacy
April 6, 2011 at 7:08 amwelcome to perdido key / orange beach! I’m in bham but take my kids and move to our place on the key every summer. you’ll love it. get a boat and take a picnic to the island in the alabama pass (it’s in your pic if you look for a big patch of sand) on any weekend. lots of fun and great people watching!
Nicole
April 6, 2011 at 7:19 amLove that you’re mentioning foster care. We adopted our amazing daughter from GA Foster Care and are currently fostering a baby boy that HOPEFULLY will be ours in a couple months.
We have 300 kids in our county alone. It is insane. A lot of people we know are getting involved now and I love seeing our generation standing up and doing something about it!
Joy
April 6, 2011 at 7:21 amI can’t tell you how much I love the fact that he’s wearing pj’s at the home improvement store! My three-year-old hasn’t quite done that, but she does go out the door quite frequently in (for instance) gray leggings with hearts on them and a shirt with multi-colored polka dots all over. (That might, in fact, be her favorite outfit right now.) Then there is her big sister’s enormous and sequined tutu that she has frequently worn to Target — with her cowboy boots. Ah well… it’s so much fun!
Oh, and by the way, I’ve totally fallen apart laughing at moments that the parenting books would recommend being serious. Sometimes, it’s just waaaayyy too hard not to. 🙂
Leslie
April 6, 2011 at 7:25 amI have a 2 year old boy and our days are also filled with “sit time” @ Lowe’s {our guy gravitates to John Deere’s}. I saw the comment above mentioned Orange Beach/Perdido? We love Orange Beach – I was lucky enough to go the Jimmy Buffett concert there last summer. It is sooo beautiful. Enjoy your summer!!!
Megan
April 6, 2011 at 7:30 amI had to laugh at your TJMaxx comments. When my husband was little he called Marshall’s the “Blue Store” and whenever his mom said they were going to the Blue Store he’d get upset because he knew he’d be there for a LONG time. He still starts to twitch a little when he’s in a TJ’s or Marshall’s for too long.
And yes, you definitely have to choose to laugh at what boys say sometimes!
Leslie
April 6, 2011 at 7:32 amOH – and you guys won’t be too far from Pensacola NAS this summer. The Blue Angels do practice shows that are free to the public on certain days. It is awesome {and much less crowded! I would definitely check it out.
Melissa
April 6, 2011 at 7:37 amHow fun that you get to escape with the kids all summer! We did that as kids and I loved it. So many great memories. Enjoy every second. And I am cracking up that Rover has on PJs when you are out shopping.
Brittaney
April 6, 2011 at 7:38 amI’d recognize that island anywhere. My dad lives on it full time and I am headed there in 3 days. You will LOVE it. It’s so quiet and quaint. You can seriously leave your doors unlocked all the time and not worry about what could happen to you or your home. Seriously, you won’t want to leave- I never do!
Also, keep working with Rover on the TJMaxx thing. My mother-in-law took my husband to TJMaxx stores from a young age, as well as thrift store shopping. Now, he loves spending his Saturdays at either!
Megan
April 6, 2011 at 7:53 amI need to go through my phone and do the same thing. There’s no telling how long some of the pics have been on it!
I hope that last paragraph means that you’re adopting! Please tell soon!
Teresa S.
April 6, 2011 at 8:03 amHA! I laughed through this entire entry! I feel like you are writing about my life as well! I have had that exact conversation with my little boy, and I too was called a poopy head! I have a similar fascination with TJ Maxx (who wouldn’t?), and have realized that I have to wait until preschool time to make my regular trips. I think my son has long-lasting scars from all his early trips to TJ!
Lee Ann
April 6, 2011 at 8:05 amYour encounters with Rover reminds me so much of my 2.5 year old little girl. Same experiences with pottying. Same experiences with food. Well, same experiences with just about *everything.* One minute the sun couldn’t shine any brighter in her world, the next there’s a tornado with no warning. Life is interesting and exciting with her around. =)
Stephanie
April 6, 2011 at 8:10 amOh Darby! You post on JM’s antics makes my day… It completely validates my feelings that my friends’ girls are very different than my boy. The ” tractors” at lowe’s, the cereal…the potty, the verbal stuff… All of it. It’s nicety know that you are on the receiving end of all the same things, and its totally a boy thing! Thank you!!
Emily
April 6, 2011 at 8:14 am… every story sounds exactly like my almost 3 year old. They certainly are the most interesting, unique, fun and wonderful.
EM
April 6, 2011 at 8:14 amOk, I am totally addicted to your blog. Thanks to Kari for telling me about it. Enjoy your babies while they are young, my boys are 11 & 9, we have lots of fun now, but they grow up so fast!!! Glad that you will be in our county this summer! come to Stockton and eat at the Stagecoach Cafe, you will love it!!! Fresh veggies, awesome buttermilk pie & Chicken and Dumplins on Wednesdays!!
Chelsea
April 6, 2011 at 8:18 amI have a 22 month old and yes indeed, very different creatures. Thank you for this post – very cute and funny. Now excuse me while I go purchase a rooster t. My little guy wakes up every morning at 5, so I think it is only appropriate I make him wear this every day.
Abby @ adelightfuldesign
April 6, 2011 at 8:26 amgotta love 2 year old boys. Mine are six and one. 🙂
I still remember when you wrote about the church that had taken in all the foster children from the town. Basically eliminated the need. Amazing.
I’ve always wanted to be a foster parent and/or adopt. I’m just waiting till my youngest is a bit older. Can’t wait for the update!
abby
Kathy
April 6, 2011 at 8:27 amI love when you post about Rover. Reminds me when my boys were little. The photo of him (a while back) asleep with a truck on his little chest was so precious. You will love Perdido Key. We spent time at Pensacola NAS, the air shows are great. The kids will love the helicopters over the beach. I believe there was a good outlet mall close by. Enjoy your day!
Meredith
April 6, 2011 at 8:30 amI don’t know that I’ve ever commented on here, but I’m a regular reader nonetheless 🙂 Just wanted to say thanks for making me smile this morning after a particularly crappy night. It’s just what I needed! Oh, and SO true about TJ Maxx.
Lexi
April 6, 2011 at 8:34 amDarby, are you going to adopt or foster? Oh my! I was a county social worker for many years and we had over 800 children in our county alone that were in the system. I love it when anyone brings awareness to all of the children in THIS country that need homes! 🙂
Wendy
April 6, 2011 at 8:46 amWe lived on Perdido Key back in ’95 when my husband was cross-training with the Navy flight program. I think our house in no longer there because of a hurricane that came through a few years ago. There is an interesing bar/restaurant that is located on the state lines of FL and AL called Flora-Bama. Your husband might like it because they have a bunch of local bands play. Have fun and watch out for those armadillos (my dog loved chasing them and then would get stuck in the swampy areas)!!
Staci
April 6, 2011 at 8:49 amI recgonize that map! You will love Orange Beach as much as we love Fairhope and it not too far away. We have a condo in Perdido Key and visit Fairhope each time we are there. Its very quiet and there’s not a lot to do but is absolutely perfect! Let me know if you want any advice on where to eat because we have our favorites. Also, if I happen to run into you this summer I promise to introduce myself as one of your blog stalkers:) Enjoy!
Lindsey
April 6, 2011 at 8:57 amYay for Perdido Key, we live in Fairhope, but visit there all there time to a condo. You must take the kiddos to Lillian’s Pizza, it’s delish! I’m with the post above, if I run into you and the kiddos I will introduce myself as another blog fan!
Amber Murphy
April 6, 2011 at 9:03 amSo glad I’m not the only mom who thinks it’s okay to take my 2 year old son out in his pj’s and crocs! Good luck with the potty training, we’re just starting that here and it’s definitely hit or miss with regards to him caring. Some days he does perfect and some days he just doesn’t want to be bothered with it. Hope all is well!
Heather
April 6, 2011 at 9:19 amYou had me laughing out loud this morning, which very much angered my 2 1/2 year old, he thought i was laughing at something he was doing! You are so right about boys, they always keep you on your toes and it is exhausting but very funny at times 😉 Thanks for the laugh!
Christine
April 6, 2011 at 9:36 amLove that Rover goes out in his pjs. 🙂 And just wait til his favorite word is poopy! You are going to love that area! We go several times a year and my only complaint is that we don’t live closer. {We are 5 hours away!} Can’t wait to hear what you have in store, we have adopted my nephew who was in a foster care situation. Its rewarding and trying and most definitely a blessing!
Sarah
April 6, 2011 at 9:37 amFoster care is one of the biggest blessing for some children. My family was a foster family for children for over 10 years when I was growing up. It was amazing to hear about what difficult lives these little people had already had. We loved every second with each and every child. I would recomend it to any family. It was a great way to teach my brother, sister, and I responsibility. I am sure my mom really had her hands full though having three children of her own between 7 and 11 and then getting a new born in the house. It was a wonderful experience that our whole family treasures!
Melanie Marsh
April 6, 2011 at 9:49 amMy boy will be 3 this summer and he is NOT interested in potty training. The scary thing is, neither am I. I know I have my work cut out for me. I am starting to worry that they don’t make diapers big enough for as long as he might need them:) You make me laugh. I often laugh at my boy when I know I should not. They are just so darm clever and funny!
Helen
April 6, 2011 at 9:57 amYea! We’ll be there in June. Hope we run into you at Tacky Jack’s! 🙂
HannahJ
April 6, 2011 at 9:57 amThat rooster tee is FABULOUS!!!!
and as for foster care- we had our initial interview in the process last night (for pre-adoptive through the department of children and families in CT) and we are continuing with the process- although our house needs come TLC before then:( I wasnt expecting it to be that tough (we need things like radiator covers,trim painting, etc.) but WHAT a wonderful process to be a part of- I work in a psych hospital and see so many children in the system that need stable loving homes- its something more people should look into if they have the means!
Taylor@WiseFamilyLiving
April 6, 2011 at 9:58 amGiven that you ended your post about foster care (which I really want to do, but now having a disabled child, it is on hold for awhile), this is probably the shallowest comment ever… Did you buy that super cute hat at TJ Maxx? I hope so.
Meg
April 6, 2011 at 10:01 amlove love love a good tjmaxx. serious addiction.
and i know too well the little boy antics. my 3 yr old wore his froggy rainboots, with shorts and a too small, but had to wear tshirt and his batman cape to kroger just the other day 🙂 WE were a sight – especially since i also have an 8 month old as well…
love your blog.
Katie Canipe
April 6, 2011 at 10:02 amBaaahaaaaa!!!
I’m so sorry you were verbally abused, but THANK YOU for that entertainment!!! I laughed so loud and hard my coworkers were coming up asking what was so funny, that they wanted to laugh too!
I have a two year old girl, you know what that is like too. Let’s just say we are in a little whishy washy stage right now and mommies going to have ALOT of gray hair and more wrinkles by the time it’s over!
Love your blog!
kateclairedesigns.blogspot.com
Kelley
April 6, 2011 at 10:12 amWe were taking dinner to our babysitter’s family a few weeks ago, and on the way there my 2 yo boy kept saying “are we going to Rebecca’s?” to which I’d respond “Yes!” Then he said “What’s her name?” and I said “who, Rebecca?” To which he responded “I will call her Re-Poo poo.”
Classy.
So I get it! And I have three of them, so I get it ALL THE TIME.
He and Rover have the same spaceship pjs, btw. So cute, that little fella of yours.
Love the new firetruck!
And with regards to foster care…I’ve been turning that one over in my mind a bit. I suppose I’ll continue to do so until God reveals something to me.
farrah
April 6, 2011 at 10:14 amLove this post! I have a 2 year old boy and we have to do the lawnmower thing too. If I even drive near Lowe’s, he starts yelling, “mow mowers! mow mowers!” I am also super jealous you will be so close to the beach all summer long! So fun!!!
Sheri
April 6, 2011 at 10:14 amHooray! We lived just over the bridge from Perdido Key for a couple of years. Now we live a bit further north (same town though). It is beautiful! If you ever need 3 more rovers to play with while you’re down here, let me know 🙂
Megan Shirley
April 6, 2011 at 10:23 amFist pumps for highlighting foster children – oops sorry wrong blog for fist pumps! – but seriously a great thing to talk about. My heart is burdened for these kids and I’m praying about taking care of these orphans and hurting kids in our communities. Can’t wait to hear more.
ranee
April 6, 2011 at 10:24 amBeen following your blog for awhile now and just love it! I thought I had to comment today because I totally hear you about the 2.5 year old business. My son will be three later in the month and we are still going round and round about potty training (goes in the potty just fine,but also in his pull-up), the lunch story cracked me up (our debates are usually about him wanting to eat 7 cartons of yogurt a day), and the lawnmower/tractor thing must be typical! I definitely close my eyes in the dentist chair as well!
ranee
April 6, 2011 at 10:27 amand might I just add..TJMaxx is dangerous for me. I could spend lots of hours and lots of money there.
natalie
April 6, 2011 at 10:37 amwell being that we spend our summers in that google earth picture, i have to say yall should be very happy. its heaven on earth. if you want some playdates for the boys {bennett is 6 months older than jm i think…}, some activity recommendations {there is a great little zoo down there}, or some excursions/things to do in nearby areas {there is a great farm with pony rides, petting zoo and a train ride, FABulous fabric/antique stores, etc} or anything at all shoot me an email. if you are interested i also know of a good little church down there that offers mdo type programs if you want the kids to go at all.
we should be down there a lot this summer as we will probably be out of our house in mobile with some renovations. hopefully we will run into you at some point!
maybe then i wont feel like such a lurker…HA!
Jacci in Ohio
April 6, 2011 at 10:50 amVery fun post, Darby 🙂
Okay – I’m going to pretend to be Big Sister for a minute here. Technically, I could be, you know. I’m 35. And I have the same gorgeous skin, teeth, and hair that you and Erika have. I could be your triplet, only older. Or completely not.
Anyway – the “pick your battles” thing. Yes, yes, yes, by all means pick your battles, but pick them *******before they start******, not after. Once he’s resisted you, you can’t *then* choose to pick your battle. If you choose to let it go after he’s argued/fussed/resisted/disobeyed, then it’s inconsistency and he’s getting his way. If, on the other hand, when he first asked for the grahams you then decided to not make it a battle, his first request could’ve been met with “I’ll give you a few while I make the rest of lunch, but Mommy has decided we’re having mac and cheese for lunch.” Do you see the difference?
I think this confusion over what is meant by picking our battles really causes a lot of mamas needless stress. He has to know that what you said the first time is what you meant, you know?
PLEASE know that I think you’re totally awesome and PLEASE remember that our Father’s grace is very, very big Far big than we are! I just thought *maybe* this take on picking battles could be helpful. It could, of course, not be. I might have just made you feel overwhelmed and misunderstood. I sure hope not!!! You’re awesome.
~Jacci in Ohio
Jacci in Ohio
April 6, 2011 at 10:52 amby the way, i never really heard to word “poop” in my house until our 4th (our only boy so far!) came along. crazy kids.
Rachel
April 6, 2011 at 11:44 amLaughed out loud with my hand over my mouth at this story! We have several pictures of Daniel sitting on the John Deere “tractor” lawn mowers at Home Depot too, it’s his favorite thing to do! Also, that storm that came through…dropped the top 1/3 of an oak tree right smack dab on my car 🙁 but it’s only a thing, an inconvenience yes, but in the big sceme of things, not that bad. Can’t wait to hear about the details about the foster kids comment. 🙂 And, TJ Maxx is my favorite store!! Your story about your dad waiting in the car made me laugh! Can totally relate!! 🙂 Hope you are enjoying a beautiful day in AL! Love ya! We are crafting tonight at Steph’s, wish you were here to join us! Hopefully will post pics of finished projects soon.
Christina
April 6, 2011 at 11:48 amSo, I read your blog all the time but rarely ever comment. I just had to do today though because the electric toothbrush incident was too funny! I’m going to have to plug mine in next time it storms just to see if it will do the same thing. HA!
Dianne
April 6, 2011 at 12:11 pmAfter you showed us the last summer house he liked I am scared for you!!!! Good luck this weekend…I hope you love it!
Rover is precious.
Jennifer
April 6, 2011 at 12:31 pmAh boys, welcome to my world. At four and three my boys still do not tire of the potty talk and flinging ‘poopy head’ comments. My admonsishments and sending them to the bathroom, bc is is bathroom talk only seems to increase the mystique. So I don’t think laughing can do any worse.
I potty trained my first two boys at 3 and then delt with accidents for months so with my younger boy I am just starting now at 3 and 1/2. It would be nice to be out of diapers but I wouldn’t worry too much if he is not ready. My girl was so simple in comparison. Potty trained and accident free since 3.
Sara
April 6, 2011 at 12:39 pmI would love to know where you got your watch! I saw it in a post a few days ago as well and it’s so cute!
Beth {Embracing Twentysomething}
April 6, 2011 at 12:48 pmDarby, you had my laughing out loud at the toenail description and “poopy head”. Oh, children. Love them, but glad I don’t yet have them. 😉
Shannon
April 6, 2011 at 1:10 pmI call those big plastic bins “tupperware” too! Even though it would mean a disgusting amount of left overs to store.
Angie
April 6, 2011 at 1:29 pmAs a foster mother (hoping to adopt the little Rover placed with us currently!!) I just had to thank you for putting that little tid-bit about foster care on your post!! Too many fall between the cracks and need a great loving home. Thanks for shouting out to the little souls who can’t always speak for themselves!! xoxo
Shannon
April 6, 2011 at 1:43 pmI love your blog. I have three wonderful boys (boy creatures amaze and perplex me each and every day!)—all three were potty trained in ONE day at the age of three. My mom wanted me to start earlier but I refused to spend 24/7 asking, “Do you have to go potty?” The cost of diapers was worth my sanity. No worries, they didn’t do anything else that easily–don’t think they slept through the night til they were two! Good luck and thanks for sharing your blessed life with us.
Melissa
April 6, 2011 at 2:21 pmHow is it that in you dumping the pictures off your phone you have managed to a) reassure me that I’m not doing everything wrong as a mother to 2 and 4 year old boys b) make me a little teary with thoughts of something that God has put in my own heart lately and c) make me wish I could move back to Alabama (I will not be saying that in July, but today, sure, why not?. Thanks, Darby.
cat moore
April 6, 2011 at 2:52 pmgreat post….love hearing about all the little stuff in life that makes my life seem so much more “normal”. My son is the same way…..little Rovers! Can’t wait to hear about the fostering…..
Joya
April 6, 2011 at 3:48 pmJust wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts – I only stumbled on to your blog about 2 weeks ago and I now type your address in every morning hoping for something new 🙂 Your family is beautiful, you are so creative, and I love your spirit! Thanks for the time and energy you put into this!
kayce hughes
April 6, 2011 at 4:20 pmHave you read “three little words”? It is a great book about a girls journey in the foster system. I really have a heart for it.
Cindy's Crafty Creations
April 6, 2011 at 4:41 pmI absolutely loved this post… I totally can hear your son speaking that way….I am helping potty train my granddaughter and she says the same things…. noooooo…. i don’t need to go potty….. nooooooo lol. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jessica
April 6, 2011 at 5:16 pmWow…6,000? That’s so sad. Are you coming back with a way to help if we’re not able to foster?? If so, I’m in!
I laughed and laughed about the story of Rover calling you a “poopy head” – I think Soraya is a rover too…every time I go in her room after she’s been napping or sleeping, she is completely naked and has taken her diaper off (so far I’ve been lucky and it’s only been a wet diaper!). She either loves to be naked or she loves to put on as many layers of clothes as she can. Reminds me of JM and how you couldn’t keep clothes on him!
I can’t wait to hear about your summer house!! 🙂 Even from the aerial view it looks beautiful!
Jen L
April 6, 2011 at 6:34 pmI don’t normally leave comments but the poopy head bit made me laugh out loud. I have four boys (2,4,6,8) and they are certainly no other earthly creatures like them!
cousin
April 6, 2011 at 7:46 pmPoopy head. Love Rover. The sticks so reminded me of my birthday in Louisville when we had to pick up sticks for DB. Best birthday ever:) I can’t wait to visit you and Graham soon! And your other precious babies as well. Miss you and love you!! XOXO
shannon reppard
April 6, 2011 at 8:11 pmDarby, your post about JM and life with a 2 1/2 year old boy is HYSTERICAL . . . and, so telling! That is SO MUCH like my life right now with Hudson and William. I feel like the 2s are so wild and unpredictable . . . these boys have equal parts passion and irrationality. And, you have to laugh, right? 🙂 Golden Grahams are a fave here, too–I had to hide them from Hudson because he’d raid the pantry for them. And, I love the camera phone picks. With little ones, sometimes that’s the only way to get pictures actually taken in the moment! love it! my next task is to try to find a phone to upgrade to that has a better camera than I have now. and, can’t wait to hear about foster care. we have such a heart for little loves in need of families!
Katie@ Noodle and Boof
April 6, 2011 at 8:31 pmSo fun! I think I take more photos on my iphone than my real camera. Rover gets big points for making through a TJ Maxx trip. Love the bins with attached lids..great idea!
Whitney
April 6, 2011 at 9:01 pmSo, are you reading Adopted for Life by Russell Moore?? Such a great book about adoption in the literal sense as well as our Christian adoption by our Heavenly Father.
Christine
April 7, 2011 at 12:56 amGreat entry! I just got off the AL Dept for adoption/foster care before I read your blog. We were hoping to adopt here as we already did training in Michigan. Not by coincidence that I read your post after searching the website. We just moved here less than three months ago. Now that we are getting settled, we may need to look into fostering/adoption here. And we have a two and a half year old daughter that sends me for loops! But I’d never trade her for the world :). Thanks for making me smile!
Elizabeth
April 7, 2011 at 10:50 amI, too, laughed out loud at work reading the Poopy Head story. Too funny!
And, to add a little variety to the comments, my hubby is the one who actually begs ME if we can stop in TJMaxx every time we are out running errands on the weekend…and we always seem to end up inside of one while on vacation. He’s so enthusiastic about sniffing out deals at TJ’s. What can I say…I found me a man who likes his designer jeans.
mari
April 7, 2011 at 12:41 pmLove stories like these! So easy to relate!
Jordin
April 7, 2011 at 1:07 pmMy little boy just turned one and anytime we go shopping he can be totally fine before and then he starts whining as soon as we get into the store. It is usually TJ Maxx too!
Brittan
April 7, 2011 at 8:09 pmOh Darby this post really made me chuckle. I declare, these boys are something else! Whats even more interesting is that my oldest son, Thomas would never have even said “poopy head” but my middle son West went through a phase of calling complete strangers “poopy heads!” i was mortified, especially our pastor of 4 sweet girls who would never even dream of saying that!?!? Oh the joys of the subsequent children afte the oldest.
Nicole
April 8, 2011 at 4:26 amI feel like such a blog/facebook stalker! If we run into each other in OBA, I will definately be too afraid of looking a little crazy to come speak! We spend at least one weekend a month down there! We LOVE it! One day, it is my dream to foster, but not my husbands, I keep praying that it will also become his dream. So for now, we just support our local angel tree programs and any other program for our county that contributes to the foster system. I have a little 18 month old “Rover” that only wants to eat cheese! I think if he could talk a little better, he would call me a poopy head!
Melanie R
April 8, 2011 at 6:02 amSo, I’m doing the whole potty training thing with my 2 year old daughter and just had an “I’m Not Alone” moment when you talked about rover running and screaming from the potty. So what do you do when that happens? I’m at that sticky point with potty training where I’m trying to make it a positive experience and when she runs screaming and crying from the potty like a monster is going to jump out and bite her in the butt I’m just not sure what to do or how to keep it positive! Oh the joys of parenting. 😉
April L
April 8, 2011 at 9:01 amNot usually a commenter..but I have to say your last paragraph made my “DHR foster care social worker’s” heart smile….thanks for all you do!
Meagan
April 8, 2011 at 10:52 amI have a 2-year-old boy so I totally understand, and now I’m wondering if it’s going to get even crazier! Ha! I don’t know if he’d look that cute in a big ladies hat though. 🙂
I haven’t tried the tractor sitting at Home Depot yet, but what a great idea!
Your family is just so darling! Thanks for sharing!
Caroline
April 9, 2011 at 12:41 amI know you guys will have a fun summer! We lived there with the kids for 5-6 weeks when my hubby was doing some training in Pensacola. It was great. We were there in the fall and it was very quiet and not many people around but we still enjoyed it. The kids will love it!
Bobbie
April 9, 2011 at 10:04 pmI LOVE that area. We go every year at Thanksgiving! Its cold, no one is on the beaches. Its still beautiful
Amy
April 14, 2011 at 6:47 amI think our sons are twins seperated at birth…seriously, they look crazy similiar! My last post has a pic of him, check it out if you get a chance. Blessings to you today friend 🙂
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