Lately

We've been busy lately with just living life...gymnastics, swim playdates, church, school, photography lessons, fighting between the boys. Nothing too out of the ordinary. I just wanted to share a few recent pictures.


Last weekend we took the boys separately (I took Levi and Justin took Caleb) to have ice cream. They were needing some alone time. Here's Levi with an ice cream mustache. Doesn't he look so big!

Caleb showing Daddy some game on my phone. You don't have regular visits from Spider-Man?

Caleb on a zip line at the new Jurong Central Park (it was crazy hot that day):

My New Paleo Lifestyle

If you know me at all, you know I've spent a generous amount of time in the doctor's office, specifically my gastroenterologist's office. Dr. Wong is great, but I'd rather not ever have to see him (except for those darn colonoscopies I have to do every 1-3 years now thanks to a tiny polyp. Boo.) I have suffered from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) for years...at least 15 years. In the last year or more it has become increasingly worse. I've tried just about everything medication-wise, and they would work for a little while, and then stop working.

Last week I got so fed up with my stomach dictating my life that I decided I had to do something. My real-life friend, Erin, posted on her blog in January about Paleo. I read the posts and thought to myself, "I'll never give up grains and dairy. That's too hard and ridiculous. I love bread! And ice cream! And yogurt! And..." Well. I bought a book, The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolf when we were home in February, and it has been sitting on my shelf ever since we returned. I picked it up last Monday and read almost the whole thing (I skipped a bunch of science-y stuff because I just wanted to know what I needed to do). I decided this could work for me, and I made the decision to give it a try.

Since last Tuesday morning, I have not eaten any grains (no rice, pasta, bread, gluten, etc. of any kind), dairy, beans, or sugar (processed/refined/artificial...nothing). I have eaten fruits, vegetables, lean meats, eggs and nuts. I've also had LOTS of water (80-100 ounces a day). And you know what?

I FEEL AMAZING!

Seriously. I have not felt this good in, well..., I don't remember if I ever felt this good. Monday and Tuesday of last week were epic days in regards to how my stomach was doing (horrible), but after two days of eating Paleo, my stomach problems were gone.

And I've lost 6 pounds.

I have energy, which is something I greatly lacked when my stomach was so messed up all the time. When you're living in the bathroom, the last thing you want to do is exercise, but now I exercise almost every day. Feeling good really does something for a person. :-)

Being healthy and having energy are definitely worth all the things I've given up. I really haven't even missed the things I used to enjoy (like Dr. Pepper and chocolate), which is a miracle all in itself. I never thought I could eat this way, but now I know that I can. And I will continue because of how I feel.

I've only been doing this for ONE WEEK, and already see huge results! I have yet to go out to eat, but some girls and I are going to dinner on Wednesday night, so I looked up the menu online to see what I could eat. Now I'm prepared!

And if you, like my mother, are wondering how in the world I'm going to get enough calcium without eating dairy (a valid question seeing as how I fractured 3 ankle bones last year), did you know that these foods are high in calcium: broccoli, almonds, salmon, apricots, spinach, kale, and walnuts? There are quite a few more...all things I can eat! 15 almonds contains about 40mg of calcium.

Another question I've been asked is how do I do this and still feed my family. Well, Justin really has no choice. ;-) He's on board with getting me healthier, and in his words, "I'm still going to cheat when you're not around." It's fine with me. I honestly don't crave sweets and things anymore. I will allow myself some cheats after a month or so, but for now I'm going pretty strict. Everyone in my family is still allowed to eat cereal with milk for breakfast, and my kids still eat bread and yogurt. Caleb is a lot easier in the eating department than Levi. Last night we had pork chops, salad (with homemade dressing, no sugar), and steamed broccoli. Caleb ate everything he was served. And then he ate an apple, and a banana, and a fruit leather strip later in the night. Levi opted not to even try the pork chops (not a surprise), and ate an apple instead. He didn't starve to death, and ate breakfast this morning. :-) My kids already eat a lot of fresh fruit, and Caleb loves raw carrots, lettuce and spinach, and broccoli. We're all benefiting from the amount of fruits and vegetables in the house.

You can google "Paleo" and come up with tons of information and recipes. I haven't eaten anything I didn't like. (And if you suffer from IBS and want more details on how things have changed for me, you can email me privately at justinandjennifer {at} gmail {dot} com.)

Thoughts About Stuff

It has been a while since I've updated about my ankle and my stomach issues.

I saw my new orthopedic surgeon in November, after 2 months of physical therapy. He was pleased with my progress, and said my range of motion is within 5-10% of normal. This is very good news! He recommends that I have surgery next spring to remove the implants (a metal plate w/ 7 screws and 2 metal wires) in my ankle. Because I am so young, he thinks it will help my range of motion even more and will help with the discomfort I feel because of the implants (the end of the metal plate sits right on my ankle bone, and I can feel it under the thin skin). I am aiming to have the surgery in early March since we will return from the US on February 27 and then are going to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on April 17. The recovery time should be short and crutches are not needed (this will be my 10th surgery, so surgery doesn't scare or bother me, and a "normal" recovery time sounds great to me...unlike being on crutches for 3 months!).

My stomach is a whole other story. I was doing really well in May through July, and my doctor actually released me and said he'd see me in 6 months. Less than two months later I was back in his office, and the prior treatments we've used are not working anymore. Last time I saw him he said, "I feel sorry for you" because I am sick so often.

I asked him today if he thought a change in my diet would help (a couple of friends have suggested going gluten free...something I've been very reluctant to do because it is hard to maintain). He said because my problems are so erratic (I don't get sick every time I eat gluten, for instance) that it does not seem to be connected to any one thing I am eating, and the problems I'm having vacillate between two separate manifestations of IBS (I'm saving you the gross details of my life these days!).

We're starting a new treatment today, hoping that by the time we leave for the US on January 28, I will be feeling much better. I've really tried not to complain about this stuff lately because I'm working very hard on contentment, and since my prayers to be released from this have not been answered yet, I am pressing on. But, honestly? I'm miserable most of the time. It kinda stinks.

But, hey, I've got these precious kids to keep me entertained! :-)

And here is what I will look like if I ever get to have lasik eye surgery! :-) People always ask where my kids get their long eyelashes. (No one can see mine because of my glasses, but Justin's are really long, too.)

I am so excited to {hopefully} meet my newest niece in February (if she decides to make an appearance before her due date and our return to Singapore! Please, Amelia, Aunt Jennifer will be really happy if you come even just a few days early!!). It's hard being so far away and missing out on life with our families, so being able to spend time with them and help my sister out with her kids will be so special. And...BONUS...we get to escape the heat!! 18 months and counting since we've been in hot/humid conditions.

Celebrating Christmas when the temps are in the 90s and all the plants are still in full bloom is still strange. But, as my friend, Leone, from Australia says, "It's not supposed to be cold at Christmastime!" It's all about perspective, I guess...if you've always celebrated Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere (or close to the Equator like us) then Christmas is not a winter holiday. :-)

I'm still not convinced. :-) I'll take some cold weather, a nice warm sweater, some Christmas music, and a cup of my mom's spiced tea any day!

Hello, Aetna? We'd like to make a claim...

This is what my week looks like:

Tuesday: take Caleb to the doctor for follow-up on his allergies and some more meds
Wednesday: take Caleb to a clinic for allergy skin testing
Thursday: take myself to the gastro doctor because my stomach issue has reared its ugly head again
Friday: take myself to a new orthopedic surgeon because my ankle is still (more than 7 months later) quite painful and swelling often. (Today after walking through the mall I could hardly walk at all. I don't know if this is normal, so I'm going for a second opinion.)

Doesn't that sound exciting?

8 Weeks Post-Surgery Update

Today marks 8 weeks since I fractured my ankle and had surgery to repair it. I can't believe it's been that long; it really has gone by quickly, which is most definitely a testament to the grace of God.

I had 6 weeks of crutches and walking on one leg only, then two weeks of being able to stand on two legs and slowly "load weight" onto my right ankle. Today is the first day I can walk on two legs. I would be more excited about this, but it HURTS!! It's quite a slow process, this healing thing. :-)

Today I had to go to the bank, and while someone watched the boys, I went by myself. As I was walking from the bank to the grocery store, a lady came up behind me and said, "I recognized you by your crutches and your backpack." :-) I sort of recognized her, but had to ask her name (she didn't know my name, either). Apparently she goes to our church because she was headed to the Ladies Retreat today. Good to know I'm recognizable these days! I am so grateful for my little backpack purse that my parents and sister gave me, since it's the only way I can carry around the things I need while I'm out.

My parents arrive in Singapore in LESS THAN TWO DAYS!!! I cannot tell you how excited we are to see them! I haven't said much about it in the last few weeks because the whole thing has been up in the air since my grandmother fell a couple of weeks ago and broke her pelvis. She lives with my parents, and my mom was not sure they would be able to leave her. My Nana is in a skilled nursing facility right now until she can walk well enough to return home. My mom's cousin, Kathy, graciously offered to drive down from Missouri and stay with my Nana while my parents are here! This is such an answer to our prayers because my Nana and Kathy have a great relationship, and my Nana feels comfortable with her. Thank you, Kathy and Jim! We love you so much and are so grateful you have allowed Mom and Dad to come and see us!! What a blessing!

So, starting Sunday and for the next 12 days, we will be soaking up every second of time with my parents. It will be so fun to see Singapore through their eyes. There are so many things that are normal to us now that I know will seem very different to them. We are going to have lots of fun. I rented a wheelchair to be able to have more freedom to go places that require more walking. Singapore is really not wheelchair-friendly (or stroller-friendly, for that matter), so I'll still be using my crutches quite often. Just getting out today I had to navigate probably 15 steps, and that was just in a short distance and not going to the second level of a building or anything. I'm always amazed at how many stairs there are in this country. ;-)

And here's how my kids amused themselves this morning...by watching the laundry in the machine.

Better

Thanks for all the encouragement on my last post! I wrote down every single Scripture so I can refer to them often. You guys are the best. I'm doing much better now, but I know those days will come again, so I have your encouraging words ready!

Big news for our family...As of 1:30pm CST on Friday, March 19, we are no longer homeowners. :-) It's a little weird not owning a house anymore, but it's a good thing for us. We will miss the house we brought both of our boys home to, but we look forward to more memories in a different house when we return to the US.

We also just bought our plane tickets for our visit to Texas in June. The boys and I will go back a couple of weeks earlier than Justin so he doesn't have to take so much time off work. We are looking forward to seeing all the people we love and miss so much. And we're also looking forward to eating BBQ, Mexican food, Chic-Fil-A, steak and Blue Bell ice cream.

My parents will be here in less than 3 weeks (the first family members we've seen in 10 months!)!!! We are so excited we can hardly stand it! The list of things I want from the US keeps growing, so we'll see if they have room for it all. ;-) We're not sure how much we'll be able to do while they're here with my bum ankle, but just being together will be so good.


So, this is what our floor looks like most days now. :-)
And here's Caleb with leaves taped to his arms. This was his attempt to fly. (He was really disappointed that he didn't get off the ground.) :-)

Appropriate

Justin and I are reading 365 Daily Devotions for Couples. Earlier this week we read one that was so appropriate for what we're going through that I laughed out loud. I thought I'd post it here.

"Whatever this year may bring, you do not have to face it alone. You have a partner and a helper to rejoice with and receive strength from in good times and bad.

This gives you an enormous advantage: What one of you cannot do, the other can; what one of you fears, the other does not.

Listen to your partner, discuss every decision together, and give thanks for the varying abilities you bring to your marriage. You will prosper as a team.

Lord, we realize that we are stronger and smarter when we work together on a problem. Please remind us of this anytime we are tempted to "take over" or impose our own ways on each other."

Now that we're several days past this and it's not almost midnight, it doesn't seem quite as funny. I think it struck me funny because we had just been talking about how I'm tired of being the needy one in the family. Between the depression, bouts of anxiety, and now the broken ankle, I feel like I'm always the one who is on the receiving end. That and the fact that "what one cannot do" is pretty much everything these days. :-)

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." -Genesis 2:18 NRSV


And a totally unrelated picture: My boys rarely watch TV anymore, but the other morning we turned it on and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was on. They both had to run to their rooms and grab their Mickeys to watch with them. Cute, cute.

Ankle Video

A short video of my ankle scars for those that care to see it. :-)

Ankle Video from Jennifer ReflectingHim on Vimeo.

My Broken Ankle: How My Kids Are Doing

Lots of people are wondering how our kids are handling their mommy not being able to walk, carry them, and generally do things for them.

They are handling it beautifully; I'm so proud of them and amazed at their ability to adapt. They've had to adapt to a lot in their short little lives. :-)

I was talking to a Singaporean lady yesterday at Bible study and she asked how the boys were handling it. I told her that I had realized through this just how much the structure and discipline we've instilled in them has paid off already. When I ask them to get something or tell them to do something, they listen. Her response?

"They listen? They're 2 and 4 and they listen??"

Yes, they do. We've taught them to obey and that there are consequences to not obeying. They may not obey the first time (they are preschoolers!), but they do obey because that's what we've taught them. If we had waited until later to do that, this situation would be a nightmare trying to control two uncontrollable children.

If I tell one of the boys to go to time-out, they go. They may cry and fuss their way to their time-out spot, but they go. I cannot carry Levi kicking and screaming to his room for naptime or time-out, so I'm thankful we've already established this pattern!

So, here's what a typical day looks like these days (I'll do Thursday, for example):

7:00am-Levi wakes up and I crutch to his door, open it and tell him to come out (he's in a toddler bed now)
7:10am-I get Levi breakfast (Justin sets out the bowls and cereal before work, so we just have to get the milk)
7:30-Caleb wakes up, eats breakfast.
7:45-I get everyone dressed (this takes a while!)
8:15-we get our shoes on and head down to the lobby (a FAR walk on crutches!)
8:30-the school van picks the boys up for school (T,W,Th)
8:30-9:00-I sit downstairs and wait for a friend to pick me up for Bible study (it's too hard to go back up to the apartment and come all the way back down)
9:00-off to the church for study
12:00pm-back home to rest up for getting the boys from the school bus
1:00-boys off the bus
1:15-Levi goes to his room for a nap
1:20-I have to go back and cover him up
1:30-I have to go back and cover him up :-)
2:00-4:00-Levi naps and Caleb plays computer games or colors; I rest
4:00-Levi wakes up (usually, sometimes it's later...yay for me!)
4:00-6:00-we get a snack, we color, we read, we play games (all things I do sitting down, obviously)
6:00-Daddy gets home!!!
6:20ish--Daddy heats up dinner (that's been prepared by our lovely friends), sets the table, gets everyone drinks, brings me a chair and pillow to prop up my leg
6:45-8:00--Daddy plays with the boys, gives them baths
8:00-Daddy does the dishes and other domestic things Mommy cannot do, like laundry
9:00-Daddy goes running
10:00pm--Daddy supervises me getting into and out of the shower so I do not slip on the very slippery marble tile. It's dangerous for me to attempt to shower while home alone right now.
11:00-we fall into bed exhausted (especially Daddy!)

We've all made adjustments during this time, and things are going quite well. Justin, once again, has picked up an enormous amount of slack. I have a super husband!! Seriously. He's amazing.

The kids are doing so well and know that Mommy cannot do lots of things. Levi has to crawl onto the couch for me to change his diaper, they both have to bring me fruit to cut up for them at the table or packages to open for snack, and when they have a problem they have to come to me instead of the other way around.

We're so blessed.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” -Psalm 73:25-26

Thank You

They showed this video at Bible study yesterday, and I shed a few tears because I'm so overwhelmed at God's grace and love toward me. Our church family and friends here in Singapore have been taking care of us so sweetly during this difficult time; we're so very blessed. The body of Christ around the world is such an amazing thing--that we have friends in many countries praying for us and friends right here meeting our very real needs. Thank you to everyone who has brought us food, taken care of my children, called us, emailed, sent us Facebook messages, and prayed for us. You are so loved by our family and so much needed. Thank you. Thank you.

These words especially speak to me during this season of my life:

Thank You Lord just for loving me
Many times as I do forget
Every need that You have met
Oh thank You Lord, I know You're showing me
You are there when I am down and out
You're holding me, Your love is so amazing
Oh it changed me

Some Thoughts about Some Things

Here's a peek into our lives lately (warning: random thoughts ahead):

-When I get into a taxi with the boys, 9 times out of 10 the taxi driver asks me if they are twins. They are always surprised when I say no. And then they ask if the boys are a year apart. Again they are surprised when I say they are two years apart and Levi is only two years old.

-About 5 minutes after our floors have been vacuumed and mopped, the boys will spill something that has 10.2 million crumbs on it and it will have to be re-vacuumed. (We vacuum our marble floors because it gets more of the crumbs/hair than sweeping. And it's a LOT faster!)

-Every time we get out of a taxi and it drives off, Levi asks, "Where taxi going?" Every time. And every time I say, "to pick up someone else." Sometimes I feel like my life is set on repeat.

-I went to a clothing website today to look at a blouse. I clicked on "Sizing Chart" and found this information: "Please be aware that our clothing is Contemporary sized which runs small. Please refer to the following size chart below." That is code for nothing here will fit you, move on. I wonder how many other stores are going to "contemporary" sizes. Hmpf.

-Levi is showing us that he's ready to start potty training. If we ask him if he needs to go, he'll say yes, but he's unable to recognize this before he needs to go. We're not stressing about it, but just letting him get used to the idea. This is about the same age that Caleb potty-trained.

-I've had really amazing conversations about faith with more than one person this week. God is doing some cool stuff.

-I'm reading Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz and several other books right now.

That is all. :-)

Six Months

On June 2 we left Texas for Singapore. That was six months ago today. I can't believe it...the time has passed so quickly (although our families might not say the same thing). We have adjusted quite well and quickly to life here. We still miss our home and our families and our dear friends, but this is where God has us for now and we are content. We have a great group of friends (or as one of the guys in our Supper Club said on Thanksgiving..."I'm thankful that my wife has made friends because I now have friends, too. We're happy to serve our husbands by being friends with each other!), and we are enjoying our temporary life here.

God is good. All the time.

I'm So Fond of Lists

because my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. Levi got up at 6:15 this morning, and by 7:30 both of my boys were in time-out for fighting/bickering/stealing each other's toys/being mean. *deep breath*

Here are my thoughts for the day, otherwise known as "this week's version of totally unrelated thoughts":

1) My friend, Euvah, who I only know on Facebook because we haven't had the pleasure of meeting in person yet (she's from Louisiana but lives here in Singapore now) said the funniest thing today that I could totally relate to: "Anyone know where I can get some me sized clothes on the barbie sized island?" So true. I've gone down a size in clothing since we moved here (yippeee!), but sizes here are UK sizes, so on the tag it looks like I actually went up 2 sizes. Mind games, I tell ya.

2) I am giddy-excited about going to Thailand on Friday. (Have I said that yet??) Seeing old friends, eating authentic Thai food, being in a place I love so much...can't wait.

3) Levi has started to give "real" kisses on the cheek. He presses his lips to your cheek, then clicks his tongue to make the "kissing noise." It's so cute, and I try to get him to do it as often as possible.

4) I would really like to write more. My friend (in real life!), Dana, is going to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I would love to participate, but I'm not sure I have a novel in me. I love to write and want to do more of it, but I just don't have the creativity for novel-writing. I tried to think of some ideas and do a little research, but I just can't seem to come up with anything interesting. I really enjoy reading novels, but I don't think I'm a novel writer. We'll see.

5) I've been trying to find Caleb some pajamas and haven't had much luck. Even when I ask people who've lived here for a while they can't seem to tell me where I can buy affordable pajamas. I looked at some in Levi's size the other day and they were S$50. I'm not paying that for pajamas. My mom looked at Target back home but they don't have summertime pajamas anymore.

6) The stores here actually change their wardrobes for seasons, even though we don't have seasons. Right now you can buy a sweater. It will be in the high 80s here today with about 187% humidity, and well, pretty much every day forever. Maybe the low 90s, too, if we're lucky. It does dip into the 70s at night, though. Might need a light jacket for that.

7) I'm trying to think of a cold place to visit that isn't too far from here. We won't be going back to the States until next June and it will be HOT in Texas and New Mexico then. It's bizarre for it to be the middle of October and the weather has not changed much. I'll be reporting the same thing at Thanksgiving and Christmas, by the way. Suggestions for cooler weather locations are welcome.

8) I'm pretty sure this list proves why I can't write a novel. I apparently don't do prose well. I don't think anyone wants to read a 175-page list.

The Singapore Post Office

My sweet friend, Lisa, emailed me several weeks ago and said she wanted to send us a care package and wanted to know what things we'd like that we cannot get in Singapore. So sweet of her! I sent her a list, and she went shopping. Then she mailed the package.

Well.

They tried to deliver it on August 15 (a Saturday), but we were not home. We found a little card stuck in our door, brought it inside, and never saw it again. I don't know if we accidentally threw it away or if one of the boys got it and hid it. Both possibilities are highly likely. The card had a tracking number on it, and without the tracking number they could not tell me where the package was.

I've been calling and waiting and checking for over 3 weeks for that package. I've been put on hold with the PO for 20 minutes, and my call has been disconnected a jillion (or maybe 10) times. I was at a post office today mailing a package to Texas and asked the lady what to do about my missing package. She asked me my address and said I needed to go to the Tanglin Post Office. This is the first time that someone has actually told me which post office I needed to go to! So, I went, gave the woman behind the counter my address and off she went to locate the package. Only, she came back with nothing. She asked me what color the card was that the delivery person left at our door on August 15. I said, "beige." She said beige is the color of the reminder card, and after 5 days of receiving the reminder card they send the package back to the sender. I have NO IDEA when/IF we received a white delivery card! GRRR.

I'm so sorry, Lisa! I hate that this happened, and I'm so frustrated with the Singapore P.O. that I could scream. Maybe I will...I'm the only one home now.

*Very Annoyed*

Ok. Rant Over.

Singapore, Day Two

I'm going to start with something positive because today has been a really hard day and it's only 3pm.

Our boys get lots of looks here in Singapore. While we're walking around people are always craning their necks to see them. More than a few people have stopped to ask us if they are twins. We tell them that the younger one is just big. :-) We're also very aware of just how LOUD Levi is! You can hear him from a mile away...probably why people are always staring at us.

Caleb now knows who President Obama is; apparently it took us coming to Asia for that to happen. We never really discussed it with him before, and we don't generally watch the news with him, but here in Singapore Obama is on tv all the time! (and there are tvs everywhere...sometimes even beside elevators.) Apparently this part of the world is very interested in his recent trip and report on it all the time. At breakfast this morning, the tv was on and it was showing Air Force One arriving in Germany. President Obama got off the plane and Caleb said, "Obama." I was shocked that he even knew who that was.

Levi woke up at 3am this morning. Caleb quickly followed. Both of them were so tired from jet lag last night that they didn't eat dinner and were cranky beyond belief. We had planned to go to the grocery store to get a few snacks but decided against it because they were spent. At 3am when they were both hungry, we were wishing we'd made that trip. So, in the middle of the night, my children were eating rice krispie treats (thanks, Kimberly!) and fruit snacks. The grocery store was definitely high on our list of things to do today. So, from 3-5am, we had a little party. The boys wanted to watch cartoons, but we don't get any of the cartoon channels here at the hotel. We tried to get on nickjr.com to watch them, but apparently you can only watch those if you are in the US or its territories. Big bummer.

Going to the grocery store (Cold Storage) was a reality check, too. We'd taken the MRT up one station to get there, so we could only get just a few things (whatever we could carry back with us). We got some fruit and a few snacks so we'll be prepared if they kids wake up in the middle of the night hungry again.

It is quickly becoming apparent to me that unless the boys and I take taxis everywhere, we won't be venturing out much without Justin. Singapore is a walking city with great public transportation. It's ideal and pretty easy if you don't have small children, but trying to get two kids (that get tired easily and must be in a stroller most of the time) up and down out of the MRT stations where only one entrance has an elevator is difficult. It seems like the elevator entrance is always across the street from where we want to be and crossing the street is not always easy. Just going to McDonald's for lunch was a huge undertaking. First, we went to the wrong building. So, we had to go down two escalators (balancing 60 lbs of children on one escalator step in the stroller) to the underpass, walk through the underpass, repeat balancing of stroller up the escalators to the street level. Walk down the street to McDonald's. Realize that there are about 20 steps down to the McD's. Get kids out of stroller. I hold Levi while Justin carries the stroller down and Caleb walks on his own. In McDonald's, Levi threw a huge fit and literally threw his box of chicken nuggets and apples across the restaurant. Then he threw his toy and nearly hit a lady.

Later, he threw my drink on the floor in another building while Justin was taking Caleb to potty.

We're so proud.

And I thought getting in my car in my driveway in Houston, strapping the kids in their carseats, driving down the street to Target, parking close to the door, getting them in the cart and walking inside the store was hard. I'm so naive.

So, we're finding our way around and trying to figure out how it's all going to work. Thankfully Justin has been here enough to know where some things are. We're all tired still and hoping to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Living in a Hotel

Well, we're officially all moved out of the house. It's been a rough week. Caleb's been upset about his playroom tv not making the trip to Singapore with us, and Levi has been just plain cranky all week long. They are really feeling the stress of the move. It's hard since they don't know that's what they are feeling. Every time I take Levi somewhere, he fusses loudly the whole time (it's really more like screaming). I don't know if he's not feeling well, or if he's just not sure what to feel since his little world has been turned upside down.

So, for now, we're living in a hotel. Caleb is sick (he's thrown up twice today and is running a fever), so today has been especially hard. I'm taking him to the doctor in the morning to see if it's a virus, strep throat, or maybe his ears again. If it's not one thing, it's another.

We've been talking about moving to Singapore for so long that it hasn't been real until this week. It hit both Justin and me once the movers started packing up our stuff that this is really happening! (And, by the way, I would highly recommend moving with professionals. They are amazing! And fast!)

Now we're living in this weird limbo phase for the next 12 days. It kind of feels like we don't have a home, which is really weird since our house is only 15 miles away. We haven't sold the house yet, and don't really know what's going to happen in the next couple of months with that. We're just taking it day by day, which I guess is best anyway.

I don't have a lot to say other than this week has been really weird and really stressful, but we're glad that this move is finally here. Oh, and we're exhausted.

We're planning on visiting family this weekend, but that all depends on how Caleb is feeling tomorrow.

That's all. We're just trying to tie up loose ends and get all the last minute things done. The list is still pretty long, but we're checking things off.

Sweet Moments

I was having a sweet moment with Levi earlier. I went to get the boys and tell them lunch was ready, and Levi grabbed my hand and wanted to hold it as we walked into the kitchen. I basking in this moment and was in the middle of telling Levi how much I like it when he wanted to hold me my hand when WHACK...my older son threw a ball at me. Moment over.

Hold onto the sweet moments...they don't last long. It's kinda like life...you're cruising along enjoying the serenity and good times when life throws a ball and whacks you in the back when you weren't looking.

Here, for your reading enjoyment, are interesting things Caleb has said lately. (The list is ever growing!)

1. "On my birthday I want to get a window tatoo." (ooooookay.)

2. "Mom, on your birthday, I want you to get a new washing machine and dryer." (this was after we saw a commercial about Tide. I wonder if he wants me to get the front-loading kind because that would be awesome. But how about the birthday after we get back from Singapore, Caleb?)

3. "Mom, after we go to Singapore, I want to go to China and meet Kai Lan." (sure thing, Caleb. I'll put meeting cartoon characters on my to-do list right after winning the lottery.)

4. Looking out in the backyard, I see Caleb playing with our honeysuckle vine.
me: Caleb, what are you doing?
Caleb: I'm trying to swing.

5. "Mommy, when is our car going to be a racecar?"

6. "Mommy, how fast are we going?"
"40, Caleb. That's the speed limit."
"When are we going to go five-ty?"

7. We've been trying to explain to Caleb that toys cost money and that Daddy goes to work so we can have money. He didn't quite get the whole concept.
Caleb: "I want a monkey that plays with play-doh." (the Coco-Nutty Play-Doh Monkey)
us: "Well, we don't have money for that right now."
Caleb: "I want to go to the store and buy some money."
us: "That's not how it works. Daddy has to go to work to earn money."
Caleb: "Daddy, when are you going to work?"
Daddy: "We have to buy food first, Caleb, before toys."
the next day...
Caleb calls Daddy at work.
Caleb: "Daddy are you done with food yet?"

8. "Mommy, why did I come out of your tummy?" (he asked this one as I was typing this post.)

Never a dull moment around here!

For Sale

Our house has a "For Sale" sign out front. It's not officially on the market yet, but it will be next week. Yesterday I met with my friend who's our realtor, and then I fought back tears all day long. I'm sad. I'm really sad to leave my family and friends here. I know that we'll only be gone temporarily, but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to the people who have literally held me up the past few years. I'm also sad to sell this house because I really love it and it's the house we brought our boys home to. Justin and I have lived in this house since July of 2003, less then 10 months after we got married. Almost all of our memories are here and it's the only home our boys know.

Ok, moving on before I dissolve into a bucket of tears. (Yes, I know we'll make friends in Singapore and it will be a great adventure and it will change our lives and we'll be back before we know it. That's what people always say. I get that. I'm just sad. But I'm really excited, too.)

I'm in the middle of filling out the boys' and my passport applications so we can all 4 traipse up to the Post Office on Friday to turn in our applications. Thankfully I found my old passport while we were cleaning out our bedroom because you have to jump through hoops and sign away your life in blood if you lose your passport.

I wish I had some new pictures of the boys to post for you to "ooh" and "aah" over and make this post a little less heavy, but I don't even know where my camera is at the moment. We've boxed up so much stuff and made trips to the storage shed and taken donations up to the church and painted every surface in sight every night for weeks (or months, I'm not sure). So, if I find the camera and it has pictures you haven't seen on it, I'll make sure and post them here.

In happier news, I got a CUTE Vera Bradley purse and clutch wallet on eBay (for way cheaper than retail) and it arrived yesterday. It's the little things, really. ;-)

My House Is In Disarray and I Might Go Crazy

We're in the middle of a pretty big house project...refinishing (sanding, staining, varnish) the wood floors, painting almost every room, removing/changing the tile backsplash, and the list goes on. Justin's dad is here as our handyman, and we have worked him HARD this past week. Here are some pictures.

The floors before--see the damage from our dishwasher leaking?

The floors "during." Caleb was such a big helper (for the 30 seconds we were there for this!)

The floors after

Current state of our living room

Current state of the kitchen...the refrigerator is in the hallway!

Stop Me If I'm Repeating Myself

Last Thursday Caleb took a 2 hour nap at Mother's Day Out. I should have known then that he was sick. Of the 3 times he's taken a nap at Mother's Day Out since September 2007, 3 of those times he's been sick.

So, we bundled up and loaded up yesterday morning for the doctor's office. You cannot know how happy I was to hear him say Caleb had an ear infection. Not because I'm just that mean, but because every other time I've taken one of the boys to the doctor recently they've said, "It's a virus, there's nothing we can do. Thank you for your $20 copay and driving 45 minutes with two kids in traffic to see us. Have a nice day. See you in a couple of weeks and we'll repeat the process." Or something like that. The doctor actually said this time, "Mom hit a home run." Finally.

So he has the ear infection and is generally puny-feeling from all the snot and fever and such. It probably has nothing to do with the fact that the temperature outside has gone from 75 to 35 to 55 to 38 to 78 to 40 in a matter of hours this past week. We're all a little under the weather, so to speak.

This morning Caleb and I had a conversation that went like this:

Me: What do you want for breakfast, Caleb?
Caleb: I don't want breakfast. I want a snack.
Me: Ok (I choose not to argue semantics). You can have a cereal bar, oatmeal, waffles, or yogurt.
Caleb: I want candy.
I wish I could tell you how many times he's asked for candy for breakfast. He never gets it.
Me: You can have a cereal bar, oatmeal, waffles, or yogurt.
Caleb: I want marshmallows.
Me: stop me if I'm repeating myself. You can have a cereal bar, oatmeal, waffles, or yogurt.
Caleb: But I want marshmallows.

And he proceeded to follow me around the house saying "marshmallows" in his most pitiful, whiny toddler voice. I didn't budge, so he finally decided he wanted waffles. We go through something similar to this every morning. I guess he thinks he can wear me down. He has no idea how stubborn his mother is!

I'm so sad he's sick today because it's his Christmas program at school today. I'm hoping he'll feel up to going in a couple of hours. One of the saddest things about moving to Singapore is that he won't be going to this sweet little church for Preschool. He'll be entering Kindergarten about the time we get back. boohoohoo.

(In the middle of this post I had to run in my bedroom because Caleb was calling out to me from my bed where he has been watching Noggin and NickJr for the last 24 hours. I heard these delightful words, "Mommy, I peed on your bed." Really? "Why did you do that? Why didn't you go to the potty?" "I didn't want to.")

I'll leave you with some "photography a la Caleb"...

His new favorite thing...NickJr computer games. He's plays them all by himself. (And apparently takes pictures of his accomplishments. This was one of many.)

The gorgeous ceiling fan in our computer room...

Self-portrait

Smile, mommy!

Self-portrait #2