They make me LAUGH

My boys are hilarious. They say some of the funniest things. Sometimes they know it but most of the time, they don't. Here's a few for you to enjoy too...

"Holy one, a holy one!" (Andrew shouting as he makes a hole-in-one on Wii frisbee golf).

"Mom, I know think you're funny at that one part in our favorite song... so if you look back here, I'll laugh at you." (Thanks kid).

(While rhyming with the word "dude" aka Bill/Dad).... "I got one Mom: lewd dude!"

(After answering the door)"Who was it, bud?"... "I don't know mom -- just some white guy in long sleeves."
(Our best guess? Our neighbor Joe who has white hair).

(While attempting to swing with his grandpa and asked in the tone of a genuine question)
"Man peepa - how big is your butt?"

I'm 4 Months old!!!

Our sweetie is 4 months old today. Zoe Elaine: we love you.

Being 'Mom'

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I felt very celebrated by Bill and the kids. The day began with a relaxing bubble bath while the boys' went to get me Bruegger's bagels for breakfast. Then I got an orchid from each son (white from Luke, purple from Andrew) and beautiful earrings from Bill. Andrew also made me a keychain at school. Then Bill topped it off with a dinner out for the 2 of us last night. Dates are few and far-between right now so that was very special.

We also had a celebration with friends the night before: BFD - breakfast for dinner...done by all the men; complete with flowers for all 3 moms and personalized cards with quotes from our kids (thanks to the talented David Valentine!). Kelly, Lori and I sat in the living room on baby-duty while the big kids played and the dads made dinner. I think we actually completed at least one conversation.

All this luxurious celebration made me feel so grateful and loved. And I certainly spent the days thinking of all the amazing things it means to be a mother. I love my kids fiercely. Nothing I've ever done has changed me more than becoming a mom. Each time. And the cumulative effect of 3 children has left me softer, more patient, less concerned about my own rights, more able to love and be loved, much more willing to live in-the-moment and above all else, much closer to God and to Bill.
I cannot imagine what it would be like to rewind and not have my babies. Impossible. I have many moments where it brings out my flaws in living-color and leaves me with dirty hands or jeans, frustrated, disappointed or beating myself up for losing it over a little thing.
But overall, this process of being a mom is saving me. As my friend Steven once said...I should thank God for saving "my blind lost ass" and for saving me again and again through the process of being a mother. I am saved from my selfishness, my ambition, my fears, my self-hatred, my tendency to desire isolation, my insecurities, my difficulty receiving affection and a desire to control my own life. Any or all of these things would lead to my destruction if left unattended.

But being a mom creates situations every day that make it impossible for me to stand still in these things... 3 little people that God has brought to me to love, shepherd and nuture. Three little people who need me to love, to find community, to give and get hugs and kisses, to like myself, to give up my own plans. And my fierce love for them drives me directly into the heart of all the crap (listed above) with a pure motivation not to put it on them: to be free to just love them and ENJOY them. God won't let me be happy with less than that.
Like I said...being a mom is saving me over and over every day.

Superheros and a Pretty Girl

These were taken today...my superheros and my pretty girl.

I bought these capes for the boys at Christmas off the website http://www.etsy.com/. If you haven't been there - go now! Superheros are finally catching on here at the Pattersons. (I thought it was a great gift and they've just been hanging on the back of their doorknobs for 5 months).

And Zoe was wearing my favorite shirt today. (Maybe it's because you don't see babies in black very much but I just think she looks adorable!). This photo was taken just a couple hours before it came off in a huge blowout-situation.

Just a Friday and some cute kids.

Daddy's Girl

As I type I am holding Zoe in my lap, and she is wearing a shirt that says "I love being Daddy's girl." Bill slipped it into a pile of summer clothes we were buying for the kids at Children's Place last week. He showed it to me when we got home and said he wanted her to have it. How sweet is that?!

Zoe loves when her dad holds her and soothes her down to sleep. She has always smiled BIG for Bill. And now she's loving some playtime with daddy too. Here are a few snapshots of Daddy and his girl. So sweet. This guy is good.

Who are these people?!

Pop culture. It's never been my thing. I worked in Beauty Care at P&G years ago and this is when it first came to light... I was actually chastised by my boss for not caring enough about popular trends and celebrities. I found myself disliking the "cool brands" and rooting for the simpler ones not sold by over-the-top beauty or the celebrity with the best hair.

Although I certainly can't deny I like to look up-to-date; I like to dress from the same stores that you like (Gap, Banana, White House Black Market, Dillards, whatever) and I'm not immune to the effects of pop culture upon me.... I just simply don't CARE about it much. That's what I tried to tell my boss... "I can't make myself care about something that I just...don't." She wasn't impressed and decided to send me to our PR firm for a crash-course in "what's cool." I quit before she got the chance.

I had a recent incident where I heard the name "Randy Jackson" yet saw a picture in my head of Randy TRAVIS. (My country music days returning to bite me in the butt). I've had many similar incidents over the years: asking a friend about some band that sang a hit song called "Hey ya" that I'd never heard. I'm sitting here remembering my Aunt MaryLee asking me once "what's a Bon Jovi?" I'd ask that now. If you quizzed me on celebrity faces, the only ones I MIGHT know are those who have appeared on American Idol lately. Although clearly this isn't the key, as poor Randy Jackson has still fallen prey to my pop culture faux-pas.

This also extends into the world of music, especially...and it's associated technologies: IPODS (just learned I have an Ipod that is 4 "generations" old), current stereo systems, popular radio stations, etc. I'm not sure why the music world is hit especially hard by this (and I do love to listen to music) but it seems to be a place where celebrity and up-to-the-minute culture is of critical importance. That's where I'm lost.

I'm not embarrased by this. I don't think it's a bad thing. Actually, I think it's great and often very amusing. I now know and accept that this has nothing to do with being relevant to people... it's actually a way that God has put me together. I think it makes life a little simpler and less crowded by people that I'll never meet and never know. And I hope that it makes me a little less part of the worldly culture around me. A friend recently suggested that I should be embarrassed by this. But I'm ok with staying a few steps further away from bad trends and bad boob jobs. I think I'm probably better off for it!

Family Pictures!

Do you have a favorite?!