Blogging Again?

Am I blogging again? That is a great question, my friend, a really great question. I don't think I would go as far as to say that I am "blogging again". The word "again" brings pressure....like I am expected to do it everyday or even once a week. It makes me think that I am supposed to participate in blogger contests and wordless Wednesdays. I don't do pressure and I have recently learned not to do expectations. If you don't expect anything, then when you get something, it is a pleasant surprise. So, surprise! Here I am. Isn't that pleasant? Therefore, I would only go as far as to say that I am blogging today. Today. Today. To. Day.

Why today? I'm not sure what provoked me to blog today. Maybe I'm tired of seeing that my last post was OVER A YEAR AGO. Maybe my life is overflowing with change and I want to shout it out to cyberspace. Or maybe I feel sorry for my youngest son because my blog currently features my big kid and the poor little guy isn't in the spotlight much. Maybe I am over my phase of being a more private person and just feel the need to put my stuff online. Maybe my husband keeps suggesting that I blog again. Or maybe, just maybe, I remembered that I like to write and this is a great avenue to do that.

So just for today, I am here, blogging. My boys are getting big, in stature and in attitude. I'm not sure which one overpowers the other; the stature or the attitude? They are still my complete joy and my utter chaos. Seriously, I laugh out loud at them daily. I mean, I laugh with them daily. From putting Mighty Beans in their underwear in attempt to keep the beat, from telling me I am not the fun parent no matter what I do, to my youngest refusing to believe he was born in a hospital instead of a manger, and to my oldest needing to be told on a weekly basis it is not his job to make people laugh at school.....they constantly keep me in stitches. Now if I can just mask the urge to bust out laughing and discipline like Dobson recommends, I'd be in good shape.

I am not going to spend time "catching up" on the last year. An entire year has gone by and I refuse to recap a whole year. I did mention it has been an entire year, right? A year. I've thought about a blog make over, a fresh start, a clean slate of sorts. But that involves commitment and I would feel the expectations to keep up with it all over again. So we shall see...

Like I said, I don't feel it is necessary to "catch up". For those that know me, you know my world, my family, where we are, what we are up to, how life has been like, and how to pray for us. Some of you know me better than others. You know my heart, where I have been, and where I am headed. For those that don't know me, maybe through my blog you will get to know a part of me, maybe laugh a little, and see a glimpse of what my world is like as a wife, mom, and follower of Jesus. I don't have all the answers, in fact, I have very few. I just have my experiences, what works for me and what I believe in. I am not the perfect friend, perfect wife, or the perfect parent. My house is a mess, the laundry is never caught up, I often grit my teeth to fight back what I'd really like to say and I sometimes flick my kids on the head for being disrespectful. I'm normal. I'm human. And there's always room for improvement, right?

So, for whatever reason, I decided to blog today. Just today. No promises. We'll see if and when it happens again. Oh, there's that word again...."again". I'll leave you today with a few recent pictures of the 2 boys that keep me in stitches. They sure are cuties if I say so myself.

Happy Halloween!!!

Growing Up

Growing up is hard. Hard on mommy, that is. My sweet, sweet boy lost his first tooth this morning. He is happy. I am sad. I remember when that tooth first came in...I remember my baby's tears from the pain, the late nights applying cream and teething tablets to ease the pain, and the giving of infant Tylonel. Now the tears are not from Braxton....they are from mom. Those big adult teeth will be popping up before we know it and that sweet baby face will change. Sigh.

Growing up is exciting. My boy will go into "big church" with mommy and daddy tomorrow. It is promotion Sunday at our church. So he's promoting! Promoting to attempting to sit still and listen to our pastor speak for however long and promoting to using a quiet voice if he needs to talk to mom. I have my bag of tricks to help with this promotion.

Growing up is tearful. My sweet son starts Kindergarten on Monday. He is so excited. Mom and Dad can't believe it. Oh, where did the time go?

We are so proud of our Braxton boy! He can count to 100, read a little, retell his favorite bible stories, and problem solve and pretend like no other. He loves to swim and is actually quite great at it. He is a good big brother and he loves his family. He loves to learn new things and is so proud of his accomplishments. Growing up sure is fun!

Her name is Kate....

and she is 5 years old.

As I hugged my own little 5 year old this morning I couldn't help but think of Kate. I do not know Kate and most likely we will never cross paths, but I am compelled to pray for her and her family. Her family is broken as their world has been rocked. They are clinging to the one true God, the ultimate healer. Please click HERE to read Kate's story and pray for this sweet little girl.

My Babes on the Beach

The not so frequent blogger...that's me!

I have become a not so frequent blogger. Oh well. I started out all gung-ho and then life decided to take over my time. :)

My boys are growing like super weeds that won't stop. I keep saying to Nash, "Please be little forever". I know he won't. He still lets me snuggle and is such a momma's boy. He comes by that naturally! Braxton is Mr. Independent, Mr. Talk-Back, Mr. I'm-Going-To-Do-What-I-Want, and Mr. Please-Don't-Ask-Me-To-Help-You-Do-ANYTHING. He's only 5. I think I'm in trouble.

Braxton is playing tee-ball this semester. He's a lefty and his Daddy wants him to be a super star on the field....Ummmmm, we're trying to figure out if baseball is "his sport". Don't tell me "he's only 5". There are kiddos out there who already love the game and have a knack for it. Only time and lots of practice will tell! He's been begging us to play football, so we're going to try flag football in the fall. Oh dear me!

The BIG news is.....no, I'm not pregnant....I am going back to full time teaching in the fall. Holy Moly! I haven't landed a job yet, but I have had a few good interviews and have made some good contacts within the district. I will keep you posted!

So needless to say, we've been busy. Tee-ball, job hunting, school, church, and the rest of our daily happenings have kept us on our toes.

Blogs are more fun to look and read when pictures are included, so I'll leave ya with some pictures....

Our BIG boys on Easter morning. Look at 'em!! Just look how big they are....


The joys of being in the student ministry....a yard full of marshmallow Peeps.


A picture of us....just in case you forgot what we all look like.


And drum roll please.....I am counting down the days until I am here.

Steve and I leave in a week for METRO, a conference for youth ministers and their wives. It just so happens to take place at the beach. Whoo-hoo! :) Thank you to whoever chose this wonderful location for us to meet! This conference couldn't come at a better time.

Welcome back me! I can't promise frequent blogging, but if something great happens I'll try to be better about letting the world know. :)

Happy Easter friends and family! "The tomb is empty so you don't have to be." Thank Jesus for being ALIVE.

Safe and Sound

Tonight I felt as if I was holding a daisy, picking off the petals, and saying "take shelter, don't take shelter, take shelter, don't take shelter". When the sirens started going off and the dude on the news said to take cover, my "take shelter" petal won and I thought of the old saying....better safe than sorry.

The kids didn't even wake up as they were transferred into the tub and pillows and blankets were piled on top. The man of the house roamed around looking out the windows keeping watch in order to "protect his family". Say what??? Unless my hubs is superman (which in many ways he is) there ain't no wind gonna stop for him!!

The storm has passed. We are all safe and sound. The kids have been transferred back into their beds without making a peep.

So what does a good mommy do before getting them out of the tub???? Take a picture, of course.


Sleep tight everyone!

Random Things

It's just me and this little dude today....staying home from preschool. We do not look like this right now, but I thought I'd post a picture of me and my little guy on one of our better days.

Today we have our jammies on, mommy isn't wearing make-up, our hair is a mess, and we are just taking it easy. You see, my sweet Nash started vomiting on Saturday night - to which my husband left the room saying "I can't do this." Thanks hubs. Boy howdy, did I have a mess to clean up at midnight! Nash ran a fever all day Sunday and Monday, and after a trip to the doctor yesterday we were told he has strep throat. Oh, lovely. So Mommy and Nash are enjoying a day at home, getting him tanked up on antibiotics in order to get back to reality tomorrow. He is already feeling better and I have been pretty productive with just one child at home. I forgot how easy it was just having one kiddo, especially one that doesn't argue with me yet! I also forgot how much I LOVE staying home.

Our sweet niece Addison had a birthday on Sunday. We have been so engulfed in sickness that we haven't even called her. Bad Aunt. Bad Uncle.

Happy Birthday Addy! We wish we could've been there to celebrate with you, especially Braxton! Braxton and Addy have so much fun when they are together. We love our time with the rest of the Aylor clan!

For all you baseball fans out there......

Andy Pettite of the New York Yankees came to our church a few weeks ago. He gave his testimony and signed autographs. It was great! Steve had the privilege of hanging out with him and interviewing him in front of the student ministry.

I guess that wraps up my randomness for today. Braxton will be home from school in a few short hours. Let's see what this mommy can accomplish in the meantime!

My Whereabouts

Yes, I still have a blog. It's just been a little boring lately. I have been spending too much time on facebook getting caught up on the happenings of my friends, looking at their photos, writing notes, and changing my status way too often. I have also been getting caught up on my DVR'd recordings. I am a watcher of 24, The Bachelor, American Idol, and Grey's Anatomy, and not at all ashamed to admit this one...All My Children. I love me some good TV and DVR is the best invention of all time. I have started a new "meal plan" and have been successful for almost a week in eating right. Yay me! I have decided to call it a "meal plan" instead of diet because I always crash and burn with each diet I start. I'm hoping to be skinny by April....hoping, and praying, and wishing, and dreaming. If I succeed I will post a before and after picture...oh, did I just say that? Okay, you can hold me accountable.

We have a birthday party to attend today and house that needs cleaning.....better get crackin'. Enjoy your weekend!

An Aylor Reenactment

Characters: An average mom with not so average kids - Braxton (5 years old) and Nash (2 years old)

Scene: Nash is sitting quietly on the floor playing the ever so annoyingly loud duck game...incomes Braxton.

SMASH! POUND! BONK!

Game is now messed up. Nash is unhappy. Braxton has a pleasant smirk on his face.

Dialogue begins:
Mommy: "Braxton, that wasn't nice. Go to time out and I will talk to you in a minute."
Braxton: "MOM!!!! Why didn't you tell me not to do that before I did it?? You ARE SUPPOSED to tell me when I'm about to do something wrong!!!"
Braxton exits the room, angry with his mom for not making him aware of his wrong behavior BEFORE IT HAPPENS.

As Mommy helps Nash get his game back together, Braxton can be heard from his time out spot.
Braxton (yelling): "MOM!!!! Why didn't you tell me not to do that? Next time, just tell me before I do it."

End Scene.

(Add "Conscience" to mom's job description.)

I've been tagged...

By my friend Marci...

So here we go:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on the computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)


This is when Braxton met his little brother Nash for the first time. Braxton brought Nash a sweet little bear from Build a Bear to help welcome him to our family!

I am not a good player when it comes to taggin' games.....it takes me too long to respond if I do at all! Sooooo, I'm not going to put that kind of pressure on my bloggin' friends. :) If you want to play I'd LOVE to see what picture you dig up! Leave me a comment if you join in on the fun and I'll mosey on over to your corner in cyberspace and see your pic!

Postcard

Just to make you smile.....

Me: "Braxton, I need you to take all of your toys to the playroom."
B: "I can't mom. I'm a postcard."
Me: "A what?"
B: "A postcard. Postcards don't walk and they can't talk."

(Braxton proceeds to sit very still on the floor for what seems like a very long time....3 minutes maybe, but it felt much longer especially when he's refusing to look at me or move a muscle.)

Me: "Braxton, go take your toys to your playroom!"
B: "Postcards don't have ears mom. I can't hear you."