We took a trip

Aman, the boys, and I all went for a trip to TN. We went to Gatilinburg to start with and spent the weekend in that area. Then we left for Johnson City on Monday and came home Wednesday. I don't feel much like typing so I am going to load pictures and do captions.

We went to the Ripley's Aquarium with Aunt Jill.

The entrance to Ripley's Aquarium

Adam said that the fish looked like Mommy

SHARKS!

David and Aunt Jill

Our attempt at a family photo

Not everyone liked walking through the tunnel

Penguin Exhibit

Smokey Mountain National Park

The boys loved the tunnel

The scenic trail we drove down

Riding the cow at Aunt Jill's

David the Cheerleader

Riding Daddy

Adam with the foam disk shooters at Aunt Jill's

view on the way home

Happy Moments as a Mom

I have had a lot of happy moments. Today I just started thinking about it all. I was watching my little David ride a bicycle (with training wheels). I just love to watch him go riding on it. It is a little scary though. I am always worried he will fall off of it. However, it just makes me think of all the times people told me he wouldn't be able to do this stuff. More than once doctors tried to tell us things like this wouldn't happen. I am so happy they were wrong. It makes me hopeful for his future watching him ride that bicycle.

Some of my happiest moments with Adam are simple. Like listening to him talk like he is a adult, or tell me what color or shape something is. Getting him potty training was by far the hardest thing we have been through yet.

I am so proud of both of them and all they have accomplished!

David pooped in the potty!!!

Today has been a good day. Had the house clean and dinner in the oven when David got home on the bus. David ate a snack without a lot of drama. At dinner Adam ate all his nuggets. David stuck his hands in his mashed potatoes and cheese. His hands has a conversation about being yellow. It has been interesting. After dinner David pooped in the potty!!!!!! SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS!!!! Things are never dull around here. Right now there are two boys in PJ's being dinosaurs and crocodile.

Small Town

Living in a small town is good and it is bad. The good is if something happens people are there for you. For example the community came together to help support a custodian that has become ill. Friday night they had a pork burger dinner, silent auction, bake sale, and raffle. That is wonderful. When we had David the people in the comunity were so nice. Always asking how they could help. Offering babysitting, sending gifts, offering to drive me, and just caring.

The bad part of the small town attmosphere is the knowing things. Knowing that the boy who flipped the bird and yelled B**** at you is the son of the aide at school. Or knowing that Mr. Elmo is cheating with Mrs. Cookie Monster. It is also hard to live around the people who teased you in school. It is hard not to let yourself carry all of those feelings with you when you run into them at the school. It is hard to let the boy who was mean to you in school teach your son in class. I wish I didn't know that the girl I once buddies with now can't be bothered to wave at me as she passes me on the road.

Sometimes I wonder if I would be happier if like most of my Bumpus Family I moved away. I know my place is here. That this no matter how stressful is the place I want to raise my boys. I want them to have some of my experiences. I want to know if my son is getting into trouble. It is kinda nice to know there are people watching. I guess the idea is to not let their opinions or actions get to me so much. I need to learn to appreciate the little things and the quirks of my community. In a way it is easier here. I know the experiences I am glad I had and I want to change the bad ones I had so that my children hopefully don't have them. I want them to learn to swim, to be in sports, to forgive, to laugh at themselves, and I want them to be sure of themselves. I want them to know they are loved and that no matter what they do their Dad and I will be here to help them pick up the pieces.

David came home dry!!

David went to school in a pull up and came home in the same one!!! YIPPIE!!! So So happy!
I asked him to do the same thing again today. :)

Underpants fail :(

Not good.

David came home with dirty clothes to wash in his bag.

Happy moment though. He came home and pooped in the potty while I was on the phone. SO Yippie!

Maybe we are at least headed towards the end of the pull ups.

New PJ's from Grandma and Papaws trip.

David is in real underpants

Yep David is wearing real underpants to school today. I am a nervous wreck! He wanted to wear his new toy story undies and he did really well going potty yesterday. I am so hopeful! I am also totally scared he will pee his pants and kids will laugh at him.

On the food front I have been putting protein powder into David's applesauce. He is eating it so far. I also put carrots and cheese whiz in his mashed potatoes last night and he ate them until he found a hunk of carrot. He has been eating a little more than he did last week so that it good. I hope it keeps increasing. The only bad thing has been that giving him feedings at night usually make him pee the bed. Still have to work that out.