Stereotypes

Noah:  Can you tell me what these words on this toy mean?
Me:  It says "CHANG SHEN PLASTIC TOYS FACTORY"
Noah: I know that but what does it mean?
Me: Oh, it just means that it was made in China.
Noah: Sooooo... it means that it is going to break soon?

Mother~Son Love?

At some point early this morning Jonah snuck into my bed.  When I woke up he was snuggled up next to me sleeping away.  As I lay there watching him sleep he stirred and said, "Bye, I love you....byyyeeee, I looovee you!" 

When he opened his eyes and looked up at me he had such a sad little look on his face.  I said, "Sweetie were you having a bad dream?"  He shook his head no and said "It was a good dream.  I dreamed you were leaving and I was going to spend the whole day with Daddy."


My response?   GET OUT OF MY BED!

Merry Christmas

Givens Family Adventures

Winter ~ Noah turned six and to celebrate, we took a trip to the Savannah Roundhouse Railroad Museum and then rode back to Yemassee on the Amtrak. Both were a big hit and the boys still beg to ride the train again.

After years of prayer and preparation, Joe and I decided that it was time to try and expand Little Joe’s Trucking and began working toward that goal.

We got snow here this year! The four inches of fluffy white stuff meant that we were without power for two days. We spent lots of family time building snowmen, making snow angels, splitting fire wood, and camping out in the living room trying to stay warm.

For Micah’s first birthday we all took a trip to the circus and ate lots of chocolate cupcakes. On his first birthday, he still was not walking but was content to be carried everywhere by either Joe or myself.

By far the most important thing that happened this winter was that Noah gave his heart to Jesus. It was amazing watching him as God worked in his little heart.

Spring ~ Noah played soccer again, Joe started chicken farming, Noah broke his arm on the trampoline, we spent spring break camping in the backyard, and Joe and I celebrated seven years of marriage. Noah graduated kindergarten and was baptized in our church. Jonah had lots of tests trying to figure out some tummy issues and ended up getting pneumonia. Thankfully he healed well and the tummy issues are behind him. Micah was still content to crawl or hang out in Mommy or Daddy’s arms.

Summer ~ We enjoyed the zoo, two rounds of VBS, July 4th at the river, put-put golf, and go-kart rides. We finally gave in and bought a minivan. Long gone are the days of my Miata.

At sixteen months old, Micah finally started walking running, and has not slowed down yet.

Little Joe’s Trucking continued to grow and kept us plenty busy. Joe and Noah got a taste of the big city when I gave them the wrong directions and they ended up downtown DC in a loaded log truck. Oops!

Micah and Jonah got into the craft supplies and colored each other from head to toe with permanent markers. Luckily most of it was covered by clothing, and it wore off in about two weeks.

Jonah realized how much attention Noah gets when he talks and decided to give him a run for his money. Our chicken farming came to an abrupt halt when something killed all of our chickens. If you know me well, then you know that I was not really all that upset over the demise of the birds.

Autumn ~ Noah started first grade with me teaching him at home. It took some getting used to but most days we both enjoy school. He is doing great and has finished the first semester work already.

Jonah turned three and we all went to the mountains for his birthday. We took the kids panning for gold and spent a day at Santa Land in Cherokee, NC. We had not been since before Jonah was born, so it was a trip we all enjoyed.

The boys dressed as the Three Billy Goats Gruff for Halloween and Joe was the troll under the bridge. Veteran’s day was spent on the Waterfront in Savannah visiting the WWII memorial.

The boys painted pumpkins, drew pilgrims, and made paper turkeys galore for Thanksgiving.

So these are the adventures of the Givens family. Our adventures consist of raising boys, home schooling, potty training, and keeping a small business afloat. Not extreme by any means, but adventures all the same. We look forward to this next year and the adventures it will bring!

The Givens Family ~ Joe, Denise, Noah, Jonah, and Micah

After Three

Today Granny Faye was helping Jonah with his numbers...

Granny: One
Jonah: Two
Granny: Three
Jonah: Ummmmmm...
Granny: What comes after three?
Jonah: (In his best Joe impression) Boy, don't make me have to get up and come over there!

If laughter is the best medicine, then we have the cure for what ails you!

Boot Laces

How do you know you are the parent of three little boys?
Monday morning Joe got up to get ready for work.  This was long before the sun came up so I was still in bed.  After he had his shower and got dressed, he sat down to put his work boots on.  All of a sudden I hear, "Denise, what happened to my laces?"
I got out of bed to see what he was talking about.  I found him sitting there with a dumbfounded look on his face, staring at boots without any laces at all.  Now these are tall work boots for a size sixteen foot, that is a lot of boot lace to be missing!
I had a flashback to the kids playing over the weekend with their trucks.  They were pretending that they were stuck in the mud and had to go get other trucks to "pull" them out.  I wondered where they had gotten all of the "tow rope" from.
I felt the laughter coming and tried really hard to hold it back, but it was no use.  Joe was looking at me like I had grown another head and then looking back at his boots in utter confusion.  When I explained what I thought had happened, he started laughing as well.  As I went to get his spare boots I heard him muttering, "I can't believe they stole my laces!"
So if you go to put your work boots on in the morning only to find that you no longer have laces, you just might be the parent of three little boys.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Noah: ♪ ♫ You know Dasher and Dancer, ♪ ♫ and Prancer and Vixen, ♪ ♫ Comet and Cupid... ♪ ♫
Jonah: It's not nice to say that word!
Noah: What word?
Jonah: Stupid.
Noah: I did not say STUPID,  I said CUPID!
Jonah: It is still not nice.

Noah: ♪ ♫ You know Dasher and Dancer, ♪ ♫ and Prancer and Vixen, ♪ ♫ Comet and Cupid...♪ ♫
Jonah: It's not nice to say that word!
Noah: What word?
Jonah: Stupid.
Noah: I did not say STUPID, I said CUPID!
Jonah: It is still not nice.

Noah: ♪ ♫ You know Dasher and Dancer, ♪ ♫ and Prancer and Vixen, ♪ ♫ Comet and Cupid... ♪ ♫
Jonah: It's not nice to say that word!
Noah: What word?
Jonah: Stupid.
Noah: I did not say STUPID, I said CUPID!
Jonah: It is still not nice.

Unfortunately this is a scene that replays itself over and over in my house.  I think they get a kick out of it.  It is driving me crazy!

Where Do Babies Come From?

I recently learned that the kid's old babysitter "Aunt Dea" is going to have a baby.  This is part of the conversation that ensued when I tried to tell the boys...

Me:  Guess who is going to have a baby?
Noah and Jonah:  You?
Me: No, do you think I should have a baby?
Jonah: YESSSSS!!!!
Noah:  No 'mam I think you should have two.
Me:  Well it is not me, so who do you think it is?
Noah: Grammy!!!
Me:  Bahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Nope, try again.
Noah:  Well I know it can't be Uncle Tj and Aunt Holly.
Me:  Why are you so sure it is not them?
Noah: Because Momma, they live in Japan!
Me: What does that have to do with having a baby?
Noah:  I don't think they have hospitals over there.
Me: I think they do have hospitals.
Noah: No they don't.
Me: Yes they do have hospitals in Japan.  But even if they don't, that has nothing to do with having a baby.
Noah:  Well where else would they get one from?
Me:  Ummmmm...it isn't them anyway so try again.

Eventually they figured out that it was Aunt Dea.  I forget sometimes how innocent my children really are.  I am also thinking that maybe the ten centimeter story did not stick after all!

Dear Santa

The annual letter to Santa is a must around here.  Otherwise the kids will change their minds about what they want right up until Christmas eve.  This year Noah was able to write it on his own (with a little help in the spelling department) and was kind enough to include Jonah and Micah as well.  I know he forgot to dot his 'i' in bring and spelled go-kart wrong...but here it is.

Thankfully the pillow pets are hidden in my room and the go-kart belt is headed here by UPS but I have no idea how to make special icing cookies with icing carrots on the top.  Where does he come up with these things?