Peeing on the rug....and other important life lessons

The boys are doing well, they love school, and I love spending time with them in the mornings. Its thier best time of day, and we have fun playing "Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stephani(my current favorite song), as loud as we possibly can each morning, and dance around the house to it.

That is followed by a 30 minute session of football that Chuancey suggests we play EVERY morning. Its really fun.I decided that I need to take an interest and have fun doing WHATEVER the boys want to do or are interested in. So, I ask them what they want to do each morning, and we do it almost all the time. I want to do this so that they know that what they like to do is important to me and so we can be connected in that way.

Jack pees on the rug almost everyday. He pulls off his underwear and pees. He's three and has been potty trained since January. Its not a control issue. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

What is a really great life?

I have been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to me to live my life. I mean, really live while I am alive.
I know the things that are important, truly important in living my life. These things include living each day to do things that will draw me closer to the Lord.
Doing things that can brighten someone elses day.
Take the time to look around me and be really nice to people I come in contact with wherever I go.
Teach my children to be good, honest, hard working and grateful individuals who know beyond any doubt that they have and Earthly mother and Father who would die for them if necessary. And furthermore, to know that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them so much, that he sacrificed his Son for their sins.
With all this aside, assuming life is going well and there are no tragedies to deal with in the moment...what does it mean to really live a good life?
I think right now it means to LIVE my life. To gain experience by experience that make up my life. To actively MAKE my life.
To, with FULL PURPOSE create my own experiences that will make me and my family happy and grow.
Chauncey and I have been discuss a lot lately on what we want out of this life. We are on the same page.
Anyhow....just some thoughts that have been looming in my mind, and are now looming in the universe.
Melanie

Melanie being tagged!

I've been tagged by Rachel Castle Burr-kinda like elementary school!

1. Who is your man? BIG Chauncey

2. How long have you been together? 7 years plus two weeks, married 6.

3. How long dated? 7 years plus two weeks(we went on a date last night, and every friday almost so that counts right?)But, we dated for exactly one year to the day before being sealed.

4. How old is your man? too old to still have 2 years left of school, 28. He is starting to have hair line recession, although we are both in a bit of denial about it.

5. Who eats more? What do you think? I eat more chocolate for sure though.

6. Who said "I love you" first? Me for sure. We didn't even kiss until we had been dating 5 months! Most of you were probably married by then!

7. Who is taller? It depends. Sensitive subject. Chauncey is 1 inch taller, so in any type of heel, I am much taller. Chauncey doesn't hld hands with me unless I am in flat shoes!

8. Who sings better? Oh gosh, who put this question in here, neither.

9. Who is smarter? Well, I always thought we were equals(we had the same ACT scores),. Until we arrived to Dental School. Most of Chauncey's classmates study a lot to get decent grades(A's and B's). Chauncey seriously NEVER has studied much here in Dental School and he brings home A's and B's. He is DEFINANTLY smarter!

10. Who's temper is worse? Are you kidding? Chauncey won't fight with me no matter how hard I have tried! I gave up trying years ago!

11. Who does the laundry? I do of course. Although, I don't put away his clothes-I figure I put away clothes for 4 people, he's a big boy. So they end up piled sky high on his closet floor.

12..Who takes out the garbage? Chauncey of course. I don't do well with smelly things or Maggots. SICK!!

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. We are pretty good bed share'ers.

14. Who pays the bills? He pays the online ones, I pay all the others. I am the financially responsible party though for sure. I make sure everything is taken care of.

15. Who is better with the computer? Chauncey is way better. I am only good when everything is working properly, and I have done it beofre. I am no good at figuring things out on my own!

16. Who mows the lawn? Chauncey. I do want to start doing more manly things like the lawn though, next summer! I am working on learning electrical work right now!

17. Who cooks dinner? I do, but we do grill a lot in the summer. I actually realized that I am feeding mouths ALL DAY LONG, and don't really like it at all, but its a part of this stage of life, so I will just keep doing it!

18. Who drives when you are together? Chauncey, and he drives like a grandma. But its safe!

19. Who pays when you go out? Does this matter? Chauncey.

20. Who is most stubborn? I am. I don't like it, but self-control is so hard to master!

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? We both are, that is why we don't fight.

22. Whose parents do you see the most?Neither. Sad.

23. Who kissed who first?I wanted to, but he did.

24. Who asked who out? I did. My roommates and I each asked out boys to play a football game, and bbq at our apartment the first weeked we went back to Ricks in the fall of 2000.

25. Who proposed? He did. In Versailles, France. It was so awesome!

26. Who is more sensitive? He is actually. I am usually not that emotional. Unless it is just after having a baby, or sending my child off to preschool.

27. Who has more friends? About equal I think actually. We both treasure our friendships!

28. Who has more siblings? He does, 5.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? I think we both do in different areas. I guess I control most everything, so I must wear the pants. But, with that said, anything that does matter to him, I give complete control to him, because there's not very many things he wants control over.

This was fun, thanks for tagging me Rach!!!

Jack's BIG Birthday Bash

We had a Joint 3rd birthday party for Jackson with one of his friends Kyla, it was a CARS themed party. It was totally crazy! We had 16 kids, all of thier siblings and families stayed for the party. I wasn't expecting that, so there were way too many people in our house! But, it was so fun for the kids, so it was a huge success. Here are a few of the highlights...

Here he is with his "FAVORITE" present.

Chauncey had the hardest hits.

Jack swinging at the Pinata of Lightning.


Opening his first present....this was really funny. Jackson opened this present, and LOVED it so much, that we couldn't get him to open any of the other presents. He said he didn't need any more presents. Some of the kids were literally chasing him down with thier presents trying to get him to open them!

Jack LOVES his baby girl Kate.

Jack enjoying a mouthful of Birthday cake.


He wanted the piece of cake with the Lightning McQueen car on it.

About to blow out the Birthday candles...

Jack loves having Mommy around. Lately, he has been calling me "Ma" and for some reason it makes me feel really old!

Here is the Birthday boy, excited about his CARS themed Birthday cake.

I threw this one in since it is rare to get Big Chauncey on the blog!

This is Jack with Gracie girl, who Jackson adores. He loves to play with her hair too!

Here is a game of musical chairs, Jack was a little unsure if he thought this game was fun.

Update on Kate's crooked finger

Read on for the update on her finger, but first, please take the time to enjoy my beautiful little girl that is Kate Helen West...

If I am going to take pictures of her finger, then I have to take the opportunity of capturing my little princess!

What's so amazing is that Kate hasn't even cared at all that her finger was so injured, she hasn't protected it, or whined about pain or anything.


Kate's finger 11 days after being severed.

Kate was given antibiotics for a week, ending yesterday, just in case there was an infection. Her finger is still swollen and really red, and just doesn't look like its healing correctly. I am taking her to just her regular pediatritian today so he can give me his evaluation on this whole thing. In the meantime, we will continue to pray and hope for the best.

Geauga Lake

Geauga Lake is the water park and theme park that we go to twice a week all summer long. We started getting seasons passes last summer, and fell in love. We have made the best family memories here, and will always remember so many great times we have had here. It will be my most missed Cleveland memory.

Here are some moments we captured at Geauga Lake just yesterday.

Jack rode the carousel three times before I lterally had to rip him off of it!

This is the tree hooper ride, its my personal favorite.

This is the famous balls area that the boys, especially Chauncey, LOVES.

Kate floating, what a big girl!! She LOVES the water!

Here is Kate floating all by herself in the wave pool.

Jack Jack is always looking out for his sister and always asks to play with her and where she is if she is napping.

Cutie Katie!!

Daddy and miss Kate.

Here is little Chauncey "swimming" underwater.

Kate loves when her brothers mess with her.

Little Chuancey goes on all the slides alone, but he gets nervous at the end, that he won't be able to touch the bottom, its pretty funny.

Kate and Mommy.

Jack loves to swim, but doesn't wear his googles like his brother.

This is the Pirate slide...there are so many waterslides at Geauga Lake that they are big enough to ride. Man we love the waterpark!

Kate posing for Daddy's camera.

Melanie having fun on the waterslide.

Melanie going down a waterslide at little Chuancey's request.

Kate in the play house.

See-sawing is a nice break from some pretty intense rides.

This ride is suprisingly fast, usually Jack rides it with us...but not yesterday!

Jackson is too scared to go on the Pirate ship...and its one of the only rides Big Chauncey isn't scared of. Little Chauncey will go on ANYTHING!

This is the Pirate flying high in the sky ride

I don't know who was more excited, the kids or me!

Kate's Severed finger...

Here's what happened... Christina and her three kids were here visiting for the week. Saturday morning they were getting ready to leave, when Jaden went into the half bath on the main level of the house, and slammed the door shut while Kate was right in the doorway, with her finger in the hinge side of the door.

I was right in the kitchen, saw it happen, opened the door and freaked out. I started screaming, and got down on the floor looking for her finger. Big Chauncey was home luckily, and took Kate away to the upstairs bathroom immediately to check the damage. There was blood flying all of the walls as he ran her upstairs. Luckily we have mostly wood floors!

I ran up after him after no luck of finding her pinky on the ground. He immediately said "We have to go now!" So, we jumped in the van, I am holding her crying like a baby, and we get to the Pediatric ER within 15 minutes of the incident.

A plastic hand surgeon sowed it back on, albeit crooked, although you must all give me your thoughts on whether you agree if its crooked or not. I will post new pictures of it later so you can see it more healed.

Poor Kate's little pinky!

Kate's finger the night after it all came to pass.




There has been so much happening with our little family that I can't possibly keep up posting everything on this blog...but this event must be posted.

A Day at the Park...

We took Christina and family to a park and they had a great time, so did we watching them and talking.

Chauncey forgot to button his pants and got caught with them down while climbing!
Kate girl lying on the bench .

Kate isn't too sure of Jacob quite yet....we're giving it time...

Jaden and Chauncey really are best friends. They have so much fun together....and NEVER fight. They are just so happy when they are together. Its amazing to see such young kids be such great friends.

Picnicking under the slides.

We threw a Nilla Wafer to a squirrel and look at him nibble!

Nice pose huh?!