picture perfect

Gideon is going around the house looking at all of our pictures and identifying whomever is in them. For the ones that are out of his reach, he will pull a chair or scoot an ottoman over so that he can not only see the photo, but hold it as well. I hear him say things like, "That's my daddy... and some other guy." and "Is that my mommy racing? Yes it is" and "There is Caleb, and me, and my baby." (more tomorrow on why he refers to Jonah as "my baby.")

sense of self

I took Gideon over to Grammy & Papa's (my Mom & Dad) house yesterday while I had my car serviced. As soon as we got there he was super excited. He was kicking his legs in his car seat and squealing. Then once I got him unbuckled he lunged out and ran up the driveway to my Dad who came out to meet us.

We proceeded into the house and began searching for Grammy. He kept calling her, "Grammy, Grammy where are you?" To which she playfully replied, "Who is that?"

Gideon simply stated, "It's me!"

But the way in which he said it translated more like this: "I am Gideon. Love me. Adore me. Think I am cute. Think I am funny. I am here. You may begin the worship."

sisters that run together...

My sister Mary and I are training for a 1/2 marathon. We are following a training schedule and today we had to run 12 miles. Even though it was tough- we did it! Not only did we run the distance we were scheduled to run, but we ran it fast- our personal best!

I have such a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I mean I just ran 12 miles! How cool is that? But what makes the achievement even more sweet was that I was able to share it with my sister. We have been running together on & off for about a 9 months and it has really strengthened our relationship. I'm so grateful that I get to share this with her. Love you Mary!

commitment issues

It appears that I have gotten very bad at being a consistent blogger. When we moved I was so distracted trying to get our life settled that the blog took a backseat. Well, we are finally settled. The boys are back in school, every box has been unpacked, and pictures are hung on the walls. I no longer have any excuses! So here we go again.

1 bdrm/ 2 bath

The big boys go to a Catholic school, and every Friday they go to mass. Gideon and I try to go to church on that day too. The boys love to see us, and Gideon is also learning how to behave during church.

A little background information: As soon as the big boys started back to school, Gideon went to potty training boot camp. He is doing great! He's really starting to grasp the whole idea of using the toilet instead of wetting/soiling himself.

Well, today these two elements crashed into each other: potty training & church! During a pretty significant party of the mass Gideon declared that he, "have to go poop!" He was very emphatic about it so I quickly rushed him out of the santuary and into the bathroom.

As we were readying him for the toilet he said to me, "God has potty's at his house? God has 2 potty's!"

out of the mouths of babes

As Jonah and I walk into the kitchen we see that a chair has been knocked over and is laying sideways on the ground. Jonah, surveying the situation, asks, "Who taught that chair a lesson?"

A Week 'O Fun!

Last Wednesday the O'Neill household received a wonderful present: our niece and nephew came and stayed with us for a week! It has been so much fun having them here. We have made some wonderful memories and strengthened our relationships with them.
Some of those wonderful memories include: many trips to Wendy's for FREE FROSTYS!!!, tons & tons of swimming, playing horses, cowboys, knights, ninjas, and numerous other make-believe games, sleeping in (only for Colin), staying up late (also for Colin...and Mike!), having "chore time," golfing, playing video games, and did I mention the FREE FROSTYS!
We have enjoyed having them more than I thought we would. Although it hasn't always been a breeze (due mainly to being worn out & run down), it has been fantatstic!
Thanks Moe & Joe for your great kids. We love you!

Lint???

I asked the boys for ideas on what to post today and they came up with, "Lint, and how hard it is." Translation: Lent and how hard it is.

This is probably the first Lent that the boys are really participating in. We told them that they had to choose one thing each to give up. They kicked around a few ideas at first: Sponge Bob, XBOX, sweets, candy, cookies, reading books. And finally, with a little guidance, they both decided to give up any type of sweet.

This has been a real challenge for them. But its been good for them too. They are feeling the pain of giving up something that they really enjoy. And they know that they don't have to do it forever, just for 40 days. They will occasionally ask me how many days left in Lent. They are counting down the days when they no longer have to "fast" from sweets. And at the same time they are counting down the days to Easter. Lent is difficult, but what a great opportunity we have to anticipate the Resurrection of Jesus.

things you find on a golf course

Mike came home from golfing on Sunday with a little surprise for the boys...and a big surprise for Mommy!

Yes, thats right... a yellow-bellied silder! Now if you know me, then you know that I am not super fond of animals. I love dogs, and that's pretty much where the affection stops. So I was a little worried that I might not enjoy being a turtle owner. However, turtles rock! They pretty much just sit, swim, and slide around. Thats it!

We are now in the process of trying to name the little guy. Mike suggested we name him something "golfy" like: Tiger, Bogie, or Par. But the boys aren't sure yet. Caleb keeps calling him Tater, after his cousin Abbie's red-eared slider. Will figure out a name soon enough. Until then we will just enjoy being turtle owners!

making daddy proud

Two different things happened today that would make any father beam with pride. When I picked Gideon up from Mothers Day Out, his teacher asked me if we watched Braves baseball. I told her no, that we were Mets fans, but my curiosity was piqued. I asked her why she thought that and she told me that Gideon began to chant and do the "tomahawk chop" all of a sudden today during lunch. I started laughing and explained to her that while we weren't Braves fans, we are in fact HUGE Florida State fans. Then when I asked Gid what Florida State says, he began to do it again. We raise 'em young here!

And then this afternoon whilst I was doing yet another load of laundry, I discovered 2 ball markers in the dryer. I sometimes find a ball marker, tee, or divot repair tool in Mikes pants, but these ball markers had come out of a load of the boys laundry! Mike has been taking the boys to play golf or playing yard golf pretty regularly, so I wasn't surprised.

What a great day for a Mike: first one of his boys knows his favorite team's chant, and second another son is just as dedicated to a sport that he loves so very much!

long time...no post

I know that it has been a very, very long time since my last post. And I apologize for the absence, but I have been rather busy. Moving in (this is a process that could literally take years!), getting the boys settled at their respective schools, homework, running & training for a 1/2 marathon, supporting my husband...and such. But I'm back now, and I promise I will begin regular postings here once again.
In honor of my first post in many months, here is a wonderful video for you to enjoy. My dad recently had open-heart surgery and we spent a portion of the time waiting for him by watching various YouTube videos. So I hope you enjoy this- I did!