Pooper Scoopers

Have you ever been at a parade and watched these beautiful hoarses march down the street decorated in costumes and pulling important people along? And then you may or may not notice the inconspicous individuals who follow silently to scoop up the poop. I've seen them and I wonder every time I think to myself how they did they get that job out and why would they want to do it.

Tonight, I realized, I am my own form of a pooper scooper. Hidden in the background, out of the limelight, I am here to clean up poop. Sometimes, I realize, I got that job. Yes. Me. I get pucked on, peed on, pooped on, spittuped on, and I change poop several times, ALL DAY long. Some days are harder than others and most days I love my little darlings - just sometimes and some days require more faith.

Sometimes I think, "Did I get my Bachelors for this?" It would be tempting to think there is no meaning for someone who merely cleans up poop, but then I think about Mother Theresa, who, despite the limelight (that she didn't want), did the EXACT SAME THING as well as fed the starved, dressed oozing wounds, hugged those with a stench and whom no one else would touch and she became one of the greatest saints of our time - because she did it OUT OF LOVE.

So the next time I am tempted to disregard the pooper scoopers "low" job, I have to remember that it is not our jobs or what we "do" that has meaning, but as always, who we are and how much we love that gives meaning to our existence and gains Heaven.

Here's to all of us pooper scoopers!!

Don't Let Me Forget

I was reflecting all the little things I loved about Nicholas the first two years of his life. I didn't get to writing in baby book so hopefully I will have this blog to rememer.

Favorite Song: Do You Know Muffin Man (He would stop crying whenever we sang that song)

Favorite Book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle (At a really really early age, gosh - 8 months - he would pick this book out of the pile every time. I've read it possible 873 times.)

Favorite Show: Baby Einstein (Our first birthday was this theme. He calls it "Hann")

Favorite Food: Banannas (Every single morning without fail)

Favorite Toy: Puppy and any kind of ball.

Interesting Feats: At 9 months old he had a huge sign language vocabulary, he loved to twist bottle caps on and off for hours, building large towers of blocks and spinning two balls at the same time at 1 year.

Funny Things: Pinching his fluffy blanket to go to sleep. Pinching Andrew's arm while eating, must have a been a security slash sign of affection. From day one he thumped and pumped his right leg when he was mad. He would rest his little chubby feet up on the stroller ledge when we would take him for walks at about 6 months of age and on.

Little Minds

He gets himself a stack of paper from underneath our desk, opens the drawer to pull out a pen and sits himself down for a long time to draw. A couple weeks ago all he would draw was balloons.

I love to look at his little drawings, they make me laugh, and I get inside that little (or very big) head of his.

Turning Two

My sweet little boy turned two on the 4th of April. We woke up on Saturday and drove all the way to Wal-Mart..hahah so funny that it's actually a trip to get there. We wanted to get him a basketball hoop to "shoot hoops". We loved it. It was a beautiful but windy day outside. We came home and I started cooking for his birthday dinner. I went to the store and picked up two big blue balloons. He is so obsessed with balloons that if that was all I got him, he would have been perfectly happy. We celebrated with aunts and cousins and played all day long. It was a wonderful birthday.

Returning to the Blog

Where did March go? Somewhere in between Lenten Six Pack talks and the big Challenge Father Daughter dance, to Dr. Ray coming in town I missed a whole month! We are back to normal. These are some shots of our everyday hum drum life around the house...simple and sweet, just the way I like it.


We love to smile and talk these days.


Christianna has been pulling herself up into sitting position. Is this normal for a 3 1/2 month old? I don't remember Nicholas trying this until he was like 6 months. Why are we so anxious to get up and going pudding?



Nicholas is sporting his hat the Aunt Hilary and Tim gave him for his birthday, which is Saturday! How is my little boy turning 2?