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I keep babbling and babbling on and on. I wish I could just use one of those cool port thingys and download my brain onto it and then put it on here. It'd be easier. :)

I guess I just feel like there are so many things going on right now. It's definitely a busy time of life and with that come all of the accompanying emotions. For example, our move to VA is coming up. I was looking at the charlottesville.org website for parks and things to do around town and all of the sudden, I got those tears. You know the ones. The ones that really actually HURT as they exit your eyes. Why would I get those? I guess I didn't realize yet that one of the emotions running through my veins was one of sadness. Who knew it'd be possible to be sad to leave where we are now?? When we got here 5 years ago, we hated the town. And yes, it's still a dump of a town, but we've got friends here. And a Church home. And people I can call to go with me for coffee. And I know the grocery store like the back of my hand. And I have a doctor, dentist, OBGYN, gym, running track through our neighborhood...it's all familiar. And leaving what is familiar can be sad. I'm not nervous anymore; I'm SURE I'll enjoy VA. I'm positive about that. Once we get there, it'll be so fun to make new friends and explore a new town, a new area, a new state, for that matter. But the leaving is always hard. I should be used to it by now as I am an MK after all, but I'm not. Saying good bye to people and places never gets any easier.

And that's just 1mb of the junk rolling around in my brain, ready for download...

Funder

Because that's how Ev pronounces it these days. (He can say the "th" sound, but he still calls it "funder.") We had a HUGE storm last night. In fact, it woke me up when it started and it was right in our back yard...or so it sounded. It eventually woke Ev up with a start and really frightened him. He was shaking all over and screaming like a banshee. I could hardly blame him; it sounded like the "funder" was right outside the window. We eventually got him calmed down a little with the help of a glass of milk and a Curious George show...it took about an hour. Poor guy!! Thankfully, Tate slept through the whole thing. I was SURE he'd wake up, but he didn't...praise God!

Anyway, I love how Ev says things..."funder" for thunder..."pam" for ham, "yeng-ow" for yellow...Somewhere he learned the word "awfully" so he says things like, "That's awfully a lion, Mommy." :) Milk is called "miiwkee-miiwkee." Tate is his "widdow bruder." He's got such a huge vocabulary and sounds like a big kid and yet still has this little toddler sound at the same time. Such a fun phase. :)

Tate, of course, can't say much at all, but he's working on clicking his tongue. He's quite serious about it, too, and spends lots of time working that out. That and crawling. :) And messing up Ev's train tracks. That's his FAVORITE thing to do.

So, often "widdow bruder" becomes, "NO NO TATER!!!" :)

Ah...this IS the life!

When it rains...

You know the rest. We've been sick here for what feels like an age. Actually, since the end of February when Ev and I got the flu. And then Everett had a fever and a cough the week before last. Then he burned his hand. Now Tate has a fever of 103...

I'm not even sure where they're picking up bugs...we've barely been out of the house. *oh dear*

I know it sounds selfish, but I've REALLY wanted to go to the gym these past few weeks, but have been unable to because I can't take the kids and leave them in the nursery when they're sick. I feel unlike myself when I can't work out, and I haven't been able to go to the gym consistently in so long...that has a bunch of ramifications: I get grumpy because I feel ugly and fat and out of shape, I don't get out of the house at all, I don't get any time to myself...

I guess it's all part and parcel, huh?

Babies, babies, babies!

There's good news and bad news every day around the world. It can be a roller coaster when that good news and bad news comes to your doorstep in the span of 48 hours. Three of my good friends have shared baby news with me over the last 2 days...One of them delivered a healthy baby boy on the 25th. SO exiting! He looks like his daddy and he's just precious. Everyone is doing well!! On the 26th, another friend of mine miscarried at 15 weeks. I feel her pain. I remember my two miscarriages like they were yesterday and the pain is fresh in my heart. I just want to fix it and soothe her and comfort her; and yet, in that situation, there is none of that to be had. No words or actions can make it better, and time doesn't heal wounds quickly. The next ride on the coaster was when my sister in law called me last night to tell me they were unexpectedly pregnant! Again, more wonderful news! It's so exciting and I'm so thrilled for them! Sadly, I'll be half-way across country when the baby is born; hopefully I can make it back for the delivery, or at least to be there soon after. Anyway, it's been a roller coaster of emotions for me these last few days...It makes me happy to have my two beautiful, healthy boys. It makes me want to be not pregnant and pregnant at the same time!! :)

Times like these force me to reconcile the fact that I am not alone...that God is always near and that, as my redeemer, He cares for ME even when my friends hurt, and He joys WITH me as my friends rejoice.

Then there's that...

Oh, sweet memories!!!

I was brushing my teeth this morning and Everett comes rushing into the bathroom. He's distraught! "Mommy! Teddy can't sleep!" (I think that he's working out some of his own sleep issues with Teddy, as Ev has always had a hard time sleeping...) So I asked him if he'd sung a song to Teddy yet. "Oh, that's a GREAT idea," he says.

So I'm now pulling my hair into a ponytail and I hear a familiar tune coming from Ev's room:

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so."

From the lips of children...

Don't touch the stove; it's HOT!

I can't tell you how many times I've said this to Everett in his short, curious 3 years of life. He helps me cook all of the time; he calls it "mix-mixing". :) He's always, always wanted to touch the stove, or the boiling water or the mixer attachment (as it's going 60mph)...and of course, I've always said no.

Then there's last night. Everything is kind of busy, and Ethan is making dinner for Everett, who wanted macaroni and cheese. (Thank God for whomever invented that blue box of heavenly deliciousness prepared in under 10 minutes!!) Everett pulls up his little stool to help Daddy mix-mix the noodles. Ethan turns around for less than 5 seconds to drain the water from the noodles in question...I'm turned around as I'm feeding Tate at the table...and in that miniscule amount of time, we've got a second degree burn. He's got blisters all over his poor little hand! I'm going to take a picture and post it later...just for future reference. I think I might hang a copy on the 'fridge so that he can remember what happens...although, it's doubtful he'll ever forget that experience. SO...anyway, we put his hand in cold water immediately, and then I get the ice out and put it on for him. The ice definitely assuages his pain and he screams bloody murder everytime I take it off to inspect the blisters...to make sure it's not becoming a 3rd degree burn. Ethan takes Tate and runs to the pharmacy for some topical pain reliever and gauze...and then we have Silverdine (sp???) called in for him. It's a cooling antibiotic ointment. Oh, that was HORROR to put on. You've never heard a child scream so loudly or cry so hard. After all of the excitement, Ev fell asleep rather easily and slept pretty well, given the circumstances.

Today, he's doing well. We've got a sock over his hand so that he doesn't play with it too roughly and pop the blisters...and he's in a good mood, so that's a great sign. But oh, man...it was NOT fun to see him hurting so much...and being rather incapable of making the pain go away. Being a parent brings the greatest joy and with that the greatest of sorrows. I think that this experience is the tippy-top of the iceburg as far as the sorrows are concerned...physical pain eventually goes away...

If only we could protect and shield our boys from every pain there is...but then again, without sorrow, how would they discern what joy feels like???

I'm getting WAY too thoughtful here...time to go eat some breakfast. :)

He is risen!!

He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter, everyone! It's early morning and I'm up making hot cross buns...I like to have a special breakfast as well as a nice lunch on Easter. Maybe I just like to eat, but I like to think I'm making things fun by having good food. It must be an Oltrogge thing; I think we all are of like mind in that area! :) In any case, it's a good day to celebrate the Risen One!!

All of my boys are asleep and it's nice to have a moment to myself. Yesterday was a horrible day, so gathering my thoughts after that is important to me. Everett is either sick or something is not quite right...I know he's making his molars and he's totally annoyed about that...but he's got this cough...it sounds awful. I've been thinking it was leftover from the flu we had, but I'm not sure anymore. Anyway, he's not been sleeping well as a result, and he's always a tyrant when he's tired. So, by the end of the day, I was crying with him. GAH! It feels like he was in time out all day long...*sigh* I'm ready for him to get out of the terrible twos/threes. Tate, as usual, is still an angel baby. He's crawling, though, which has added a new layer to his relationship with his brother...one that Ev isn't so glad to have. We're working on it...but "sharing" is a 4 letter word in Ev's mind, I think. :) I can't say that I don't understand...sometimes, it's hard for me to share and I'm 33! Anyway, all of that to say that I hope today is better than yesterday; I can't imagine it being worse!!

So, the question for the day is: "How to make Easter understandable to a 3 year old?" I don't know that I can, but I hope and pray that Ev and Tate will understand as they grow. Christmas isn't about gifts and Easter isn't about candy...and yet, that's all they really understand right now. I pray that as they grow, they see themselves for who they really are, and see the Savior for who He really is.

Well, I'd better go tend to my buns. ;) Ev and I made carrot cake yesterday...he was so excited that I had a hard time not letting him have a slice, so our dessert for today is already missing a few pieces. Too fun....at least we had that, huh?? :)

I'm so lame...

I can't keep up with much these days!! It seems that all I do is feed this kid, nap that kid, change this diaper and start again the next day. :) It's well worth it though, it's just that it's hard to find time for other things. Especially lately! I'm trying to find us a place to live in Charlottesville where we'll be for a year while Ethan finishes his fellowship in MSK...I'm trying to sell our house...I just came back from my sweet niece's wedding in San Francisco...I'm going next weekend on a "retreat" with my MIL and SILs...it seems that the events are never ending. FUN, but never ending. :) Some day, I'll have time to just sit and read a book...although, by then, I'll have gotten to the point where I'm so used to being busy, that reading a book might feel boring. :)

Everett turned 3!! YES! THREE! It's amazing. I can't believe he's SO big. He's in the 95th percentile for length and weight...at 3 feet and 6 inches and 43 pounds, he's a mammoth child. He's also smart...which can be good and bad these days. He's potty trained, too...and he's just adorable. When he sneezes and "stuff" comes out, he calls the "stuff" "Bless you's!" Quite cute. And when he was sick with the flu and threw up, he said, "Mommy! I had a BIG hiccough!" Eyes as big as quaters. :)

Tate is getting big, too! He's eating real food, trying to crawl, and is a total angel baby. I don't think he ever complains unless he's tired. :)

Anyway, I'll try to be better about posting. And I'll add some pics in a minute...