Crazy Cowboy Wife

The Playover

 

This past Saturday Tucker had HIS very first play date and sleepover.  Tucker’s been invited to many a play date and has even been on a sleepover, but he’s not had the fortune of inviting a friend to his house until several days ago.

Our lives are usually so insanely jam packed with stuff to do that having a friend over hasn’t really worked into the schedule.  I started to feel really selfish about this after the multiple requests for “playovers” as Tucker calls them.

The opportunity to repay a dear friend for a wonderful favor when we came home from the hospital with Ella had come about.  This Mommy to Three is about to embark on her own big adventure and to help out I wanted to give her a little more space and time with one less kiddo.

Piper is Tucker’s very best friend in the whole world!  These two are more like brother and sister than they are best friends.  They fight, they bicker, they laugh, they love.  It’s one of the purest, sweetest relationships.  I absolutely love to see these two in action.

 

Piper has an older brother.  She can play farm and trucks with the best of them!  She reminds me of myself when I was that age.  MY first friends were the neighbor boys down road.

The bickering had to start at some point because it always does.  I don’t think it’s humanly possible for two 4 year olds to play together without the “he said/she said” tattling to start.  I decided it was high time that we change gears and do something fun.

CUPCAKES!!!!

Everyone has to lick the bowl!

After much persuasion, some tattling and finally some good team work we built a blanket fort in Tucker’s room.

They were magically transported to a far off land.

 

We feasted on homemade pizza.

…and delighted in chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!!!!

Can you tell which one likes cake and which one likes frosting?

The night ended with a good movie, popcorn and lots of laughs.

The two literally passed out in their tent and weren’t heard again until 6:30 am when the giggles ERUPTED from the room.

Peace, love and buds!

(...BIG Sigh...)

 

I look at this picture and all I can do is let out a B-I-I-I-I-G sigh.

Not a sigh of relief.

Not the sigh of a long day of hard work.

Not even a sigh of disappointment.

Nope.

I look at this picture and let out a sigh that says, "Heaven help me..."

Yes, Tucker is holding a raccoon.

A very dead raccoon.

While I was on maternity leave we were driving up my father-in-law's driveway. I should really call it a lane. No, it's more like a short road off the road. (His "driveway" is about a half mile long.) On the west side of the drive it's heavily wooded.

Out of the blue Tucker proclaims, "Raccoon! Raccoon! Stop da car Dad! There's a coon in that tree!"

Those darned hunter instincts rushed in and Grady slammed on the brakes.

"Where, Tuck?"

"Ober dere, Daddy! LOOK! Can't you see him?!"

Grady and I looked and looked and couldn't see this raccoon to save our lives. Grady saw a squirrel and tried to convince Tucker that was what he was seeing.

"Nooooo, Daddy! It's a coon! See it?!"

Grady backed the car up a bit more and sure enough, perched high up on a branch sat this plump little ball of a raccoon.

"Wow, Tuck! Awesome eyes, Kiddo!"

"Shoot him, Dad! Shoot him!"

I just put my head in my hands and sighed.

Grady told Tucker we didn't have a gun and just as he was starting to drive forward he got a hairbrained idea to call his Dad (who was on his way home) and let them know we were waiting for them to come with the gun so we could shoot this coon.

Really, I'm not kidding.

We waited.

All the while Tucker was telling this raccoon what for!

"We're shoot you, you old coon!"

"My Papa's coming wif his gun!"

"Don't you move Coon!"

A lightbulb went off and Grady realized we did, in fact, have a .22 in the back of the car.

To Tucker's delight and the poor raccoon's fate Daddy was an excellent shot.

We then RACED home to get the 4-wheeler so they could get there kill.

BIG SIGH...

And this is how we came to have this picture. A four year olds excellent eyes and his father's insane ambition for hunting.

 

Peace, love and big sighs!

The Naughty Finger

Tucker is reaching the age at which he understands what naughty words are and that it's very, very bad for little kids to say them.

I tend to be one of those overly paranoid parents who is constantly concerned her child is going to say something highly inappropriate, crass or downright bad. What can I say, I worry about these things.

Last night we invited my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law over for supper. We were enjoying a highly fattening meal of catfish, cream corn, and fried potatoes. As we were all finishing and licking the grease from our fingers I happened to look over at Tucker.

For whatever reason, he was raising his middle finger. I know he doesn't know the durogatory meaning behind this gesture. I know this was purely innocent on his part.

BUT...

That paranoid parent gene came screaming to the scene telling me, "Oh my gosh! What if he went to school and started pointing like that in front of Miss Alana or Miss Jan! They'd think we were horrible parents!"

That screaming voice told me I had to put that finger pointing to a hault.

I quiety told Tucker that he shouldn't point with that finger because it was the naighty finger.

"Why's it the naughty finger, Momma?"

(All eyes are on me. "Yeah, Alisha, why's it the naughty finger?)

"Well, because it means a naughty word, Tucker."

"What naughty word, Momma?"

Of course I can't SAY the naughty word. He doesn't even know what that naughty word means! He just knows that when he hears that word it's a BAD word.

(My father-in-law is giving me that ornery look that says 'how are you going to explain this one...')

"Well, Tuck, when you point that finger at someone it's like sign language for a
REALLY bad word."

"WHAT WORD, MOMMA?"

"Yeah, Alisha, what word?"

"Tucker, I'm not telling you the word."

"Well, what does it mean?"

"It's so naughty I can't even tell you."

"Why, Mommy? Why does it mean a naughty word?"

"Just because it does, Tuck. Because when someone points that finger it's telling you to do something very naughty."

"Well, what about this finger (he points to his pointer finger)?"

"That one's fine. It's a good finger."

"How about this one (pointing to his ring finger)?"

"That one's a good finger, it's not naughty."

We went through every finger asking if it was naughty or nice. All the while my in-laws are doing the silent shoulder shaking uncontrollable laugh at my expense.

I think I successfully explained giving the bird. Now we'll just hope he doesn't get curious about the reaction of this finger action.

Peace, love and sign language.

King For A Day

Adjusting to life with a sister has been a little hard on Tucker.  Grady and I are both incredibly impressed with how well he's handled it.  He hasn't been like the typical older child and thrown tantrums or fits.  We're confident in the fact that it's due the 4½ year age span between he and Ella.

Even though he's been a great kid we could tell he's been feeling the strain of not being in the #1 spot.  He gets his feelings hurt a little more easily when he's done something naughty or acted out and gotten in trouble for it.  Mom and Dad are definitely a little shorter these days with the lack of sleep and constant attention his little sister requires.

With that in mind I told Grady that Tucker desperately needed to have a TUCKER DAY.  Grady decided that taking him bowling would be the perfect activity.

Man, was he right!

 
"Mom, how cool do I look in my bowling shoes?"

 

 
This kid is every ounce as competitive as his father.  It borders on the slightly absurd side.

 
See what I mean...?  He was convinced that using Daddy's towel would help him out.

 
 
 
What a ham!

We had so much fun celebrating Tucker and all the wonderful things about him.  You could have lit the world with his happiness at being front and center for an evening.

Even though this new stage in all our lives is an adjustment and can be trying at times we treasure these little moments when we can cherish each kid for who they are.

 

Peace, love and cool kids!

 

Thank You Lord!

 

I have always said that Tucker is one of the most imaginative and amusing kids I've ever known. I know you think I say these things just because he's my own flesh and blood. I'm sure you're thinking, "Ella isn't going to be any different."

But...

Tucker REALLY is one of the most hilarious kids I've ever met. The beauty of it all is that he's one of those kids that doesn't even try to be funny. The greatness just comes falling out of his mouth at the most random times. The kid has some serious wit.

Case in point...

Two nights ago I made supper in my usual fashion. I usually try to accommodate everyone's taste buds. Cade hates tomatoes so I try not to load up the meals with tomatoes. Tucker's repulsed by peas so I try to keep them out of the mix as well. Now, this is not to say that there won't be the occassional meal with tomatoes or peas. I can't accommodate ALL of the time. In those instances that there are the dreaded vegetables on their plates the boys are expected to eat at least most if not all of the meal without picking out the "ucky" stuff. Cade has gotten much better about just sucking it up and eating it, but Tucker has a few things to learn.

It's a good lesson on character building and acting appropriately when food you "may" not care for is placed in front of you by someone other than your parents.

On this particular night, I made Chicken A La King, which contains peas. Tucker took one look and instantly began professing his unwillingness to eat the peas and the meal altogether.

We always start our meal with a prayer. Tucker has been on "Grace" duty lately, which tickles us pink. We love that he loves to pray.

Here's how "Grace" went on Monday night...

We held hands and bowed our heads and listened to Tucker.

"Dear Hebenly Fodder, we fank you for da food you put before us. Pwease bwess on da bun in da oben. Pwease ask Mommy and Daddy to do da wight fing and not make me eat my peas cuz I don't wike dem. Pwease bwess on Mommy, Daddy, Cade, Harwee, and Jesser. Grace."

Grady and I looked at each other and tried so hard to contain our laughter. Afterall, this was Tucker's sincere prayer request. Sometimes, it's just so hard to keep a straight face.

I hated that we had to teach him that night that Hebenly Fodder doesn't always answer our prayers the way we think He should.

Tucker had to eat his peas.

 

Peace, love and Divine intervention.