Baby Wyatt

Here are some oldies but goodies

A month before Wyatt was born

First time I held Wyatt

First time Emily held Wyatt

His first Halloween

Another Halloween Hat

1st time in a high chair

First Winter

All tuckered out....

First time in the Lake

And who can remember when Rusty was just a little puppy? Isn't he so CUTE?

ANYWAY by Mother Teresa

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People need help but will attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
- Mother Teresa

New Bike

I bet you'll never guess what Wyatt got last night? Ok, the title and pictures might give you a clue :O) I let him pick out his new bike and helmet.

When we were at the store, I was looking at the bikes and he kept saying, I need a helmet first mama approximately 300 times (well maybe not that many, but enough to be a little annoying). What a shocker, he picked out LIGHTENING MCQUEEN, I only wish they would have had a larger variety of his size bikes, it was either this one, Spiderman (which I talked him out of, it was $30+ more!) and Tonka, which just did not go with his red helmet (ok, to him he would not care it didn't match, but his mama needed it to match somewhat).

I hadn't planned on getting anything but his new bike when we went to the store, but we were there, and of course I needed a few things....so Wyatt wore his helmet (yes still in the hard plastic wrapper, but able to keep it on his head) and road his bike throughout the store (Wal-Mart). Well let me explain, he didn't really ride it, more as to he straddled it and walked along with it, waddling along. He always wanted to be first and was so polite, if someone was coming down the aisle, he would say "EXCUSE ME" with a grin from ear to ear. He loves attention and certainly got it since I ended up going down several aisles. Finally when we got to the checkout, he gave his quarter donation to the collection tube then got back on his bike and started going out, Without ME! He was on his way home...it was really funny. A very nice lady that saw him earlier (a couple times in the aisles) stopped him and told him his mommy wanted him to go back, he listened to her without any commotion. He waddled his way back to me, got checked out, to the car and finally said he was tired (after this 'ride' of 45 mintues). He is a happy little 3 year old.

OH and this is what we did last weekend

So as you can tell, Miss Molly (our dog) found a mouse under some blocks I moved in the backyard (that I had her dog house on). Anyway, I was able to pick up the mouse after Miss Molly had mauled on it a few times (poor thing was half dead). I told Wyatt I was gonna go flush it, he begged me not to. So as any mommy would do, we take it out to the driveway, little burger started hopping around like he was just playing possum before. Wyatt jumped, I jumped but Wyatt's feet landed on the mouse a few times, I swished it out to the street and told Wyatt we needed to get back in side because his family would come by soon to make sure he got home (the mouse was dead with his (don't ask why I know it was a male) little feet up in the air).

We go back in the house, all I hear about is the 'mouse' and Wyatt hoping his family comes soon, he checked several times out the window "Mom, Mom, Mom, the mouse is still there, Look, Look, Come see" So I got him sidetracked as much as possible, time for a bath...but first he had to go see if the mouse was still there, yep, his family hadn't gotten him yet. I get Wyatt in the tub, run out to the street with a newspaper in hand, snatch up the mouse and throw him in our dumpster.

Wyatt gets out of the tub, what's the first thing he does, checks on the mouse. He shouts "hooray mamma, the mouse went home" Happy little 3 year old.

My Wy-Wy and Baby Girl

Every, ok, most mornings as I am taking Wyatt out to the car, I stop at the back window and see our reflection. I ask him "Who is that little boy"? "Is that my Wy-Wy"? A usual reply from him is "NO, it's me mama", then a couple weeks ago he replied with "No, that's Wyatt Stokes, not Wy-Wy". My little man is growing up. I know it's time to say good-bye to his baby/toddler names, but I'm just not ready.

Here is the typical 'Wyatt look'. He has had this slobber dripping down his chin since he was born. All of us are constantly telling him to SWALLOW YOUR SLOBBER, it will be something we will tease him and laugh about when he's older.

Now that the weather has been nice, Wyatt likes to wear his new 'Lightening McQueen' undershirt and boxer briefs he got from Paula Jean. He wears them as PJ's with a pair of, what else? Lightening McQueen (or Mater) underwear, hence two pairs of underwear. Ok, maybe it's just one of those things he'll understand when he's older.

Wyatt got rewarded for being well behaved at the grocery store with a 'candy bar' (aka a bag of M&M's). As you can see Miss Molly (aka Baby Girl) was making sure Wyatt didn't drop any.

My Baby Girl (she's Baby Girl when she is behaving and Miss Molly when she gets in trouble). :O) Her 9th Birthday was May 1st (yesterday). For those who can't calculate that in your head, she is 63 in dog years (I know this because I did it on my adding machine...LOL )

A New Name ????

We all need a stripper name...See what your stripper name will be, and share it with your friends: We all need a little stress-reliever! This only takes a minute. Sometimes when you have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness to break up the day. And, if we are honest, we have a lot more stressful days than not. Here is your dose of humor...

A. Follow the instructions to find your new name.

B. Once you have your new name, share it with others.

1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your newfirstname:
a = Chesty
b = Fantasia
c = Starr
d = Diamond
e = Montana
f = Angel
g = Sugar
h = Mimi
i = Lola
j =Kitty
k = Roxie
l = Dallas
m = Princess
n = Heidi
o = Bambi
p = Bunny
q = Brandy
r = Sugar
s = Candy
t = Raquelle
u = Sapphire
v = Cinnamon
w = Blaze
x = Trixie
y = Iris
z = Jade

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the firsthalfof your new last name:

a = Leather
b = Dream
c = Sunny
d = Deep
e = Heaven
f = Tight
g = Shimmer
h = Velvet
i = Lusty
j = Harley
k = Passion
l = Dazzle
m = Dixon
n = Spank
o = Glitter
p = Razor
q = Meadow
r = Glitz
s = Sparkle
t = Sweet
u = Silver
v = Tickle
w = Cherry
x = Hard
y = Night
z = Amber

3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the secondhalfof your new last name:

a = hooter
b = horn
c = tower
d = fire
e = thighs
f = hips
g = side
h = jugs
i = shock
j = cocker
k = brook
l = tush
m = sizzle
n = ridge
o = kiss
p = bomb
q = cream
r = thong
s = heat
t = whip
u = cheeks
v = rock
w = hiney
x = button
y = lick
z = juice


Mine is Sapphire Sweetkiss

Nixa Park Fun n Stuff

My BFF (Paula Jean) and I took Wyatt to the park last Sunday. He loves the parks in Nixa and what is nice about them is that no matter which park we go to, they are never really over crowded.







Here he is being all goofy because I want to take his picture.














Took this one when he didn't know I was doing it. Doesn't he look so small? He got lucky and a older child helped him once he got to the top to go down the pole. The pole is the only way down once you get to the top. Paula J was pretty nervous because she hadn't seen him do it before.








This was the park off Epps Road down in Branson April 10th I took while I was out running errands and saw the flooded area from the road.























I made this cute little placemat for Wyatt last night. When I bought the supplies last weekend, Wyatt didn't want anything to do with them. Kept saying he didn't want fish or shells. Little whinny man didn't want letterrrrrrrrrrs! Well, I made it while he was in the tub and when he saw it this morning with his bowl of oatmeal he told me how 'cute' it was and he loved it! I also bought plenty of supplies so that I can make several (probably 10-15 if I wanted). It's just the large foam sheets I cut down and the letters and fish/shells are foam stickers. VERY easy to wipe down with little boy messes (like when he sneezed his oatmeal out all over this morning). I was at the sink, heard the sneeze and then he said "uh-oh mama, I made a mess" :O) Obviously my craft skills are limited.

Flooding

I thought ya'll would like to see what A LOT of rain does to our part of the country. The rain started back in March (the pictures below) and then continued as recent as just yesterday.

Follow the link below to see video of some flooding in Branson, toward the end shows Branson Landing.

FLOODING in BRANSON KY3 YouNewsTV





I was just down at Branson Landing with Amy last week sitting right at the lower steps in front of the pipes that burst out flames at night.









This is Finley River at Riverdale (not far from where I live)



Same area, different direction










This is the Finley Park in Ozark from the flooding in March. This is where I took Wyatt and his sister Gayle on Labor Day last fall. On the bottom right on this picture where you see the white roof and long silver one, up from that area where the water line starts is where the playground set is under water. Just along the tree line is the path where Wyatt got to ride on a mule. You can see those pictures in my video bar at the bottom.




This is Summers At The River softball complex in Nixa, just off Highway 60 about 5 miles or so north of where I live, my daycare is right around the corner from here!





The we were blessed with Rainbows!

What happens IF.......

As most of you know my mind works in mysterious ways....I was thinking today how a friend of mine told me a story of how when his son was a toddler he had gotten the jar of vasoline in his crib and proceeded to cover himself and the crib in vasoline. He had covered his entire body, the crib mattress, blankets, toys including the frame and crib bars. I laughed hysterically at the story and wondered why him and his wife hadn't put the jar of vasoline in a place his son could not reach it. I have kept my jar of vasoline under one of my end tables in the living room along with the diapers, wipes and Wyatt's breathing machine and not once had he touched it.

Not a few weeks after he told that story, I was putting some laundry away in my closet and came out to find my son (when he was almost 3 years old) on the sofa with an open jar of vasoline. He had coverd the back of one section of my sofa, one of the cushions, most of his legs and torsoe as well as his head. I think back wishing I would have grabbed my camera, but instead, I snatched him up, got him in the tub and I tell you, it takes a while to get vasoline washed off a 2 1/2 year old! I then had to uncover my sofa cushion and throw it in the washer and managed to clean the back section with a bucket of hot water and old rag. I threw away what was left of the vasoline and he never needed it again, I guess he rubbed it in him good enough to last a lifetime?

So here are some pictures that my cousin took that reminds me what happens when.....



you take a picture too close to figure out what they carved.

he's rode the pony 4 times and thinks he can get off all by himself

the sun is in your eyes and someone wants to take your picture.

you have waited too long (years) to have your dog nuetered

and when his buddies try to help him escape.

your husband loves you (or he is in trouble?)

what bank employees do on Halloween.

what happens when your son wipes his face with poison ivy

what happens when your daughter does her own makeup.

Hope ya'll enjoyed a good laugh. I'm sure to find more things to laugh about later.

Breakfast

What do you think of when you have Breakfast? IF you are Wyatt, you only think Oatmeal. Wyatt loves his oatmeal, just about any flavor he'll gobble up. Breakfast is not breakfast without it. I hope he continues to eat oatmeal since it is so good for you (and I love it too!)

Having Lightening McQueen (or any of his favorite cars) next to him is sure to keep him in smiles while he eats. He is growing up so fast!

Here is the video of him eating breakfast, he kept putting his feet on my knees so that is why he asked me if it tickled. Just to warn you, it is somewhat boring... :O) He realized I was recording him and decided to be goofy. After I stopped videoing him, he finished eating. It looks a little sloppy, but as he gets older, he gets more in his mouth than himself or the table/floor.

And finally, a couple pics of the flowers (and bee) in my front yard tree's.

Easter

Yes, I am way behind the times...Wyatt wasn't all that interested in coloring eggs this year. He did enjoy coloring them with crayola's then I ended up dipping them while he ran off to play. After I showed him how pretty they were, he told me I did a good job. That's all I needed to hear, my little man letting me know I did good :O)

We did brave the cold and go to the Annual Nixa Easter Egg Hunt. Wyatt had a slow start, but with the help of bubbie (his 13 yr old cousin, Cody) he got to pick up a few eggs.

Spring is Finally Here!

We hit an official 79 degrees here yesterday, although my car said it was 84, it was a beautiful day! I spent most of my day sitting at the Auto Shop getting my car fixed, which was really, really REALLY boring.

This weekend I am taking Wyatt to see The Water Horse. There is a local movie house that plays FREE kids movies throughout a 8(?) week session each year. I haven't taken him to the Cinema in a while so I hope he enjoys it. We love our popcorn!

How am I?

16 years ago today, I left my abusive ex-husband. A date I never forget.

What is going on today? How do I feel today? Another day sure to be etched in my mind.

Sad? Anxious? Isolated? Low Spirited? Gloomy? Relieved?

I am not sure I can completely explain how I am feeling right now. Friday night (after work) I was told my office would be closing. There was no answer for the Why? or the When? but that is sure to come later. I almost hyperventilated, well I suffered a little hyperventilating because loosing my job after 15 years is upsetting. As anyone can imagine, I am worried about several things. I am making every effort to see this as a blessing in disguise. I've only been 'let go' once in my life and I was very young, just out of high school without the responsibility of any children.

The timing just couldn't be worse, my house has been listed for 6 months and hasn't had anyone seriously interested in putting in a offer. The job market is also weak, in this area where there are several colleges and tech schools, businesses can easily hire a younger person with a education (that I don't have) at a lower pay than someone who has years of experience and needs a higher salary. Man, who hasn't experienced that?

My son, Wyatt, how will he be affected? Like I said, the job market here is extremely weak, I had to work 15 years to be at the pay scale I am at now (not to mention the 4 weeks a year vacation time, it's been a life savor since Wyatt gets sick a lot). What I am getting to is his welfare, not just having a decent place to live, but providing him with the necessary health care, nutritious food, clothing and his happiness. He tells me on occasion how 'bootiful' our house is and I will loose it without my current income. Another painful move, not something I look forward to.

Me, work? What am I going to do ? What am I going to do? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? :O(

I am overfilled today with anxiety, I am a single parent over 40 with a 3 1/2 year old son that does not receive any child support or outside assistance from his father.

I don't have a nest egg since every penny I earn has gone to making a house a home for my kids (that includes Gayle, my 20 year old daughter) and the cost of their happiness. Over the years I have said, I'll try to save, I'll try to save......and then doctor, hospital, dental and other unexpected expenses come up. And did I mention my car? I have bad luck with vehicles because I again have a vehicle that is in need of expensive repairs. I tried to trade it in for a cheaper car, yeah right, the only way to get anything over a $5,500 trade in is if I buy a much MUCH more expensive and NEWER car. Love that. NOT

I have no choice but to deal with what has been laid before me and make the best of it. That's what I keep telling myself, the reality is now, I am very sad and can't stop the tears from flowing.

I have hugged and kissed and tickled my little man Wyatt this past weekend so much he told me to leave him alone. :O) So of course I tickled even more. Then he says tickle me more, tickle me more....I just do what I can to not let him see mommy in tears. He is what keeps me hopeful!

It just goes to show that life happens that isn't always good and it could be much worse.

Scattergories

Scattergories
Tag, your it!

If you are reading this, copy and paste this post onto our own blog. Then leave me a comment here so I can come read yours :)

This actually took a little thought. Have Fun. Scattergories... it's harder than it looks! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following... they have to be real places, names, things.. Nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person you got this from had the same first initial. You can't use your name for the boy/girl. I love this game (and have it at home).

1. What is your name? Paula
2. 4 letter word: Pine
3. Vehicle: Probe
4. City: Peoria
5. Boy's Name: Paul
6. Girl's Name: Patti
7. Alcoholic beverage: Pina Colada
8. Occupation: Photographer
9. Something you wear: panties
10. Celebrity: Paul Newman
11. Food: Pita bread
12. Something found in a bathroom: paper
13. Reason for being late: Poop detail
14. Cartoon Character: Peebles
15. Something you shout: PLEASE!
16. Animal: Panther
17. Body Part: Privates
18. Word to describe you: Patient

Wyatt Scissor Hands?

A while back I was sitting quietly in my living room enjoying a television show, then it hit me! Wyatt had been quiet for far far FAR too long. My bedroom door was closed so I went to see what my innocent, sweet, loving little man was up to! Apparently he thought some of my doilies needing modifications or some altering because he had gotten my scissors out of my bathroom (they are small and super duper sharp!) and snipped a few.

When I first went in my bedroom, I asked him what he was doing, he quickly said "nofing" Seeing the scissors in his hands, I then asked if he had cut anything (I was thinking, OH NO, NOT MY NEW COMFORTER!!!!!) I searched his body for any cuts, he's never used any scissors before. He showed me the first doily. He just stood there, I was trying NOT to laugh because he was so cute! I decided to ask him if that was the only one, something told me he might have done more. He said "Yes, over here mama" He took me to the other doily as if he was Vanna White, so casual held out his hand and showed me his work!


I think the pictures say it all.














Super duper sharp scissors





First snipped doily, no biggie, I can deal with that.
















Two snips, Ok, still no biggie.



















Several snips! Thank goodness it was just my doilies and not my brand NEW comforter!!!

Birthdays

In order by Month

Shelly Lynn Mixer 01/07/64
Opal Pearce 01/14/39
Connie Workman 01/21/63
William Harold Nelson 01/23/00

Emily Renee West 02/05/98
Shirley K. Nelson 02/16/45

Paula Jean West 03/01/65
Patrick Richard West 03/24/61

Wesley Cole Stokes 03/25/09

Wesley Cole Stokes 03/25/09

Lori Workman 04/01/83
Robert Burl Workman 04/06/62
Sondra Kay Rosario 04/25/67

Halley Diane Nelson 05/18/07
Gayle Leeana Stokes 05/30/87

Joseph Richard 05/31/87

Matthew Alan Nelson 06/12/00
Brandi Wolf 06/24/87

Johnny Larance 07/04/79

Wyatt Cooper Stokes 07/12/04
Nicole Leeann West 07/14/86
David Robert Nelson 07/25/64
Cindy Workman 07/28/88

Natalya Wolf 09/25/04

Teagen 10/21/06

Lily West 10/20/08

Paula Teresa Stokes 11/01/65
James Pearce 11/20/32
Brynn Nelson 11/22/04

Shawn Workman 12/16/85
Cody Montana West 12/22/94
Patty Smith 12/29/74
Ron Mixer 12/29/54
Erika Workman 12/30/90

Please send me a note if you have any that I haven't listed or needs updating.

I'm Ok...and busy

Ok, yes it has been a while since I've posted anything. I promise to make some time real soon.
I have no idea why he would do this, maybe just because he could? Wyatt is always 'hanging' his toys from his net. I'll start collecting the pictures and get them together to post.