How do they love him? Let me count the ways...

I took the title from my favorite Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem "How Do I Love Thee?" The reason for it is simple. My boys loooove their daddy. I started wondering why they love him so much. I mean, I know why I do, but why do they?

For starters- he is their BEST playmate. Over the years, he has played everything imaginable with these kids. Bob the Builder, Star Wars, cars, Baskethead (don't ask), Doo Doo Johnny (really, don't ask), and any kind of sports. He gets super involved and creative. Even when he's worked all day, he never refuses to play. I'm not kidding--NEVER.

He is a really big guy. I have seen him in the floor with kids all over him. He doesn't get hurt. There are times that the boys jump off of a chair or off the ground and just hang on him. He'll walk around the house dripping in kids!

The boys are not content with me being home with them. They ask "When is Dad coming home?" at least 100 times a day. Do they do this when I'm not there? I have a feeling they are too busy playing to notice. I'm not a big "game player" with the kids. Let's snuggle- not play cops. I'm pretty positive they are not wondering when I'm coming home to clean or do the laundry.

Ran has always been a hands-on dad. Diaper changing-no problem, feeding-no problem, bathing-no problem, getting up with the baby-OK, he's not perfect. I know I'm the momma, but he's the hero.

My whole point of this is that I know he thinks he works too much and doesn't get to spend enough time with them, but the time he spends is priceless. I guess daddies have that guilt too.

I'm Ba-aaaack!!

** I know I'm a dork, but I was alone and couldn't resist taking a pic of myself :)

Good grief, it's been a while. Apparently, I took a bloging hiatus. I didn't really mean to, but life happens. Let's play catch-up...

When I last left you, I was fighting the bulge after my 3rd baby, I was teaching school, and I was living in Tennessee. It's ALL changed!! (Well, almost everything...there's the weight thing.) My husband made a big, huge, enormous career move. He quit his job and moved to Missouri and opened a convienent store in Arkansas. My family has a small chain of these stores. In fact, they are called "THE STORE"!! We had the opportunity to open one and we took it. Our store was not to be completed until around March 2011. Randy would move without us and I'd come when school was out in May. What actually happened was that our store opened in November 2010 and Ran had to go. He left in the first week of Oct. to train with my brother. I was left in Tennessee with 2 boys, a baby, and a job. Can you see why I took a necessary break from blogging?

To say that this sucked would be an understatement.

I would pack my car every Thursday night, so that Friday after I picked up the boys, we could travel to my in-laws' and stay the weekend. Yes, my in-laws'... just keep reading, it gets better.

After several months and some minor and major breakdowns, we made another decision- In Jan. 2011 I quit work and moved too. I'm going to lay it all out now---me, Ran, 3 boys, my mother-in-law, and father-in-law living in a ONE bathroom house. It was hard. It was nothing that anyone did or didn't do. It was just stinkin hard. Sometimes, I just wanted to lounge in a t-shirt and panties, sometimes I wanted to watch something other than Gunsmoke, and sometimes I just wanted to have an argument with Ran and not whisper. It's the simple things.

In the past month, we moved into a duplex in Arkansas. (I know, every girl's dream) We think we are going to build a house, but we really needed to get near our store instead of 25 min. away at his parents'.

My boys changed schools and fit in great. I have been staying home with Knox since Jan., but will begin teaching in August. Ironically, it is at the high school Ran attended. Anyway, it's all good in the hood. Until next time...

T.L.C.-Toes Love Cuts

**This is absolutely no exaggeration! They are this long!!

People---it's almost summer and that means flip flops and sandals. That also means clipping your freakin' toenails. I admit that my heals are a little crusty right now. That is mainly because I am in a hurry about everything. I have no time to pamper myself. I don't care how busy I get-I WILL NEVER LET MY TOENAILS GROW LONG!! Disgusting!! Oh, I threw up a little in my mouth just thinking about it.

I recently came in contact with a woman. She was dressed up. Her hair was neatly put up. Her clothes were ironed. Her make-up was flawless. As I was talking to her, I glanced down and BAM!! I saw her extra long toenails. They were painted red. She obviously has the time to do something with these nails. I mean, good grief, she painted the dang things! BTW- I know for a fact that she has the time to clip those nails. She has no children and anyone that doesn't have children has the time. (Not my opinion, it's FACT!)

Now, I can not focus on anything but these nails. I never hear what she says. All that I can imagine is getting some hedge clippers and straightening out those parrot claws! Everyone that is reading this, please take a minute and look down. Do your nails need a quick trim? Do your feet need some T.L.C ? Help a sister out and take care of business. Seriously, they can be dangerous.

Remember When-No Dimples, No Rolls, No Fat...No Worries!

The day is finally here. I've dreaded it all year. It has haunted me day and night. I have to go SWIMSUIT shopping!!!

Flashback 1-it was the summer of '96. I had just graduated from high school. I could eat whatever I wanted. I was active, but never dreamed of going into a gym to workout. I was sporting a J Crew blue, string bikini. It had no padding, but everything was smooth and sat up in place.
Flashback 2-it was the summer of '08. I was sporting a zebra striped, Victoria's Secret bikini. I had been working out and eating healthy. I was not perfect, but looking back on that time I can see that I was definitely more confident.

Flashback 3-it was the summer of '09. I was 7, 8, and 9 months pregnant. I was sporting a Motherhood Maternity paisley tankini. I was big, but I had a reason. I was also tan and that hides a lot.

OK- now it is about to be the summer of '10. My baby is 8 months old and I have to get a swimsuit. I'm going to be sporting a 1 piece or maybe I'll be daring and go for the tankini.

I told my friends at work that I would be looking for a scuba diving suit. You know, the kind that zips up and covers everything from the neck to the knee. My girls were there for me. They got online and picked out the perfect suit for me. Whitni even called the store and had the girl put it on hold. I am leaving after school and getting the suit--I think. I may have an utter and complete meltdown when those florescent lights in the dressing room hit my thighs!!

I'm having a girls only swim party on Sunday. (Whitni is moving :( ) I'm going to down a few pina coladas to drown my sorrows and try to forget about my dimples, my rolls, and my fat. I've just got to realize that it's not the summer of '96 and that I'm going to have to live with it!!!

Goin' Tubin'

This ordeal started a couple of weeks ago. When I picked Knox up after school, his baby sitter mentioned that he felt a little warm he had been pulling on his ear. I ran him up to a doctor in town instead of making an appointment and heading to his pediatrician in Bartlett. She said that his ears looked fine, but gave me some drops for the pain. I thought that was kind of weird because why would she give me drops for the pain if his ears were fine? Anyway, I took what I could get. At this point, Knox has never had an ear infection.

The next week, my baby was up all night. I don't mean he slept and got up a couple of times. I mean he tossed and turned on me all night long!! He had a low fever, but I thought he was just teething. When I picked him up the next day, his sitter told me to look at what just happened to his ear. It was draining!! I went straight to his pediatrician and he told me that he had a RUPTURED ear drum. Of course, I felt like the bad mom that let he kid suffer and let is ear drum burst.

After 5 days of antibiotics, he began to run some fever again. I took him back to the doctor and he told me that the antibiotics were not working and his other ear drum had now ruptured!! Apparently, this is not too common for an 8 month old.

Yesterday, I had my visit with the ENT. Knox still has fluid in his ears and he has some hearing loss due to the fluid. We have no choice, but to get tubes. I know that these days it is more uncommon for kids to go on without tubes, but I'm still nervous. Jackson and Riley have never had anything done like this. The most they've had was a trip to the dentist. Luckily, I have some friends that explained that there is nothing to it. **Thanks Laurie and Georgia!

*We're getting the tubes on June 3rd. Pray for us!!

Snack Cart Snafu

THANK YOU LAURIE!! Laurie just saved me from myself. She saved me from hours in the gym, low self-esteem, and a one piece swimsuit with a skirt. Laurie had a snack cart intervention in the middle of the hallway.

Our school has a snack cart. Well, not just one cart...several. These carts(ran by students) travel to every classroom, every period of the day- NO MATTER WHAT. They sell food to the kids. If the snack cart is late, the kids are crazy. They are like little cart fiends. That is how they got the nickname "crack" carts.

I was on a mission. I was on my planning period and I was determined to walk across campus to the snack cart room. This room is full of every kind of soda, Little Debbie cake, and flavor of chips you could imagine. I wanted Crunchers. These are the extra crunchy chips that are cooked in peanut oil. I've seen the kids eating them and I couldn't resist any longer. I stopped and talked to my co-worker and friend Laurie. I commented on how she was looking good and that I generally hate her for losing weight. Then it hit me. If I want to be skinny like Laurie, I should not eat the Crunchers. I thanked her for making me see the light.

As we were walking back down the hall, I notice a snack cart. I felt like the kids. I wanted, no, I needed the freakin' Crunchers. I tried to justify it by telling Laurie that I brought tuna for lunch and I needed a little sumpin' sumpin' to go with it. Then, I tried to tell her they are cooked in peanut oil and are only 140 calories. As we walked to the cart, I was feeling like I was definitely going to get them. We turned the bag around and Laurie pointed out that the chips are only 140 calories---PER SERVING!! There happen to be 4 servings in a bag. That's right---560 calories of chippy goodness!!

I backed my big butt away from the crack cart. I'll stick with my twigs and berries!!

**If not for Laurie's wisdom, this could be my future.

Riley's Birthday Weekend/Mother's Day

This weekend made the "Henfling's Top Ten Busiest Weekends" list. It really all started on Thursday. I had early and late duty and Riley had soccer practice. Friday, after a day of early/late duty and testing, I had someone looking at my house (tryng to sell it), a birthday party to get the boys to, ran Knox to the doctor in Memphis because of an ear infection, and Jackson had practice. Saturday, we had 2 soccer games, both boys had soccer pictures, and I made cupcakes for Ri's b'day all before 1:00. We all took Riley for his birthday dinner at Outback. After dinner, Nan, Knox, and I went birthday shopping and Randy took Jackson and Riley to see Iron Man 2. I got home around 10:00 and had just enough time to throw his gifts into bags before they all got home at 10:30. After a lot of begging, we let him open his gifts. Sunday was Mother's Day and Riley's birthday. We got up, the boys had bluberry muffins and we were off to church. (Congrats Big Papa for becoming an elder!!) We left directly from church and drove to Missouri. Let me document that after 10 years of living here, Randy thought he knew a short cut that cost us 30 extra minutes. Anyway, we visited with Randy's family and then stopped by my grandparents' house before finally making it home at 9:40 pm. WHEW!!

This was mainly for me to remember how hectic this weekend was because it was kind of a blur. Believe it or not, we did have a lot of fun celebrating Riley's birthday and Mom's Day.

For the record, I got some really cool shoes from Randy and the boys. Jackson and Riley also made me lots of cards and a bookmark. Knox slept all night, so I guess that was his gift. I've got some great guys!!