"I Two"

This little bundle of energy keeps me going and wears me out. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Kate at two and a half:
knows what she wants
prefers pink milk
can sing about 547 verses of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" if it means you won't put her to bed until she's finished
thinks you can see her when she's talking to you on the phone
does not understand the word gentle
believes she is starting school with Will tomorrow
has already planned her princess birthday party and will be glad to give you the details
loves to take care of her babies
is crazy about her big brother, but now mostly calls him Will instead of Bubba
means the world to me.

Seven

I'm not really sure how we got here. I mean, I'm pretty sure he's mine, but I just can't believe he's been mine for seven years now.

Will at seven:
loves legos
might love the wii, ds, and computer games (and anything that has angry birds on it) even more
is seriously interested in spiders and bugs
can eat an entire adult + kid's meal at McD's if I let him
will stay in the water all day
is a people person
can drag every pillow & blanket into the den to make a tent before you know what hit you
taught himself how to play a few songs on the piano this summer
is kind when no one else is watching, well I'm watching
loves his sister like crazy
means more to me than life itself.

They say it's Your Birthday ...

Happy Birthday to my Johnny: my first and only boyfriend, the one who can always make me laugh, the love of my life, the champion alarm clock snoozer, loyal to the end Duke basketball fan (but also willing to cheer for the home team as long as they aren't playing Duke), best bedtime book reader, and my hero. I'm so blessed to love you and to be loved by you.

Proud Mommy Moments

Each day brings new opportunities for triumphs and tribulations. As a mom, there are many moments in the day when I think "Wow, I can't believe I just did that ... that was really good!" AND there are the many (more) moments that I think "Oh, I can't believe I just did that ... that was really bad!" I thought I'd share two of my favorite moments from today (I'll spare you the not so good ones ... wouldn't want to bore you! :o).

This afternoon I was weeding the flowerbeds (I really think I could weed 3x a day and I'd still find weeds every time I walked out!) when I saw a furry black spider on a container on the porch. I knocked on the window for Will to come over to see my discovery. He's been very interested in spiders all year and we're all learning from his fascination since he brought home a library book about spiders every week of 1st grade. Seriously. Who knew the library had that many books about spiders!?! Anyway, he quickly identified it (through the glass door) as a black widow. All black spiders are black widows, didn't you know? We're still working on his classification skills. I quickly raised my flip flop and smashed the furry guy to smithereens. **This next part is my moment. I didn't want you to lose it in the details.** Will burst into applause and started chanting "Go, Mom! Go, Mom!" I think I could've taken on any wild beast at that time. Well, maybe not, but it sure did make me smile.

My other moment happened with Kate tonight. Bedtime has become a small struggle with the precious girl lately. Not in a really bad way, just a stall at every turn kind of way. Apparently someone led her to believe that she is entitled to doing things her way. I know, I know, I'm working hard to correct it. So, I have to really gear myself up for the bedtime routine knowing that I will meet resistance at each stage. **Pause. Will taught us (at age 2) that there is a person known as the "bather" the "pajamer" the "brusher" and the "booker" - these are the stages of bedtime in the Schloss house. Unpause. ** Normally, we split these 4 stages fair and square. Tonight, it was all me. And the clincher, there was going to be a stage 5: "the nose sprayer and sucker". Kate has had a runny nose and sounded stuffy tonight, and I knew it had to be done if we all wanted a good night's sleep. So, I did what I had to do. After sputtering and coughing from the saline spray and nose sucker (I'm sure there is a better term, but you know what I'm talking about, don't you?), in her sweetest, stuffiest voice, Kate said, "Kank you, Mommy." And that, my friends is better than any trophy, blue ribbon, or new car.

Here's to tomorrow's mommy moments.

Dad's Day

I've started this post a few times, but the words never seem to flow quite right OR, I can't see for the tears in my eyes. So here is my best attempt at putting into words what I feel for these special men in my life.

Dad - I have to start with you - without you there wouldn't be me! But there's so much more to us than that, isn't there? From the start, we've had a special bond. There were midnight feedings. I don't remember these (obviously), but whenever I hear mom talk about the way you'd sneak in from working the swing shift and pull the late night shift with me, I can't help but feel so loved. There were trips to the hardware store each Saturday - and you didn't even mind if I wore my light pink and white striped overalls with my dark purple and gray striped shirt! There was learning to skate, ski, & wash the car (with the proper technique, of course!) AND learning how to wire an electrical outlet, change a flat tire, and drive the car. There was the time you "busted" my 11year old birthday party. My friends thought we were in big trouble when you came out to see us turning cartwheels in the family room at 1:00am. Weren't we in for a surprise when you showed us up with a cartwheel of your own! You loved me enough to let me be me, but you loved me enough to push me to be the best I could be. You set the bar high in every area. You were there to cheer me on when I succeeded, give me a boost when I couldn't quite reach it on my own, and pick me up when I fell flat. Your love pointed me to Jesus at an early age, and you've continued to encourage me to become more like Him in all that I do. You showed me what to look for in a husband by loving my mama like crazy - it's always been clear to me the special place she has in your heart. Dad, you're one of the most generous people I know. I love you, always.

Papa - I think we've had a special bond from early on, too! It was such a blessing to get to know you early in my life and see first hand how you molded John to help him become the man he is today. You've always been able to make me laugh (definitely a quality you passed on to John!). You make time for others. I don't know anyone else who talks to their father-in-law on the phone for over an hour at the time. I love it that when we're at home with y'all, I often find you reading your Bible at the kitchen table in the early morning. You have a true servants heart, and for that I'm so very thankful. I'm sure I can't even imagine the sacrifices you've made for your family through the years. You've made me feel a part of the family from the very beginning. I really treasure my time with you!

John Berrick Schloss - where in the world do I begin? I feel as though I've loved you for all time, but when I saw you hold Will for the first time, I thought my heart might burst. You are such a devoted dad. Will and Kate know that they are important to you because you make them a priority in all things. To Will you are a wrestling partner, co-lego creator, and biggest fan in all things sports. To Kate you are a dance partner, big wheel pusher, and partner in crime when it comes to getting dirty and having fun in the backyard. We're all three thrilled to see you when we hear the garage door going up at the end of the day (okay, I feel a little relief too! :o). You make the most of teachable moments and you're always ready to have fun. We can rest in your leadership because you're leaning on Jesus. You were meant to be a dad, John. I love living this life with you!

Matt - I just can't let your first Father's day go by without mention. I still haven't been able to hold your precious bundle of boy in person, but facetime is almost as good. You are on the first steps of one of the greatest adventures of your life. I'm sure you've already seen how having a baby changes your perspective on the world (and on how much sleep you actually NEED!). You have always been full of life yourself, so I have no doubt that you and Eli will make memories each and every day. You have got to be one of the best listeners I've ever known, and I know that will draw you close to him as he grows. You will teach him to be strong and confident, to never settle for second best, and to love the Lord with his whole heart, because that's who you are. Enjoy the ride, you're gonna love it!

All by Myself

Do you know that song? Celine's version is especially wonderful for singing along with when you're alone in the car OR when you're riding with your college roommates who can sing equally as loud as you (especially if one of you just went through a bad break-up - whew, that's some powerful singin'!) ... turn it up as high as your speakers can stand it.
Okay, back to what this post is really about. John goes out of town one weekend a month for his Reserve duty. We've tried to make it a family affair, but have you ever tried to sleep in one room with a 6 year old (ok, he's not really the problem at all) or a 2 year old who is used to sleeping in her own room? And IF you get any sleep, have you ever tried to keep a 6 and 2 year old asleep while their daddy gets up @ 5 am to get ready for the day? And if you get them to sleep past 6 am, have you ever tried to keep a 6 and 2 year old entertained for two days in one room with minimal toys and coloring space? Let's just say by the end of Sunday, it makes for one grumpy mama! SO, we've resigned ourselves to spending that one weekend a month apart. The kids and I usually plan something fun on Saturday and I have a friend over to scrapbook one night after the kids are in bed - it's not so bad and we're thankful for all of the opportunities John's part time job affords us. Win-win, right!?! Well, this last weekend was EVEN better! Some of our friends, more like family, kept Will and Kate and I got to spend the weekend with John. We try to plan time away at least once or twice a year, and it's always so refreshing and fun ... but this time I was going to have a lot of time ALL BY MYSELF! It's been so long since I've had that much time to myself that I almost had to make a schedule, BUT I recovered and gave myself permission to just "go with the flow." So, what does a mom of 2 young kids do when she's all by herself? Sleep in - until 7:30. Lay in bed for 15 minutes wide awake because no one is asking you for breakfast. Take a long shower, no one's asking how to find their favorite cartoon channel. Eat breakfast. That's unusual! Someone else even cooked it and cleaned it up, oh my goodness!!! This is where it gets really good ... after breakfast, I went back to the room and turned on HGTV and watched it for 3 hours straight while I worked on my scrapbook (still working on 2009 by the way!). They have some great shows on nowadays! John picked me up for lunch and we talked about whatever we wanted to and didn't cut anyone's meat/pizza/crusts off. After lunch, John headed back to work. I was feeling a little bit guilty at this point. My friend was at home having to feed 5 kids and get 2 down for a nap. John was working on the flight line in 98 degrees. Then I got a text from John - "I hope you enjoy every minute doing whatever you want. Love you." Then a text from my friend with a pic of Will having a blast on their slip and slide. (No need to feel guilty about leaving Will - he definitely won't want to come home!) So, I did what any girl in my shoes would do. I managed to find an incredible outdoor shopping center and I went in every single store. I took my time examining each rack and walking every aisle. No one was in my shopping cart screaming to get out. No one was asking for everything they saw. It was glorious. I even found myself playing peek-a-boo with a little boy who was done shopping, but his mama was not. She smiled at me and said "Thanks - it's been a long day." I know, I thought to myself. That night we went to dinner with some of John's friends and saw a late movie. Sunday was a repeat minus the shopping. Then I drove home - all by myself - in a mini-van with the music as loud as the speakers could stand it, singing all the way. Too bad I didn't have Celine with me.

Will on Wednesday

Hi everyone! Will is going to be "guest posting" on the blog throughout the summer. I think you'll love hearing what he has to say!


We went to the zoo on Friday! We saw triantulas and turtls and eluphunts. I liked the bats.