chivalry is not going to be lost in this house...

Today after picking up the boys from MDO we came out the parking lot to find that one of the other mom's had had her car broken into and purse stolen. She used my phone and got things"settled" but our boys overheard the entire conversation. Afterwards Jake could not seem to get over why "bad men would take her purse" He promptly said "when I get bigger and a bad man takes another purse I'm gonna be big and strong and get the purse back"

This make my whole heart, mind and body smile all over. Not that I would want him chasing down a crappy purse stealer over just a purse, but the fact that he would want to protect a perfect stranger from danger, if he could.
The whole way home me, Jake and Brock talked through how they will be "superman, then ironman and then batman and catch the bad man"
We also had to touch on how Jesus is going to be very upset with the man someday to which Jake added "ya, he made Jesus very sad"
I love these little boy's hearts. I am so thankful to hear words like those after days and days of thinking that I have been raising them all wrong.
Those teachable moments rock my world...and take my breath away.
Just like Jake and Brock taking their own initiative to hold the door open for all the ladies behind me, and wanting to pray on the sidelines at soccer practice when Jake is "afraid" to go out on the field.

I guess that's why all the teacher's at school are already telling me to look out...all these boys are wanted men in their preschool world!
More to come on those stories later.

the stairmaster

It's official...Holt did the stair (both down and up) all by himself today. He come to the top of the stairs, turned his little boo-tay around and slid down on his belly all the way down the stiars...with the help of mom clapping him on...he's been going up by himself for a while now...but it is a big deal in our house when the down is conquered...it's the little things in life. The boy could not wipe the smile off his face after he was done too. It was awesome!

soccer practice vs. soccer games

Talk about a lesson in parenting...

Jake just started soccer this year. It has been so fun and frustrating all at the same time.
The team has practices on Wednesday nights. Two Wednesday nights ago was our first practice and he was a rockstar...totally speaking up when talked to...kicking the ball...running ALL over the field...even in circles...He was a wild-man...and I thought, for sure, he would have so much fun come gameday. I was also so proud of Brock who patiently waited so well on the sidelines...and even got to get out there a little too.

Gameday, however, did not go as planned. First off, I had to be out to town and so I could not even be there...ROCKSTAR Joe got all the boys out the door and down to the field, even meeting Mimi, Papi, cousin Clay and Auntie just in time...
Jake was a BUST. He wanted nothing to do with going out on the field. He HATED the uniform shirt (which has THE SAME smell as all of my uniforms growing up), he just hung out on the sideline throwing a fit. Joe was a trooper and was disappointed as any parent would be, but loved on him so well. I am so thankful that Jake has him as a dad.

Then this past week we did well again at practice...but come gameday...we pitched a snot throwing fit...a fit of "I.'m too tired. I'm bi-polar. I don't want to play. I don't want to go home. I don't want to watch the game. I don't, I don't, I don't"
Oh joy!
What a lesson in parenting. Not sure YET what exactly it might be...but we are learning as we go. Jake seems to grow into things...just like gymnastics this summer...but by the end of the summer he was scaling everything and so pumped to go. I hope that this might turn out the same way only because I know he would have a great time running around out there, and nothing more. In the meantime, we get to enjoy some "laughs" as parents on the sidelines when our child actually DOES make it out on the field and decides to just lay down and cry...capturing attention of another kid who decides to "join in" on the fun.

Thank you to all his sweet supporters...even driving all the way up to the WAY too early games. Better luck next week?!?

our little 9 month old

He's so stinkin' cute! What a fun baby he has been. All of them have been fun, but I am really savoring Holt knowing that this should be the last time for us through the baby-stages of life (unless God has other plans than our own)

He is pulling up like no big thing.
He wants to walk after his brothers sooooo bad.
He knows his name.
He is learning "NO" (and, of course, not liking it one bit)
He is eating most little pieces of table food
He is starting to drink from a sippy-cup (cannot wait to get rid of those bottles)
He is saying "MAMAMAMAMA" & "DADADADADA" & lots of other gibberish.
We are leaning to wave.
He is a smile-a-holic....he has such a great smile.
He is loving music and dancing
He ADORES his brothers. He is already getting into little brother status...ruining all their Lego creations or trampling their blocks.
He is so easily entertained. You can put him down in a new room and he could be in there by himself for an hour.
He is already enrolled in MDO. I was so torn on this one...since I kept the other two boys out until they were at least a year...but when it came down to it, I felt like the right thing to do at our stage of life is to get him interacting with others and letting the sweet ladies up there love on him too...he seems to get so bored with me all by myself...pathetic, I know.
We are learning how to give each of them alone time...it is soooo hard to juggle...but Joe has been amazing with all his help and we can totally see the benefit each of them has when they get a parent all to themselves...Holt LOVES it.
He is still in the 75% and above on all his measurements. So we are thankful for an amazingly healthy boy.
I cannot wait to see when he gets himself to start walking...watch-out world...The Hornberger boys are here! (we are already known as such around town)

it's that time of the year...

the time where I get to take the boys back to school for their amazing teachers to do some awesome lovin' on them and them to make some great new friends. The boys were all smiles and excitement this AM when I dropped off ALL THREE! YES.....ALL THREE!!! Holy cow...it has been a REALLY long time that I have been looking forward to these hours of solitude. Don't get me wrong...those boys ROCK MY WORLD...but it is soooooooo needed to get some time at home getting to FINALLY do all the cleaning, working and to-do's that this house has so badly been screaming for since the first day of summer. Summer-time is cruel for parents of kids 5 and under. Just cruel.

But I was so glad they were so happy to go. They all looked to cute...Jake and Brock were pumped for their new batman back packs that are as big as them and their dinosaur cut-out sandwiches. And Holt...oh sweet, sweet Holt...he was all smiles, as usual...and went into his room of open armed ladies who just want to be there to love on little babies.
It has been amazing. I have gotten to go for a run, ALL BY MYSELF, have some quiet time and Claire and I have gotten a lot of things knocked off the list of KHP to-do's. Pretty much an amazing morning.
And...when 2pm rolls around I cannot wait to pick up those amazing minions with their huge smiles. Nothing can stand in my way after this awesome time of rejuvenation.

a week in the life

They are still all 4 and under and already there is NEVER a dull moment around here. I tell all our friends to just give me a call anytime they need a good laugh to brighten their day, because I can almost 100% guarantee I will have a story from the day of one of the boys doing/saying something crazy or funny that can cheer them up.

Last week sticks out a little more than most though...for the following reasons:
1. Jake and Brock SOMEHOW managed to get the lid off a paint can that I (stupidly) left in the backyard and in about 5 minutes time managed to almost completely cover Jake in paint, get a little on Brock (he doesn't like to get dirty, more on that later) and begin to paint some of the patio tiling, the patio furniture, some of the screen door...AWESOME!

2. Then that same afternoon we were working more with Brock on the potty training. So it smelled (yes, gross) like he needed to go potty...so I took him in the bathroom and set him on the toilet...took off his undies...and went to put them into the dirty clothes hamper...I THOUGHT he hadn't gone poop in his pants...but I was wrong and must have drop the "terds" (yes I said it) on the floor as I walked out of the bathroom.
Then on my way back to check on Brock:
Hello Holt...seems you decided to find the poop I dropped on the floor and start chewing on it, because you HAVE to put everything in your mouth....SICK!!!!!!! I yelled, freaked Holt out, and thankfully Joe was home so he could help me scrape the poop out of Holt's mouth while laughing and helping to totally help me realize how funny this will all be someday...OH JOY!
Brock can no longer force Holt to do anything more than that...Holt has literally eaten Brock's Shi%^*

3. Then the next day our friend Traci came to hang out for the day...and while she was here she got to experience the chaos that three dependent kids brings as well as MASSIVE dog poop on my office rug while I was putting the boys to bed. Mom instinct went into hyper mode...I only dry-heaved twice...I was quite impressed being that it was THE WORST poop mess I have ever smelled or seen in my life...AWFUL!

WOW! What a week. Needless to say Joe and I REALLY enjoyed some time in Dallas ALONE this past weekend (thanks to the amazing time Mimi and Papi offered up) and I am quite excited to get the boys back in school starting tomorrow.

Man I love these kids...but what a week!!!