A Full Heart

Verbal Vomit

2012-01-30T22:02:00.001-05:00

I have 20,984 emails in my inbox. Really? Is that even possible? I should probably just delete them all and start over. But what if I neeeeed one of them? Am I an email hoarder?
Last week I dropped my phone in a cup of DP (what else) for all of 2 seconds. Verdict - dead. My husband, he jumps in the lake with his in his pocket. Verdict - alive. Something is definitely wrong with that. I bit the bullet and got an iPhone and surprisingly I love it!! I loved my Droid X too but this seems more "user friendly" in some ways.
I got two gifts I love, love, love for Christmas and they truly show my age and stage of life - a trash can and a dustbuster. Funny, I know. :) The trash can was a surprise from my mil for hubbie and me. It is stainless steel so very pretty but also has a foot pedal. Nice extra....I think not. Necessary extra....I think so! It feels so much cleaner not to have to touch the lid but to still have one on it. The dustbuster, I requested. I have been wanting one but was too cheap to buy it. I seriously don't know how I survived without it. If you have kids, you need a dustbuster. It totally beats breaking out the oversized vacuum cleaner. I clean up much more than I did before, just because it's EASY! And the fun part just points to what a nerd I am so we won't go there. :)
Jake has outgrown his 7:30/8 bedtime. I knew it was coming. His new 8:30/9 bedtime is much less desirable for the "me time" we so desperately need. And it's so hard when you have another one so close behind in age, but so far behind in her need for sleep. She could probably benefit from a 7:00 bedtime. But, alas, we find her staying up with her brother to keep the peace. Until it all blows up in our faces, that is probably how the chips will fall.
Wheat Thins...I could eat an entire box a day. Enough said.
And, lastly, I'd like to tell you to go read THIS! Loved it....

1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.

2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.

3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult.

Duggar Time

2012-01-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

My friends and I are pretty quirky. We do quirky things...a lot of the time. But that is okay because we do them together. Like standing around forever Sunday night after church to have our picture made with not 1 Duggar but with SIX of them...separately!! :)

When compared to the 6 hours we spent on the steps of a local church waiting for the Jon & Kate show....it doesn't seem so odd now does it?

The Duggars (Jim Bob, Michelle, John-David, Jill, Jessa & Jinger) made a surprise appearance at our church on Sunday night. Our pastor was speaking on a Christian's role in politics and they were in SC campaiging for Rick Santorum and needed a place to worship that night. It fit perfectly.

I serve in the preschool choir on Sunday nights so I didn't get to hear them speak but that was okay because I was there for the pictures afterward! :)

My oh-so-precious choir class. I honestly love this little group!!

with JimBob

with Michelle - she is really tiny in person!

with Jessa & Jinger - all the girls are very pretty!!

with Jill

and finally with John-David

They were all very nice and patient with all the photos. Such a fun night...a perfect surprise to end the birthday weekend!

MY Birthday

2012-01-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

As far as I can recall (which isn't very far these days), I did not share this with anyone prior to my birthday. I felt a ~~huge~~ small amount of guilt about it.

As the big day approached, I started to get a little sad about "our" birthday.

The choice to share a birthday with Tanner was starting to seem like a bad one.

I mean, moms share every aspect of their lives. Nothing is their own anymore. And that is okay. But your birthday....it is yours. There is just no need to share that....until you decide to birth a baby on that day. Then you relinquish your day. Selfish? Probably. My own fault? Definitely.

I have always shared a birthday with my grandfather. I have not once thought he might be getting gypped on that day. He has never acted like he felt gypped. Did he I wonder?

Anyway, I was feeling a bit sad. The week before, though, I pretty much forgot about it. I was totally busy making party plans for Tanner (seeing as to how I saved them all until the last minute) and I was resigned to the way it was going to be. I almost completely forgot at times that it was also my birthday and always referred to the day as Tanner's birthday. Jake, in his moments of sweetness, would always remind me that it was mine too. :)

Fast forward to Friday, the 13th, the day before the big day and the big party. I was cleaning and preparing like a mad woman. I was surprised at lunchtime with a good friend bringing EGGROLLS!! BIG smiles all around! :) It made me smile just remembering that I ate about 4, 783 of them in the days after Tanner was born! I asked every visitor to bring them. :) I was touched that she did that and thought it would be all there was to my day. In fact, I was kind of irritated that my husband had insisted on taking me out to eat that night for my birthday. I did not have time for that. He was adamant. I gave in because I did think it was nice of him. I thought he was really making an effort to not let my birthday be glazed over this year.

Boy was he making an effort. My husband who has never kept a secret and never pulled off a surprise gave me a surprise "party". He gathered my very best friends for a very special dinner at the restaurant I had mentioned several times. He even made sure I had my favorite pie!

The best part is that I was completely oblivious. I am still kind of shocked about that. I am usually so attentive to things. I notice details - it's just who I am. But this time I didn't and I am soooo glad!

4 of the best girlfriends there are!!

Under the Weather

2012-01-04T13:47:00.000-05:00

T is still feeling bad. I guess I should be very thankful. He will be one year old next week and this is the first time he has been sick. Very, very blessed.
He went to the doctor today and after ruling out an ear infection, the doctor sent us on our way. Guess that is the only sickness of concern these days. :) He did say if the fever is still here on Friday to bring him back. I think that visit should be free of charge under reason code "whatever you are going to do today, you should have done on the last visit."

Tanner got some Bobby-love today. That seems to make the other two feel better. :) He got some KK-love too but there would be no picture proof of that. :)

Hoping tomorrow is a better day.....

Pooped!

2012-01-03T22:46:00.001-05:00

What do you get after....

upearlyfirstdayaftervacation
sick baby
school
school
school
sick baby
tumbling
sick baby
homework
playing with neighbors
sick baby
dinner
cheerleading
sick baby

Did I mention a sick baby?

This is what you get....

3 very tired babies

Hoping for a good night's rest for everyone!

1.2.2012

2012-01-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

A quiet day at home...the last one before life starts back.

I have enjoyed the last two weeks - no schedule, nowhere to be, the busyness of life is on hold.

But I'm ready to get back to "normal" now. There is a little too much togetherness going on.

Tonight I asked Ella Kate what I was going to do at home tomorrow alone. She reminded me that I would have T :) and then suggested I invite a friend over to talk about our kids and eat. :)

We'll start back tomorrow with a bang - no easing into things for us.

Today, though, we stayed home and watched football for most of the day. Jake assumed this position for 95% of the day:

tossing his football the entire time

Ella Kate was content to play in her room but would only allow this much of her to be photographed

until I snuck in and snapped this as she squealed in protest!

Tanner wasn't feeling that hot today. I'm not sure what is going on with him. He hasn't slept nearly enough since the kids have been out of school. I'm hoping once they go back, he'll go back to his normal routine and get some much needed rest. I think he feels like he's missing out if he naps while they are home. :) That combined with cutting teeth is wearing him out lately. He laid around and was puny for most of the day.

Then it was bathtime and he perked up a bit. We actually saw a smile. :)

New Year's Day

2012-01-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

**I'm going to be ambitious this year...this brand new year I've been given. Given. A wonderful gift of time to spend with the people I love. I'm going to take at least one picture every single day. 365 of them. Oh WAIT...it's a LEAP year! Make that 366! :) I can't wait to see if I can do it and at the end of the year, look back at what each of our days has held.

Batman shirts courtesy of Mimi & Pop for Christmas. Bobby has a matching one. LOVE them!!

I apologize for the awful, awful blurriness of this otherwise totally adorable picture. :(

Our first outing of 2012 was lunch at Cracker Barrel with Mimi & Pop. Black-eyed peas, on the house! A long wait, checkers with Pop, hanging out in rocking chairs, and shopping with Mimi.... Lunch was chaos. It always is.

After lunch the boys came home for naps (Michael is fighting a cold and Tanner is still fighting sleep) and the girls went to TRU to spend Christmas $$$. Ella Kate picked the cutest doll. I had to share....

At first glance, a sweet little family...

But wait! Momma is preggo!

What do we have here?!

Yes folks, we have a removable tummy holding a baby!! I LOVE this!!

I think when kids (at an older age) have experienced pregnancy and a newborn with their parents, it all just seems so natural to them. My kids often comment on pregnant women, newborns, and all that they entail and they light up as it reminds them of 2010 - the year WE had a baby. :)

Out with a Bang

2011-12-31T23:51:00.002-05:00

I sent 2011 out with a bang. And I don't mean with fireworks. I mean with a bang right down my parents' front steps. Ouch.

You can't really tell from this picture but the top half is bruised pretty bad and the bottom half is pretty scraped up. Real nice. At least it wasn't broken, forcing us to party all night in the ER with Mr Brad!

Fast forward a few hours and we headed to the Martins' for pizza and football.

The "quiet" ones...
Brycen, T, and Little Orphan Addie :)

Keeping T entertained....

Mr Brandon loves a baby :)

We love these quirky babies!

Love these girls...and boys!!

We sure missed the Cotherans but I know they were having a great time in Nashville!!

For the first time, we didn't make it til 12. We pooped out a little after 11 and were home snuggling by 12. Tanner refused to sleep until we left but he was out before we left their neighborhood. Of course, that could be because it's a 30 minute drive to the entrance. HA!! :)

Anyhow, we rang in the New Year snuggling in bed with our only little lady and watching the ball drop. The boys were out in their beds. A fun and relaxing ending to 2011.

We Got a Sneaky Elf!

2011-12-28T14:04:00.000-05:00

Andy sure did get into some mischief this year! He is a sneaky little elf. I'm sure Santa picked him to keep my sneaky little ones on their toes!

Photocopying himself....

Hanging with Mary & Joseph....

I cut out momma & daddy's underwear hanging on their stocking hooks since that might be inappropriate. :) He hid their stockings in their underwear drawers!

He decorated the house with ornaments off of the Christmas tree....

And was caught in the act!

Snow angels in the flour...

and a trail of flour to their bedrooms where he checked up on them.

We loved having Andy here this year and can't wait to see him again next year!

Christmas with the Waddells

2011-12-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

We had the Waddells' Christmas at TonTon's house this year and she fixed a delicious lunch of Mexican chicken, salad, and garlic bread. Nana Jane brought her famous pies and Michael was lucky enough to bring home the leftover pie!

Jake was beyond thrilled to open up a "real" football helmet from Papa & Nana Jane and Ella Kate got a really cool Barbie that you can video with. Nevermind that the camera is hidden right between her boobs, the batteries fit snugly in her thighs, and the button is right smack in the middle of her buttocks. :) It is still very cool. Tanner went home with lots of neat toys that he is slowly making his way through. Michael received all he wanted - an Academy gift card - and I was thrilled to receive a Dustbuster, just what I asked for. I am officially old. :)

He just about jumped out of his seat and was totally embarrassed.

Me on the other hand, it makes my heart smile to see him this happy over a gift.

It never happens. :)

It ended up being too small (our fault) so we had to swap it for another one. They didn't have white so he went with maroon for his Wolverines.

Christmas with the Neals

2011-12-25T13:00:00.001-05:00

On Christmas night we headed to my mom & dad's for Christmas with them and Granny & Big Papa. This was only the second year that we did not go to my Grandma's on Christmas Day. With the family growing, the grandchildren having families of their own now, and everyone still living a few hours apart, it just got too hard to get everyone there on Christmas Day. Plus, I think it's important to make sure our children have Christmas morning at their house and we have our own family traditions.
I know it's hard for my mom not to be with her mom and brothers on Christmas Day but I have really enjoyed spending Christmas evening with them the past 2 years.

On to Christmas night, we started with the kids reading a couple of Christmas books that Mimi picked out. The one Jake was reading belonged to my cousin Cleve who is now 40 years old when he was a little boy. No idea how it ended up at my mom's but it was neat to see his name in it.

Mimi & Pop used to read the stories, but since the kids have gotten bigger and learned to read, they let them do it. They enjoy reading to us and we love hearing them read.

I guess we know where Ella Kate gets her good looks now :)

Tanner wanted in on the storytime too. This little boy loves a book! He will flip back and forth through the pages for as long as his 11 month attention span can stand it.

After the stories, it was on to GIFTS! I promise that my older children received some...I just didn't get any pictures of it. :( I found this year it was really hard to keep T under control aaaand take pictures. Unfortunately the pictures suffered.

Tanner will be riding in style in his new stroller!! Yippee!!! Jake and Ella Kate got some Wii games among other toys. Jake, Tanner and Bobby got matching Batman shirts. Ella Kate got something more I am positive. I just can't remember what it was. :)

Tanner got the traditional first Christmas gift from KK. A box of tissues. He LOVED them. Not that we were surprised. He is quite efficient at emptying a tissue box.

Game Day attire update...check!

Bobby will surely kill me for this picture but we found these last December and knew he must have them this year. They are Iron Man tighties. :) It is a running joke with my family that I refuse to let my kids wear cartoon characters. Just my personal preference. :) I don't think Bobby wore anything that didn't have cartoon characters when he was little. Seriously. And he still wears it. He says I have brainwashed my kids out of liking cartoon clothes. Super!! :)

Dinner was roast, green beans, (gluten free!) mac & cheese, and sweet potatoes. YUM!

Afterwards we had the traditional gift card game. My mom always buys $10 gift cards to random places that we all like to go. Then we draw numbers to pick a card and then choose a person to give it to. If we think someone before us made a wrong choice, we get to rearrange who got which card. It usually is pretty calm but this year my kids turned it into quite the gift card drama. I ended up bringing home Target, Michael Cracker Barrel, Jake Academy, EK Walmart and T Bojangles. Not sure who thought T fit with Bojangles but he does love their green beans!!

So glad Granny & Big Papa could come to wrap up their long week of Christmas partying!

Next year, mom, pick the songs, Bobby & KK fire up those vocal cords, and Pop warm up the drums (or whatever they are called!). We're going caroling!!

Our Family Christmas

2011-12-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

Santa had a late night and finally finished up at our house around 2 am. Jake wandered in our room around 3 am and informed us that Santa had been. :) He went back to sleep and Tanner called quite loudly for us at 6 am. He had his oatmeal for breakfast while he admired the additions to the living room.

Around 7 am we woke the kids up since we needed to hurry to get to church by 10. Thank goodness for kids that like to SLEEP!!

Gifts from mom & dad under the tree

Tanner's first Christmas gifts from Santa

Ella Kate & Jake's gifts from Santa

This is a happy face..promise!

EK got a new radio and cd player from mom & dad. I'd call it a boom box but I don't think that's the word for it these days. :)

Jake got new boots from mom & dad. He wanted them really bad!

Opening gifts from each other....

EK gave Jake a mini Rebels football (again) :) and gave Tanner one too.

Jake gave EK some really cute Hannah Montana school folders and Tanner 4, yes 4, Yogi Bear pizza plates shaped like a slice of pizza. I'll be the first to admit the baby selection was limited so this was a decent choice. :)

My gifts - notepads and tags?? from Jake and teddy bear from EK :)

I will add a pic of Michael's gifts from Jake & EK - I forgot to take one!

He was getting sleepy by this point but he really liked his swing and slide!

We finished up with the gifts and had a quick breakfast.

I was so excited that Christmas fell on Sunday this year. I love that! Most people are just annoyed that it puts a cramp in their other family plans (it does require some adjustments), but I can think of no better place to be on Christmas morning than worshipping Him with our church family.

We only had one service so it was very packed. (We normally have 3.) Pastor DJ had a special children's sermon (that we don't normally have) for the children to come forward and give the Lottie Moon offering they had earned by doing chores this month. The kids were very excited to put theirs in an envelope and walk down to the front. Lots of them came in their jammies so it was extra cute!

You can't see our kids in these pics but what a precious sight. So many little faces so excited about Christmas and giving their money.

Two funny things....

Summer asked EK to walk with Addie to the front and help her back. EK is usually the youngest so she took her new responsibility very seriously. She brought Addie back safe and sound...and in a headlock. :)

When DJ told the kids it was time to put their money in the box, I think he might have used the word "throw". I hardly think he meant "chunk your envelope across the stage, miss the huuuge box altogether, and squarely hit the kid on the other side right on the head". Nice one Jake. :)

The only family pic I have on Christmas so deal with the wardrobe issues. :)

After church we had no immediate plans so we stopped at Waffle House for lunch. What fun! I'm sure my grandma might die if she knew, but we enjoyed it. I did feel awful for the ladies and men working and the first year I'm rich on Christmas, I'm going to stop and give them one heck of a gift that day!!

We headed home and let the kids play for a while before we had anywhere to be. It was a really nice day!

Ready for Santa!

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

One final stop on Christmas Eve at Mimi & Pop's for pajamas...a Christmas Eve tradition.

After they unwrapped their jammies, they heard the Charlie Brown Christmas story on Pop's Ipad.

Right at this moment, my heart is full....

Home and ready for Santa!

A smile that melts my heart...

Christmas with Granny & Big Papa

2011-12-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

All of our Christmas celebrations are quite special, each for their own reasons, but this one holds a special place in my heart. I hesitate to even write that, because I don't want anyone to take that the wrong way. I don't love anyone there any more than my other family members. It is just a special time on Christmas Eve at Granny's house. I might be so bold as to say that everyone there shares my feelings.

I often wonder what exactly my granny & papa do that makes their home special. I'm not sure even they could put it into words, but it might sum it up to say that nothing is more important to them than their family. And they really mean that. They don't look at our kids (who drive us all a little nuts at times) as a nuisance when they break limbs by climbing on their trees, put sticky handprints on all their glass doors, and completely wreck their front porch. They say that memories made climbing trees are more important than the tree, handprints can be wiped away later, and the laughter coming from that porch makes up for the mess.

It just makes my heart smile to hear granny remind us to show up at dark thirty on Christmas Eve. :)

Everyone was a little late getting to Granny's this year because of Christmas Eve church services. That's okay because we enjoyed a little quiet time with Granny & Big Papa, Joey & Jackie before things got loud.

Granny fixed BBQ - my favorite!

The annual great-grands picture. This couch has sure filled up since our last picture! The big kids are in age order L-R: John, Jared, Jake, Edy, Jack, Ella Kate, and Abi. John has Joshua and Jake has Tanner. Cleve, Marcie and myself now have 3 each. Wow!

Why not put the grands on the couch?!

Present time!

T is pooped and decided a nap in the middle of the den would be nice!

The adults do a white elephant gift exchange. The ladies always have some nice things while the men's gifts are questionable at best. Some things have a way of showing up year, after year, after year....

Leslie's not giving this gift up....

Mrs Pitt bag strikes again!

T was only interested in this bag and the wrapping paper in the floor. He could have cared less about what was in it.

Joey is the lucky winner of the nose hair trimmers and the gotcha block!

All it the name of fun!

Christmas with the Mahaffeys

2011-12-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve Eve we celebrated Christmas with Michael's mom, Nana, & Papa James. Nana made a huge traditional holiday dinner complete with turkey, ham, and dressing. It was really good!

Nana always has the prettiest tree a TON of pretty gifts under it!

We had mood lighting this year after Uncle David broke the overhead light :) Accidentally of course...

Jake spent all evening "flirting" with Lee's girlfriend, Hannah.

It wouldn't be Christmas if Jake didn't get a football.

All the "big boys" got a gift together.

Super, duper gift....a stainless steel trashcan!!

Love this picture.... Caleb loved on Tanner all week. It was the sweetest thing. :)

2011 Ornaments

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

This year I got the kids matching ornaments. Most years I get them each a different one - something relevant to that year. Every now and then I switch it up. Jake and EK had gotten ornaments a few years back that said "Oldest Child, Mom's Favorite" and "Youngest Child, Mom's Favorite". When I saw these elves....I knew we needed them!

We needed to reestablish birth order first! :) Then we needed to remember 2011 as the year we first met Andy. Thus, our 3 elves.

Tanner's elf fell apart right off the bat - the head broke off. :( Then, when I put it in a ziploc to exchange, the entire thing fell apart - every single piece!! Crazyness!! The red dots in the center of the holly blink when turned on but the wires in the back are not connected...just glued end-to-end. When I took it back, the man at the store accused me of cutting the wires and taking the whole thing apart. ??? Why in the world would I do that?

Anyhow, he was not a nice man and I told him to forget it and hot-glued it back together myself. It doesn't blink but how long did we really think that would work anyway? :) Plus, he was out of them and I didn't want to spend any more of my time visiting his store to see if he received more.

I still think he looks pretty nice for a refurbished elf! :)

A Wish for a Christmas Photo...

2011-12-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

I forgot to take a picture of our family last Christmas. I have been sad about it ever since.

It was our last year as a family of 4. It was my last Christmas being pregnant - my only Christmas being 9 months pregnant! It was Ella Kate's last year wearing a smocked dress I'm sure. She's finally outgrown their sweetness.

I was just plain sad.

So this year I attempted several, even before the actual day just in case something catastrophic happened and we weren't able to take one on Christmas. Positive thinking...I know. :)

This is what we ended up with on one particular Sunday. They're not great, but they are photos and we are all in them. That is the most important thing. We captured this moment in our lives. Isn't that what every photo is about?

Goofy face thrown in free of charge :)

Goofy friend thrown in free of charge as well :)

Best we could do....

And just because....

Christmas with the Bakers

2011-12-17T13:36:00.000-05:00

We traveled to Westminster exactly one week before Christmas to celebrate Christmas with my grandmother and the rest of my mom's side of the family. Grandma has been staying with my uncle and aunt in Rock Hill this past year, since her health hasn't been the greatest. This was the first time we had all been at her house since last Christmas (I am pretty sure) so it was very special for her to be home and have us there. I know she really misses "her house".

We don't get to see this side of our family often because we live so far apart, so it is a nice treat when we do. We catch up on things going on in everyone's lives and it never fails....someone announces that they are pregnant! :) This year it was my cousin Matthew and his wife, Brandon. They are expecting their 3rd in July! Their oldest, Micah, is 2 and their second, Norah, is 1. She is going to have her hands full for a while! :)

Last year I was 37 weeks pregnant at Christmas and another cousin, Thomas, and his wife, Jessica announced they were expecting in August. The little ones just keep coming!

Dinner was a buffet of dishes brought by each family. Pecan pie by Grandma was my personal favorite!

Grandma with her newest great-grand, Corley Honea Baker. Honea is Grandma's maiden name :)

EK and Peyton

My grandma has made each of these stockings by hand. She lovingly stiched all the names into them and decorated each one. Such a treasure for our family!

*gasp*

Heather plays Peyton's new Christmas game with her

Bobby plays Jake's new Battleship game with him while KK entertains EK. Loving it...

Great Christmas Giveaway

2011-12-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

The kids performed their Christmas musical for the third time, but for the first time at our church Sunday night. I think they were sooo over it but they put forth a great effort anyway! Ms Joye added a little part for some of the kiddos so Ella Kate got to be a "shopper" at the very beginning this time.

Jake had a very small speaking part in one of the songs but his mic wasn't turned on so we missed out. :)

The kids all did great and granny, papa, mimi, pop, nana, david, kk and bobby all enjoyed watching them!! We were so glad they came!!

EK is middle, top left and Jake is to the right of the Joy signs on the front :)

There is a picture floating around somewhere that doesn't have Mr Mike in it :)

Jake is midway up on the right with arms crossed....EK must be behind Mr Mike :)

At one point right in the middle of the musical, Jake came down from his spot and tapped Ms Joye (the DIRECTOR) on the arm. She listened and then he returned to his seat. He did it once more right when they were done. I had no idea what he said but figured it went something like "Ms Joye, could we try that song again so I could do my solo over since the mic didn't work?!?" :) I wouldn't be at all surprised. Turns out he needed to use the restroom. He usually means business when he has to go so I'm very thankful we didn't end up with a puddle on stage!! :) Ms Joye is so patient with my babies...love her!!

At the end of the musical, the kids got the news that our choir was asked to learn the new children's Christmas musical being released next year and be recorded as the demo dvd that is sent out across the entire US to music ministers! Wow! What an honor for them all!

Candy Parade (aka Woodruff Parade)

2011-12-11T15:35:00.000-05:00

We love going to the Woodruff Christmas parade because they throw CANDY!! And lots of it!! :)

We usually have some friends join us and we have a great time!! At our usual spot...

Getting into position...bags in hand!

Check out Addie's face....love it!

Yes, Ms Stacy is making her child hand over his candy because it's her favorite kind!! :)

Woodruff was very excited to have their very first Mc Donalds to open this year!! Free french fries for everyone!!

Daddy and his second baby boy :)

We're learning to love football be osmosis at a young age :)

Reidville even showed up at this parade!

Carriage Rides & Christmas Lights Galore

2011-12-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

Something our family has done every year - even before we were a family! - is go to Fountain Inn to ride the Carriage Rides. If you've ever been to Charleston, SC, the same horses and carriages that you can ride there, are brought to Fountain Inn each Christmas and a local neighborhood goes all out decorating for the rides. When Michael and I were dating, he took me there for the first time. It's one of those things that just brings back memories each time we go.

This year we were lucky to have all our friends join us! They had never been and were all looking for new things to do during the Christmas season. There were so many of us that we had to take 2 carriages. Boys vs girls! The girls had the same horse and driver that our family had last year - I remember because the horse's name is Kevin. :) Different for a horse! There were grinches hidden all throughout the neighborhood this year and the girls had a good time looking for them.

The girls' carriage....the boys refused a picture in theirs :)

After the lights and dinner at a little Italian restaurant, no not the romantic kind!....we headed to a local home famous for their many, many lights!! Over 200,000!! It did not disappoint. They had plenty of Christms music, a Christms movie playing on the garage door, and they were serving free popcorn!! They even had talked Santa into being there for the kiddos!!

And though you might think this house would be situated on a little bit of land, away from other houses, easily accessible to traffic, with plenty of places to park....it wasn't. :) It was right smack in the middle of a very tight subdivision with cars lining every street for a loooong way! I am sure it is a headache for their neighbors but I'm sure glad they have enough Christmas spirit to put up with it for one month of the year!

Reidville Parade

2011-12-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

This was our second year attending the Reidville parade. It's small but fun. :) Jake rode in the parade last year with the D5 sports teams. Ella Kate rode in it this year with the first graders. Her teacher, Ms Fultz, always organizes a float for them. It was her first time riding and she loved it!

The Hortons joined us for the parade and we all had a great time!

Mrs. Sima is the grand marshall!

First grade float....EK is right in the middle, back with her hand waving high!

EK is right to the left of the boy with the Santa hat.

T and his buddy Grey

Lily Brooke chillin with a good view

Jake caught in the act

Very cool, very large John Deere!

A Reidville Christmas

2011-12-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

Reidville held it's annual Christmas music night at the Fine Arts Center again this year. It is always such a sweet and special night, with all of Reidville's students singing.

The first graders had matching tshirts that their teachers ordered for them. They were the prettiest blue with 3 snowmen on them. They wanted them to be able to wear them as a grade all winter long. So thoughtful!

The second graders wore Christmas colors - the first time they didn't have matching shirts.

Jake had a speaking part and Ella Kate was one of the dancers during a first grade song. I didn't get pics of either. :(

Forgive the pictures....blurry pics are better than no pics!! My camera is the WORST with dark, distance pics!

The only picture I have that I can actually pick out both of my kids...Jake is front row almost center in a red sweater and jeans. EK is far left, second row, with a white bow.

Kindergarten on left, First grade in middle, Second grade on right

The whole Reidville gang!

This sweetness every day please!!

ACC Champions

2011-12-08T14:13:00.001-05:00

Clemson won the ACC Championship this year, so when KK heard the trophy and the tiger were coming to Greenville, she made sure to take her favorite little Clemson fan!

Very cool!

Andy the Elf

2011-12-05T08:43:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am rarely the first to buy anything. I usually wait until it is on sale :) or until I decide we can't live without it.

I always thought the Elf on the Shelf toys were really cute, but expensive for a little plastic elf. I held out for several years, but this year I had the nagging thought that Jake is getting older and my time of Christmas magic is growing short. He is very much like me and skeptical of everything!

Elf on the Shelf is basically a little elf that visits during the Christmas season and sits watching each day so that he (or she) can report back to Santa whether the children were naughty or nice each evening while they sleep. He then gets into all sorts of mischief and surprises the children each morning with his antics!

When a friend posted that she thought her son (same age as mine) might be too old for the elf, but in fact, he LOVED it...I knew I had to go for it.

Why, oh why, did I wait so long?!? They were sooo excited!!

Andy (our elf) appeared Sunday night after choir. We read the book, which is super at explaining who the elf is, where he is from, and what his job is. The kids were so excited to sit him on the mantle and couldn't wait for the morning!

Like my friend, I then started to hear about allllll the others elves that had been visiting their friends lately. I couldn't believe they had never asked me why we didn't have one! Jake thought maybe ours chose this time to appear was because he had been a bit naughty lately! HA! He even fessed up to a recent naughty act. :)

This morning, they were so excited to get up and see where he had moved overnight. You should have heard the giggling when they saw what he had been up to....

(Yep, I copied this idea straight off of the internet. I will be the first to admit I am completely lacking in the creativity department but with google's help, I can do anything!)

Andy had fun with lots of pictures in our house and the kids would squeal each time they found a new one. Their delight was worth every penny! I think I'm going to enjoy this Christmas tradition as much as my kids will!

I'm curious what everyone else's elves are up to. You guys have a lot of experience so please do share!!

Last Christmas....

2011-12-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

I'm going to be posting lots of things from LAST Christmas that for some reason (or 9 months of them...) didn't make it onto the ole' blog.

For those of you that don't want to miss anything in my extremely exciting life (ahem...), you will need to "Follow" my blog (look on the sidebar) to see them. I'll be posting them under the date they happened, so they would be kind of hard to find otherwise.

For those of you that find my life only semi-entertaining and are only interested in current events....carry on. :)

Going for the Experience

2011-11-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

We have had a fake Christmas tree for many years now. I think our first few Christmases we had a real tree, but after Jake came along with his terrible allergies, we switched to a fake one. Coming from a house where we always had a real one, I was very reluctant, BUT we didn't want to do anything to further aggravate them. When we made the plunge, we got a beautiful, pre-lit, blue-green frasier fir. I was completely sold on fake trees.

The last few of years, we have had war with our beautiful pre-lit tree. The lights kept going out randomly throughout the tree, and for 2 years, we have had to string on more lights, on top of the ones already on the tree, because none of them worked anymore. It was a gigantic pain in the rear.

So, at the end of the season last year, we tossed ours with the intention of buying a new one this year.

When the time came, we thought it might be fun to have the whole "Christmas tree farm in the mountains" experience this year, and wait until next year to buy a new one.

Our friends, the Laneys, always have a real one, but had never done the tree farm thing either.

2011 is now the year of the real tree, straight from the farm :)

At the bottom of the hill, there was actually so much frost on the ground that it looked like it had snowed! But...when you got to the top, it was hot! Not exactly Christmasey weather.

"That yonder's a 8 footer!! "

This worker had such a thick "mountain" accent that Michael was the only one who could understand him!! HA!

Gotta watch these two....

This picture strangely reminds me of....

this picture!! HA! :)

Everybody watching closely...

And because we are corny like that....

Red Ribbon Twin Day

2011-11-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

I just got this cute as pie pic of EK and her twin, Georgia, for Twin Day during Red Ribbon Week.

I didn't get one of Jake and his twin, Austin. :( They wore their Clemson jerseys...it's their thing I think!

First Real Haircut

2011-11-27T04:31:00.000-05:00

Pretending he didn't get a slight trim at around 8 weeks, T had his first real haircut this week.
He did great! We sat him in the chair alone to see how it would go and Summer put a little cape on him.
He really didn't move at all! There was another little guy right beside him getting his first trim, and he stared at him the entire time. Summer was able to trim it all up and even use the clippers!

He looks much better now :) I failed to get an "after" pic, but just check him out in all the new pics!

Check out that baby mullet...

It's Not About the Table

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Or where the table sits.
My family celebrated Thanksgiving in an unconventional way this year. Because of a few circumstances beyond anyone's control, we gathered in Greenville at my uncle's work conference room.

It actually turned out really well - the set up was perfect - and we had a really good time.

It was nice seeing everyone since we do not see each other often. There are several new little ones and watching them meet for the first time is a lot of fun. Seeing the older kids remember each other and play together reminds me of when I was young and playing with their daddies. :)

What would Thanksgiving be without a good game of Hangman on the white board?

And I want to remember that bluetooth in Jim's ear til I'm old and gray. It will still make me smile.

Because you still get your picture posted, even if you made a ridiculous face :)

New cousins - Norah and Tanner

Games with Aunt Pam

A Thankful Heart

2011-11-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

My thankfulness does not start and end on Thanksgiving Day. I am grateful each day for so many blessings that I do not deserve....

A husband that knows my faults and loves me despite them
A son that has an enormous love for life
A daughter that has the sweetest spirit I've ever known
A baby that has a fat tummy and a happy smile
Parents who give beyond expectation
A sister who will always make me laugh
A brother who makes me proud every day
Grandparents whose very lives are enormous blessings
Friends who surround me with unconditional love

Candy Swiper

2011-11-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

And they thought momma & daddy ate all their candy!

New Old Toys

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week I happened to remember that I had stashed away a couple of Jake and Ella Kate's old toys in the attic, so that one day their kids can come over and play with mommy and daddy's old toys! Not thinking I would have another of my own one day!
I love when my mom finds something that used to be mine and then my kids can play with it. It seems that older toys are always more fun anyway!

I didn't save too much but this farm was definitely a keeper! Playskool never goes out of style! :)

As soon as I got it out, Tanner was fascinated! He looked so cute sitting up playing with big boys toys!

Bowling Blast!

2011-11-19T06:00:00.004-05:00

Last week I took the kids bowling for the first time in FORever! We haven't been in a while because our lungs needed THAT long to recover from our last trip. ;) However, now that they've gone smoke-free....we can go whenever we'd like!!

I scored a Groupon (well, my friend scored it for me) :) a while back for 4 people, 2 games each (including shoes), plus family popcorn and a pitcher of soda, all for $10. Nice deal!

I wasn't sure how I was going to manage it with T in tow, but it worked out fine. He was content to sit in his stroller for a while, and then he was content to explore the lanes a little.

The kids had a good time I think! We might just be back for $1 Mondays... :)

Had to take a picture of the lovely shoes!

I'm a little surprised that EK didn't put up a fight about having to wear them!

I'm not sure crawling babies are allowed on the lanes...

Good thing we were the only ones on our end!

Popcorn and soda for everyone! And it was the shock of the day that we all 3 agreed on the drink of choice...Dr Pepper of course!!! :)

This little diva cracked me up....

After every bowl, she did a victory dance, regardless of the outcome! :)

Chillaxcin :)

Jake didn't play around. He was all business.

Yes I Did

2011-11-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

I surely did.

I went to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn: Part 1.

My friends and I have been to every one at midnight, so we figured why stop now.

I admit that last year I was pretty pregnant and did sleep through everything but the first 5 minutes.

I was told I wouldn't get away with that this year. I'd be getting a nudge. :)

BUT, I have to say, it was worth it!!

This was my favorite book, by far, and the movie did NOT disappoint!!

I got home around 3am, fed Tanner at 6, and thankfully Michael got the kids ready for school so I could sleep a little longer - until 8!

I'm not feeling too bad today but I'm thinking an early bedtime is in my future.

Can't wait until the summer for the very last one!

Thanksgiving Lunch at RES

2011-11-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

A friend and I were talking the other day at car line about how it takes a year or two to learn the ropes at "big school". When you send your firstborn off to Kindergarten, unless you are currently a teacher yourself, you honestly have no CLUE what to expect! Even if you did the preschool thing for 4 years, it is a different ballgame.
I remember feeling so out of the loop. In preschool, at least, you get to walk them in and out every single day if you choose. You have communication galore because they have no way of communicating anything coherent to you! It's mainly about loving on your baby - learning is a pleasant side effect. :) My kids' preschool teachers might shoot me for saying that!! (They did, in fact, learn a TON!)

At big school, some of the communication falls on the child - even in K5. When you have a "non-talker," that makes for a mess at times. You're not sure which events you are "invited" to and which ones you're not. You don't want to show up when you're not needed/wanted, and you certainly don't want to NOT show up when everyone else's parents DO!

It's really a learning game. I think it is that way for everyone. And I think you kind of have to feel the teachers out to see when and how much they are open to parents being in the classroom.

We had the very best K5 teachers in many ways - and communication was one of those ways. However, some things just have to be learned as you go through the year.

After being at Reidville for 3 years, I feel pretty comfortable showing up for just about anything. I've learned that at our school at least, they do welcome parents (and siblings for that matter!). Just this morning I spied a sibling hanging with the principal in her office while mom was trying to watch big sister's class play. And that was okay.

All that said, Thanksgiving Lunch IS a big deal. It's one of those days that you better show up or you're gonna have a frown a mile wide when baby boy and girl get home.

Eeeeeveryone comes to Thanksgiving. And it is fun. :)

We had our third Reidville Thanksgiving with our kiddos this morning. Before the lunch, Ella Kate's class had a small Thanksgiving play. Ms Fultz works so hard with them preparing and they are so very proud of themselves! Ella Kate was a scarecrow in the play and she did a SUPER job reading her lines! We're so proud of the little reader she has blossomed into!

Reading her part into the microphone...

Same grade, same teacher, same Thanksgiving play (well different play but same event!), but it's JAKE last year! :)

Then it was time for lunch! Ella Kate's class went first, followed shortly by Jake's.

I don't think Micheal enjoys school lunch as much as he used to.

I think it might be because they omitted sugar and salt from the lunchroom budget.

Fat boy's overalls are already getting tight!

Not too shabby...the turkey, dressing, and gravy were really good!

What you get when you try to take your 8 year old son's picture at school :)

When I asked EK why this picture was posted outside the cafeteria, she replied "I don't know! I got a rocket and free ice cream!" :)

Look who I found hanging out beside Ms Fultz's door!

He found a friend his size!

Austin's mom commented that we have a picture of them together at every Thanksgiving lunch since Kindergarten. She's right....sniff. :)

Jake & Austin in 1st grade

Our sweet little street filled with parents and grandparents celebrating Thanksgiving at Reidville Elementary!

Notice the Christmas decorations that have been up for 2 weeks now...yikes! LOVE it!! :)

I have to share these pics from past Thanksgiving Lunches at RVES....

Wow!! I remember this feeling... working on 8 months pregnant :)

2010

Jake - 1st grade

Ella Kate - Kindergarten

2009

Jake - Kindergarten

(and the last year he enjoyed momma's picture taking!)

Can I just say how thankful I am that Michael has been able to attend so many of their school events?

I Am Sad

2011-11-17T11:20:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the new Bennetton ads? I debated posting the pictures I am referring to for you to see.

I decided against it.

Sure, you can google it and find them right away. Google them with Obama, with the Pope, with others.

But do I really want that displayed on my blog? Do I want to further the success of the ads?

***

I am sad. So very sad that when I turn on the morning news, this is the first thing that my family sees.

I am sad that my 8 year old son was exposed to this today. I could see the confusion in his eyes.

I am sad that this company thinks this is the best way to express "peace" among people.

I am sad that these type of photos are the norm in our culture.

And I am sad that they are now considered a success because of all the attention they have garnered.

Pumpkin Time!

2011-11-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Halloween ~2011~

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

We had some pretty cute Trick-or-Treaters around these parts....

Our Snow White, Indiana Jones, and a little monkey

A scary character we picked up along the way...

Bobby stayed home just to visit with our little people :) They were so excited!

Aunt Ton Ton along for the ride

I *adore* this picture. My children are touching each other and smiling at the same time. Miracles do happen.

This monkey got a banana from his Mimi! And he liked it!

No words :)

Crackers at Granny & Big Papa's

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

Because I'm usually talking about my kids, I thought I'd talk about myself for one day. Today, I'm linking up to Ten on Tuesday at Roots & Rings....

1. What are your pantry staples?
Cereal, baby food, mac & cheese, pasta, peanut butter, and lots and lots of crackers. That's not all that's in there, but you get the idea...

2. What are your refrigerator staples?
Milk, yogurt (specifically the kind with M&M's on top!), soda, waffles....do leftovers count?! Condiment wise we must always have ketchup, mayo, mustard, ranch, syrup and hot sauce. We are always prepared to douse whatever we are eating! There is always a bag of chicken in my freezer and usually some ground beef.

3. You already look like Heidi Klum (or your favorite supermodel). Now, what are the top three non-physical things you would change about yourself?
- I would be a morning person. This is a whole different topic, but even though I think night people are awesome, life runs more smoothly for morning people. Bummer....
- I would ENJOY cooking. Contrary to the things my husband says, I can cook when I WANT to. Key word. I do not enjoy anything about cooking, or the kitchen for that matter. Unfortunately, it has to be done.
- I would have some kind of creative bone in my body - specifically when it comes to my house. I know what I love, but only when I see it done. I cannot see things and imagine how they will look in the room or in the finished product.

4. What’s holding you back from your dream job? (If you already have your dream job, how did you get there?)
In most ways, I have my dream job - SAHM. When my kiddos are little, I cannot imagine a better place to be. That doesn't mean I think it's easy or always fun, but definitely the best place to be. However, when they are all in school and working outside the home is more feasible, I don't think anything could top working in the new baby nursery on the L&D floor!! Seeing new life every day seems like the most amazing job there could be! I would have to be the "bathing nurse" though, because I don't think I could ever learn to poke needles in babies.....or grown people for that matter!

5. You have $500 to spend but it has to be on one item only. Go.
Today, it would be a playground for my kids. Later on, I'd like to replace my wedding band that I lost. :( Will $500 even buy one of those anymore?

6. What is something that you are embarrassed to admit you buy on a regular basis?
Ummm.....I'm too embarrassed to admit it.

7. What’s in/on your bed every night?
During the night...me, hubbie, my 2 pillows, his 2 pillows, and a quilt. In the winter, we'll also add my electric blanket to that!! No kiddos in our bed thank goodness. You might find them in the floor though!

8. What is a non-necessity item that, no matter how expensive it gets or how tight your budget if, you will always find room for it?
I honestly don't think I have one. I recently quit buying canned Dr Peppers which would definitely be a non-necessity that I thought I couldn't live without. Other than those, everything else is subject to cuts in this house. :) I'm sure a few will come to mind though, after I've written this!

9. What is the wierdest sandwich you’ve ever made?
I don't really make wierd sandwiches. I'm not a very picky eater though, so I'll try most anything. Especially with mayonnaise and bread. If I'm having chips with my sandwich, they'll usually end up on my sandwich though - makes a nice crunchy surprise! :)

10. Would you rather: Be banned from Pinterest forever, but gain a million captive Twitter followers; or, never get on Facebook again but gain five thousand blog readers?
Since I quit Facebook cold turkey last week, I'm going with never get on FB and gain 5000 blog readers. Pinterest is awesome but I haven't gotten totally addicted yet, and Twitter just doesn't interest me.

Bored yet??? :)

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin carving is just a daddy kind of job. At least in our house it is. Last year when I was preggo, Michael pulled the whole thing off with no help from mom. Not even a single picture. :( He asked if I wanted to take a picture. I declined. Hmmm.....

We barely got our carving in this year. I think we did it the Thursday before Halloween. Halloween was on a Monday. The kids didn't care. They didn't care about lighting them every night....they just wanted to carve them and they were done.

We're past getting all crazy over the yuckiness of the pumpkins. They are pretty okay with sticking their hands in and getting the job done.

Jake studying the designs. After much consideration, he decided to go with a Wolverine "W" instead of the usual Halloween ideas.

He was very meticulous this year in his cleaning. He worked a loooong time getting it just right.

Somebody wants to help!

We tried to make him play in the GUTS...

but it only took one finger for him to decide "No Thanks!"

Our finished jack-o-lanterns!

Happy 10 Months Tanner!

2011-11-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

Time is flying right by and my sweet baby is 10 months.

It's so hard to believe we are this close to a whole year with him.

This month he:

Weighs 18 lbs 5 ounces - after a long 3 months without weight gain, he is steadily making up for it. He is around the 25th percentile for weight (not sure on height) but for his height/weight combined he is up to the 50th!
Still fits perfectly in 9 month clothing, although I can tell it won't be long before he needs 12 month.
Has the appetite of a 3 year old! He will eat anything you give him. He still nurses about 4-5 times a day, has a oatmeal for breakfast, fruit for lunch, and whatever we are eating for dinner. Add in a healthy dose of crackers as snacks throughout the day.
Sleeps from about 8 pm until 6 am. Poor thing just won't go any longer. Sometimes he still cries during the night, but I don't nurse him then. We let him fuss it out and he eventually goes back to sleep.
Has perfected pulling up and maneuvering around the room by holding onto furniture. He will stand alone occasionally, but only for a second or two until he realizes he is doing it.
Is into EVERYTHING! He crawls around all day looking for things to check out. Daily, he unrolls the toilet tissue, he empties the diaper cabinet, he checks out the pots and pans, he clears off the coffee table, he examines each outlet, and he gets really, really excited if EK's door is left open. She has LOTS of tiny goodies in there! But his favorite goodie in her room is the nightlight. He will pull the cover off and grip the bulb so tight. He acts like it's not even hot!
Is such a happy baby these days. We really enjoy him now. He laughs and dances all the time. He claps a lot and is now starting to wave. He says "da da" a lot (although he hasn't realized who that is yet) and he will say "hi" or "hey dere" a good bit.
Has a good bit of separation anxiety (still pretty attached to momma), but he is doing better. He doesn't cry quite as much in the nursery these days. He likes strangers, but only if someone he knows is around.
Has hair that is really starting to grow, and he is in need of a trim for his mohawk, his mullet, and above his ears!!
Still doesn't cry at the doctor, even when getting a shot. He watches curiously. He will cry if someone makes him mad by holding his head or arms down.
When he doesn't like something you are doing, or when you offer him something he does not want, he will swat your hand. It is hilarious!! (for now anyway) He obviously has a mind of his own and doesn't like to be told no!
Had his first Halloween and was an adorable monkey.

He is such a blessing to us and I can't imagine our lives without him!!

Blessed 3 Times....

2011-11-14T08:57:00.001-05:00

And I still find it hard to believe sometimes.

This Boy Can EAT!

2011-11-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

If you know EK at all, you know she could easily win World's Pickiest Eater. All the mom-bloggers that post about how picky their child is....be encouraged that your child is in much better shape than mine!! No joke.

I know that while some of it is definitely learned, I feel that the majority of pickiness is just something children are born with. I firmly believe that.

For 5 years, we had 2 children. Foodwise, we did everything exactly the same with them. One of them would eat anything you put in front of him, while the other ate nothing you put in front of her. This was apparent very early on. People have asked me many times if Ella Kate ate baby food well. Truthfully, I don't remember. I don't know if her pickiness began with table food, or if it was just always the case. That is the price you pay for having 2 so close together! :)

Still, I was determined when Tanner began eating food, that I would do everything in my power to help him eat better. I wasn't sure how much it would help, but I was going to try.

At about 5 months, we tried rice cereal with Tanner. He hated it. We kept at it, but it was always a battle. I was fearing the worst. At 6 months, we started baby food. He didn't love it, but we could get some of it in him. He loved bananas the most, and after a month or two, he was pretty willing to eat any fruits. He would eat vegetables when mixed with fruits and rice cereal when it was prepackaged with other fruits. He still would not eat it mixed at home with water and he gagged on any canned meats...who wouldn't?!

HOWEVER....he started very quickly trying to eat off of our plates. Somewhere during his 7th month, we started letting him gum things. (He only has 2 teeth on bottom.) He LOVED table food!! I think the first time we realized that he really preferred it, was when we were at Firehouse Subs. Ella Kate never eats her sub :) so we started giving him bits of the bread. Yum. Then we gave him a taste of the cheese. Success. Then we ventured to the turkey. He ate every bit of the turkey on a kids sub! With two teeth no less.

He is now almost 10 months old and eats everything we eat. His recent dinner menus have included spaghetti, roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, tacos, mushrooms, pickles....the list goes on.

We pray he continues being so accepting of food (I realize toddlers go through picky stages and sometimes refuse foods permanently) but we will enjoy this while it lasts!

I don't feel like Tanner's eating habits are a result of anything we did. I feel like he was just born a good eater (for now at least!). I think you could offer those same foods to some babies and they would come out as soon as they went in.

I think it is the luck of the draw and we hit 2 out of 3.....I'll take it!

Time for a Trim....Again

2011-11-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

I think somebody is due a trim! And don't get all upset because he hasn't turned one, he's still a baby, babies are supposed to look like that, etc, etc....he's already had one major haircut.
Who made that rule anyway? I have yet to find someone who can tell me WHY that is the rule.

I wouldn't want to walk around with the hairdo T came into this world with so why should he have to? It was a dark brown mohawk. Nice...in contrast to the white fuzz that covered the rest of his head! :)

It was cute for all of 30 seconds when we first saw him. After that, not-so-much. If it was curls, though, it would be an entirely different story. Now it's just an out-of-control fuzzy white mohawk!

11.11.11

2011-11-12T13:14:00.001-05:00

What did we do on such an unusual day? Some not so unusual things....unlike my friend Jo Ellen who had a BABY!! :) How cool is THAT birthday?!

Ella Kate had her Student Council pinning ceremony this morning. They actually receive a pin for their lanyards. They started the neatest thing this year where every student received a lanyard - a very NICE one! For every accomplishment, they receive a pin for it. The idea is for it to follow them throughout their years at Reidville while they collect awards, and then take it with them when they complete 4th grade. I think it's a great idea!

Mrs. Fultz's Class Reps - EK and Cole Morgan

Guest speaker - Bobby Bentley

Reach for the stars!

EK receiving her pin from Mrs. Evans

1st grade Student Council

All my girl cared about was the doughnuts! But no sprinkles please!

Was his daddy really feeding him a doughnut?!? He sure doesn't look happy about it! :)

Jake and Michael went to the first game of playoffs for Woodruff. They won against Newberry and move on to the second round next week!

KK came over and watched One Magic Christmas with me, EK, and T and then we were all out for the count! We recently pulled out this toy that T's Nana Jane gave him at my shower. I tried exchanging it for green but had no luck. :) It still sings and spells R-e-e-c-e too. :) It's too neat of a toy to waste!

Anyhow, when you press its bedtime paw, it plays bedtime music for 2 minutes and then automatically shuts off. How neat! T obviously enjoyed it last night when we tried it!

Flowers or Facebook?

2011-11-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

I recently abandoned the Facebook hole. Not because I think anything is inherently wrong with it, but more because it was causing me to neglect things that were more important.
Like my kids. Or my husband. Or my quiet time. The list could go on for a while.

I have to say that I have not missed it one bit.

I think I was feeling so convicted about the issue, that it was a relief when I gave it up.

I'm not saying I'll never have a Facebook again...I just might. BUT, it will be of much less importance in my daily life.

So, on Sunday, with nothing much to do inside, I ventured outside and *gasp* planted some flowers! These flowers had been calling my name for about a month now - the amount of time they had been sitting on my front walk in their containers.

The frost last week did a number on my beautiful red impatience so they got the boot, in favor of some Woodruff Wolverine themed mums and pansies. :)

As I planted flowers in the sun (that we won't be able to enjoy for much longer), I was thankful that I was not indoors. I would have missed the constant laughter of these little people.....

And I would never have been able to see Soul Surfer played out in real life! Oh the drama!

Reidville ROCKET ROLL!

2011-11-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, the kids had their FIRST school dance last week!! We are startin' 'em young!
It wasn't the kind of dance you "ask" someone to....it was more of a fun afterschool activity for the kids. Still funny though!

Jake came home immediately and asked to go. He never shies away from an activity. Ella Kate wanted to go as well, but is never as outspoken about things. Turns out, Jake was more of the sit and watch type, while Ella Kate was in the middle of the dancing action most of the time. Jake ventured out after a short time - I think he was hanging by the snack table at first. :)

Since I'm on PTO, I was able to chaperone the dance and it was WELL worth it! LOUD is not the only word I'd use to describe it....very entertaining is appropriate as well! :)

The kids received a ticket at the door that got them a popcorn and tea. The majority of this ended up on the floor, including the tea. Mrs Amy's husband was a good sport and spent most of the dance mopping!

I hate I didn't get more pictures but I forgot my camera (Michael to the rescue!) and when I finally had it, it was so full of pictures that it was veeeery sloooow. At least I got a few good ones....

the Macarena

Jake & Austin practicing their secret handshake

Ms Chumley & Coach Emerson lead the way!

the Twist

dancing with Mrs Wykel!

I think this might be breakdancing?!

the Conga Line!

Jake in the line....

Ella Kate in the line....

Dr Deering in the line!

T's First Halloween

2011-10-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

Gettin Some Action

2011-10-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

We are finally starting to see some crawling action around here!

T has been planted firmly on his buns since he was about 5 months. I wasn't entirely surprised....Jake pretty much just stood up and walked, never once crawling. And he walked very early - 9 months! I'm hoping T doesn't walk quite that soon.

T is doing his own version of crawling, and it's pretty entertaining. He tries to get up on his feet and ends up with his rear end in the air. Then he drops down to one knee, realizing that isn't gonna get him anywhere. Then he's left hobbling around on that one knee, dragging his other foot.

And the new favorite play place!

This little boy is on the move!

Wofford/App State 2011

2011-10-14T22:47:00.000-04:00

We had the privilege of going to the Wofford/Appalachian State game this year with some good friends. We had never been to a game at Wofford and we really enjoyed it! This stadium is sooooo much more family friendly than the larger ones. We loved that part!! We get so frustrated when we take the kids to a Clemson, USC, etc game where all they hear is profanity and all they see are people getting drunk. I wasn't prepared for the crazy sliding on the hill but it turned out to be lots of fun and great entertainment for the kids! Next time we'll know to wear our "play" clothes though! :)

I'm sorry Mr Brad. I have no idea where he got that sticker!!

Clemson/FSU 2011

2011-10-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

What would college football season be without the Clemson/FSU game?! I think this might have been our 6th season going. Wow!

This is 2008 - our kids' first time going to the game in Florida. Michael and I went 2 years before that to Florida. Jake wore his Clemson jersey but took his FSU one in case they were winning. :) He would switch throughout the game according to who was ahead. TOO funny!!

EK during the game :) Some things don't change!

This year Jake stuck with his Tigers and, good for him, they did win. Michael wasn't too happy but his Seminoles won last year so he can't complain too much! I cannot believe we ended up taking Tanner....8 months is waaay to young to be at a hot football game!

We ended up with 2 free tickets and figured I could always leave with T if needed. I didn't leave but we did spend most of the first half in the air conditioned first aid room ("eating") or just hanging out with Mimi under the deck. The second half T was able to sit up top since the sun had gone down for the most part.

So, in his 8 months of life and 9 months in utero, he has been to 2 Clemson/FSU games thus far. He is one seasoned fan! I do have to say that going preggo was much easier than with an infant!

First time having Dippin Dots!

They got a lot of confused looks!

Notice Michael's happy face :)

Notice Tanner's happy face :)

And, finally, notice Jake's happy face :) This is what happens when mom requests a picture! Even when the whole family has walked a country mile so he can see this ROCK!

Great game but final score, Clemson 35 FSU 30.

Visit with Grandma

2011-10-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

Mom, Dad, the kids and I went to visit Grandma in Rock Hill last Sunday. She has been staying there with Uncle Brad & Pam for quite some time now. We don't visit nearly as often as we should (we being me and the kids) and we were way overdue! I feel worse because babies change so much in their first year that I know T is a different child each time we go!

Pam gave me the BEST pickled green tomatoes while we were there! I have not tried many canned, pickled foods so I wasn't sure what to expect. They were soooo good!!

I tried really hard to get a picture of Grandma with the kids. I don't know that I have one since T was born. I should have known better. :( I figured T wouldn't sit in her lap without fussing and making a nasty face for the camera. Wrong. He sat perfectly happy and right as I was about to snap one....my big kids that KNOW better decided to duke it out. Sheesh.

So...this is what I got. Nice. And I'm sparing you the ones where I forced EK to be in the pic. Those are extra nice. :)

Poor Jake...I was trying to take one of Grandma and T and I didn't even notice he was still posing. :) It would have been a good one too!

Maybe next time...

Our Buddy is Crawling!

2011-10-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

Tanner surprised us all and decided to crawl last week! We assumed he would follow in his brother's footsteps and skip this important milestone. Not so!
He started out with one leg up like he was trying to stand and would drag the other behind him. Then he figured out that it was much easier to just use both knees and GO!

I have appreciated being able to put him in one spot and leave him but that time is definitely over!

This boy is on the move!

Now that he can move, this is his favorite play place....the diaper cabinet!

The doors are lots of fun!

Football Banquet

2011-10-14T21:29:00.000-04:00

We have LOVED Jake's football experience this year! LOVED it.
I knew from the first phone call I received from his coach that it would be a good season. His message said, "This is So-and-So and I have CHOSEN Jake for my team." Just the words he chose made a difference in my eyes. He wanted each of his players!

This comes off of a not-so-great baseball season where the coach admitted to "clashing" with Jake as he presented him with his trophy at the end of season party. What a note to go out on.

His coaches were super nice and did a great job. Jake enjoyed his teammates and there was a great group of parents. His coach even commented that this team had the most family there to support them of any he had coached.

Jake had a great season. The highlight was winning Byrnes' Punt Pass Run, of course, but he also scored several touchdowns. He threw a few touchdown passes as well. My favorite was a catch during the last game when he had to dive for the ball and landed face down with the ball in hand!

He was able to play his favorite position for the majority of the season - running back. He tried quarterback out, which was fun, but his true love is catching and running the ball. :) The last game and a handful of times he played defense but he's not much on that. He needs a little more action!

All in all, super season and it was a ton of fun!

Wow...crazy eyes!

Trophy time!

Coach Glenn

Jake & Brooks

One last huddle :)

Coach James

This is why I love this team :)

Fall Festival @ AMRBC

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Fall Festival 2011 was tons of fun as usual. This was Tanner's first time and he seemed to enjoy the parts he didn't sleep through. :) It did occur to me while we were there that we missed it last year because this exact week, we were enjoying DISNEY WORLD!!! Might have been a little better but not much. :)

Bojangles was a HIT! Free fries, sweet tea, and free biscuits if you could win at cornhole! Unless you're a kid :( Jake hit it twice but got a toy instead. :)

This might have been the most entertaining booth for the men. If you can't tell, there is a flat screen tv in the bed of the truck and they are all watching the South Carolina game. :)

The upside of having a stroller to push.

YAY T!!! Brycen taught T to clap last night during the football game. So cute! He will also throw his hands up after clapping if you say "TOUCHDOWN"! :)

Making Momma Proud

2011-10-08T16:07:00.000-04:00

Most celebrations these days are over little things. And most of those little things are done by T. The older kids are okay with that...in fact, they are possibly more excited about them than we are. It adds a whole separate dimension to having a newborn when you can watch your older children experience it for the first time. It is priceless.
That said....my "big" kids both had their moments on Friday. I could not have been more tickled for either of them.

Ella Kate was honored at her school as a Terrific Kid. Terrific Kids are chosen each nine weeks, one per classroom, for basically being an outstanding student in all areas. It is a real honor to be chosen.

We received a letter a couple of weeks ago that she was chosen but were asked not to tell her. That morning, I was waiting in the library when the kids were called down. Her teacher chose to send her on an "errand" to the library instead of telling her where she was really going. When she arrived and found out, her face LIT up! She immediately caught my eye and gave me an "I can't believe you KNEW this and SHOWED up here and didn't TELL me!!" look. Loved it. :)

The principal did their little ceremony and my girl grinned the entire time. We are so very proud of her!

This would be "the look"!

All the Terrific Kids!

Give yourself a hug!

About a month ago, Jake entered a competition in our school district where he went one night and threw a pass, punted, and ran. They chose the top 2 scorers from each division (his is 1st/2nd grade) to compete at halftime at the high school game on Little League night.

We found out a couple of weeks later that Jake won! He would compete against his friend Brooks at the game. Jake was super, super excited and his mom and dad might have been too. :)

Friday night was his night and he was nervous but couldn't wait! It tickles me how passionate he is about what he does. He was insistent that he not wear pants....he said he doesn't kick well in them. :) We compromised and he wore some workout pants over his football shorts until almost halftime, and then he took them off. I laughed to myself when I looked down at the field and he was warming up!

He was able to stand on the sidelines until halftime, and he loved every minute.

At halftime, he outpunted and outthrew his competition to win the trophy! His buddy outran him but Jake has never been a fast runner. :) We knew he needed to throw and punt better to win.

His face was glowing as he walked back to the stands to show off his prize!

Ella Kate & Georgia waiting for the game to start

Jake & Brooks enjoying the pre-game warmups

This was too funny and I'm so glad I got a picture! When the players were done warming up, they would file by and let the little leaguers give them five. Wellll, for each player that went by, Jake jumped up and slapped them on the helmet. Most of them took it well. :) Check out the look his coach is giving him in this pic!! :) That's just Jake for ya!

This is Brooks' dad, a Byrnes coach and district Athletic Director. Jake was excited to shake his hand!

The Little Leaguers ran out behind the team. Jake is the blur right in the center of the picture. :)

Halftime warm ups begin! Momma is beyond nervous!

Let's get started!

Waiting on that trophy!

So proud!

His teacher came down to congratulate him!

Michael and I could not be prouder of our kiddos. Their accomplishments today were due to their own hard work and nothing makes us happier!

Weight Gain

2011-09-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

For a few months now, I have suspected that T hasn't been gaining weight as he should. His "feel" and look didn't seem to be changing over time. His legs even seemed to be skinny, and I have never had a baby with skinny legs!

We recently switched doctors to a pediatrician who I really like and, she too, was concerned with his lack of weight gain. He actually weighs less today, the last day of September, than he did mid July. Hmmm....

After monitoring his weight for about a month, we went in this week for bloodwork, urine samples, and she suggested a visit to the pediatric gastro. He is taking Prevacid for reflux/vomiting that I guess could be contributing to his weight problems.

To further complicate things, he is a breast baby all. the. way. Oh my. I would love, love, love to supplement with formula, as I suspect at 8 months, I am no longer able to provide him with the nutrition he needs, either volume-wise or calorically. He is adamantly opposed to a bottle.

I am about to undo all the money I have saved in 8 months of breastfeeding by having to purchase one of every variety of bottle, every nipple, every formula, etc that they make. We are about to try Gerber Good Start (liquid) just because I found a can on clearance today at Walmart. I picked up a Soy as well as a Gentle. Just occured to me that if it was on clearance, I'd better check the expiration!! :)

I think at this point, his main aversion is to the bottle itself. I'm not sure that he is so opposed to the formula as the vehicle the formula is in! I may try some juice in a bottle to try to win him over to the bottle. Then I could make a switch to formula at some point.

Most people make the switch to bottle by mixing breastmilk with formula and gradually increasing formula and decreasing breastmilk. Not really an option since I'm already not cutting it milk-wise and once it's pumped out, he's going to go without a meal. :(

All that said, I'm not sure there is an "answer," just a lot of trial and error and some coercion. All this eating drama does make for a lot of momma stress for sure. It is hard to know your baby is hungry but won't eat. It also scares me for the stubbornness we are in for as he gets older!!! Ha!

He seems to be progressing fine otherwise. He is pulling up and itching to take some steps. Although he doesn't crawl (neither did Jake), he has his ways of getting where he wants to go. It's almost a hunched over walking move. I don't think he realizes that crawling would be much easier. Or maybe he does and that's just another stubborn T move. :)

Saturday Help

2011-09-12T11:43:00.002-04:00

I had some serious cleaning help this Saturday! This boy is a cleaning machine...when he wants to be. :)

Michael had to work today. Not fun. He has to work everySaturday until the end of the year I believe.

The kiddos and I got up and started the daunting task ofcleaning the house. Jake is acleaner. He did get that from his mommaand I’m so thankful at least one out of three did. Guess we’ll have to see about T. Jake was done with his jobs veryquickly. He even helped me out withsome things that I needed done.

Ella Kate, not so much. She is what I call a “shover”. When you tell her to clean up, she simply “shoves” everything into theclosest available hole. She can neverfind anything. Her room is a disaster 9times out of 10. I’m at a loss for whatto do to help her.

The kids cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed their rooms and thenJake headed outside to play. There wasa yard full of kids most of the day. Unfortunately for EK, they were all boys. She really gets the short endof the neighbor kid stick.

I made a Walmart trip. Yes, again. But it was alone andit was glorious. :)

There was a lot of football going – on tv and in theyard.

I took Tanner for a visit to my parents’ house and then cameback to catch the end of the amazing South Carolina/Georgia game. Wow!! Looks like it’s gonna be a good season for the Gamecocks!!

The weather lately has been amazing! Fall is a glorious season, but a very shortseason here it seems. You can’t blinkor it’s gone from blazing hot to freezing cold!! I bought my first fall air freshener today and it totally put mein the fall mood!! I’ll enjoy it whileit lasts!

Wheat

2011-09-11T12:22:00.002-04:00

I always was afraid that our third child would bring a food allergy. We had it way too easy with our first two and no food allergies. I'm hoping that Friday's experience does not prove me right.

As I've mentioned, we don't feed Tanner much by way of table food. He gets his baby food and occasionally lately, we have let him try some things. I have been giving him biter biscuits lately and have seemed to take a picture every time he was eating one. He LOVED them! Those pictures came in handy Friday.

As we were in Hobby Lobby shopping, he was gobbling them up, and I noticed that his entire head was covered in hives. I snapped a few pictures and sent them to my mom but I already had my suspicions.

I had to make a doctor's appointment for EK anyway, so I went ahead and asked for one for Tanner as well. When they asked why, I told them I suspected a food allergy. They wanted to see him that afternoon.

As I explained to the doctor what happened, I showed her the pics from each time he ate them - including the first time. She pointed out that each time, he had hives around his eyes. I assumed they were red from crying. :) Very observant mom.

This last time, however, it had grown significantly. Unfortunately, the biscuits' main ingredient is wheat. Yay. We will be allergy tested in a couple of weeks to be sure of the cause. On the bright side, he may outgrow it. On the down side....well, that one is obvious.

The hives haven't started in this one...I snapped this as soon as I handed it to him.

Grits for Grands Take Two

2011-09-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

Friday morning RES had their second special Grandparent Breakfast. On Friday, my parents, Mimi & Pop, and my grandparents, Granny & Big Papa (not cause he's big, he's actually very skinny :) but because his son is also "Papa" and the kids just have a lot of papas...makes it easier!), came to eat with the kids. Big Papa is the one who shares a birthday with Tanner and myself. :)

I love that they are so excited to be a part of the kids lives. The kids will always remember moments like these.

Friday night Michael and Jake went to Homecoming at Woodruff with some friends, while Ella Kate hung out with Mimi, and Tanner and I met friends in Greenville to celebrate a special friend's BIG 3-0! Happy Birthday Summer!! :) We had a delicious dinner at Smoke on the Water and enjoyed a trolley ride afterwards.

Grits for Grands Take One

2011-09-08T21:53:00.000-04:00

Grits for Grands at Reidville Elementary today! Michael's dad and step mom joined the kids for breakfast this morning. We love that they enjoy coming for this event - I love their faces in this picture! Ella Kate was very excited to tell us that a friend in her class's grandpa came to eat with her and "he's friends with MY papa!!" :) Her friend's grandpa is my FIL's pastor. I think I see a papa/granddaughter double date in the future! :)

I met some PTO girls at school to work on the bulletin board. Afterwards we hung out at home until bus time. After school we spent some time studying for tests. Jake has all his tests on Friday (3 of them) and EK has a spelling test. Jake has been doing so well with homework lately. Last year he gave us a good bit of grief not wanting to do it. This year he is willing and able and I'm so proud of him for it.

Tanner doesn't eat much - we've been real careful about what we feed him - but we let him try Biter Biscuits this week. Funny stuff. :) He loves them and they keep him entertained for at least 20 minutes a stick!!

Sleep Update: T showed out last night. He cried very briefly one time last night and then stayed asleep until 5 am!! Woohoo!!!! It is hard to resist continually checking on him when he does that to make sure he is okay. When they continually sleep for long periods, it's much easier to trust that it is what they are supposed to be doing and they are perfectly fine. When they only do it once every few weeks....it's ODD! :) Here's to hoping for 2 in a row!! :) 7 am Grits for Grands is coming early!

It Feels Like Fall

2011-09-07T21:50:00.000-04:00

When you start your day with a cool, crisp breeze, wearing blue jeans, and planning fall festival.....it just feels like fall!!

The weather has been amazing this week! Such a nice break from the really warm temps we have been used to. Reminds me that I'd better buy the kids some warmer clothes before the morning comes that I'm desperately searching for aaaaanything that fits because it is COLD outside!! They both outgrew almost every piece of clothing from last winter and have naked closets to prove it!

PTO meeting bright and early today. 7:45 early :) Tanner attended and was on his best behavior thank goodness!! We mainly planned fall festival but there is so much going on right now.

Grocery shopping day....late this week because of vacation.

Lazy afternoon at home. Jake was able to play outside practically all afternoon with the neighbor and was in his element. I'll be so sad to see daylight savings time go. It makes for such long, dark, cold evenings.

Michael was called back into work tonight. That very rarely happens. Not fun when it does...

Praying for a better night. T only made it until 1:00 last night before he was back up. I've gotten to where I'm hearing him cry and then falling back asleep without knowing he calmed down. It makes me feel terrible but it is exhausting hearing him cry alllll night long!! I keep telling myself that he cannot go without sleep forever. Surely by the time he's a teenager he'll enjoy sleep!! :)

Football and Tumbling

2011-09-06T22:15:00.000-04:00

This was "recover from long weekend vacation" day for the Waddells. The kiddos did okay getting to school and Tanner and I were up and out to run some errands and to meet Michael for lunch.

This school year our hobbies of choice are football (leading to basketball and then baseball) and tumbling!

Ella Kate and I decided she should take a year off from dance to try out tumbling. She has been interested in trying it for months now, but taking multiple classes just isn't for our family yet. We're gonna stick to one thing at a time for at least another year. I'm not sure the sacrifice for living in your car, stressing out over where you have to be next, and the financial burden are worth it at this young age. We'll have plenty of time for all that mess very soon!

Today was the first day of tumbling as well as the first football game of the season!

Ella Kate loved her second tumbling class (she did try one a few weeks back). She is already learning new things and almost won the pyramid building game today with her partner! For the amount of time she spends practicing in our living room, she should be Olympic ready in the cartwheel/handstand competition next year!

Check out my little Rebel! So happy he got the pretty blue shirt this year!! :) Cause that is the most important thing....right?!

This would be my sweet boy finally getting to quarterback! He itched all season last year to get his hands on that ball! :) His coach switched the kids up a lot this game and he was rotated around to about every position. His favorite though is "running the ball!!!" :) Behind him is his head coach. I loved him from the first practice. He, along with his assistant coach, truly love the sport and work with every kid on the team. He told the team at the first practice that they would be praying as a team this season, and if they didn't know how, he'd teach them!! On a funny side note, Michael played in high school against his asst coach. He remembered his face as soon as he saw him because he said Coach Varner posted the opposing team's pics when they were preparing for the game!

This boy adores football. Adores it. He has since he was able to hold a ball. I only hope as he gets older that he is able to play as much as he'd like.

He played very well today at his game, but came away feeling frustrated with himself. He wants perfection at his favorite game. It's hard to watch him come down on himself so hard. I know it will make him a better player though.

I have to be up bright and early in the morning for a PTO meeting so my bed is calling my name!! Praying that T holds off until 4. That is success in our book!

Enough Already!

2011-07-14T21:54:00.000-04:00

T is actually drinking from this cup! Yay!! Momma sees some relief in sight!

A Week in the Life: Thursday

2011-07-14T21:36:00.001-04:00

Thursday
Today walking didn't happen. I was up until 1:00 working, and then up periodically during the nigh with Jake coughing. He was having bad coughing spells, almost to the point of vomiting, and it kept waking both of us up. I honestly don't remember what time I fed T. I believe it was right around 4. I went back to bed and when my alarm went off at 5:15, I was dead.

I slept until T woke up again at 7 to eat and he actually went back to sleep after that. Me, T, and EK got up around 8:30 and Jake didn't roll out of bed about 10. We had breakfast and got ready for T's pictures at 11:00. My friend and favorite photographer came over and took some great pics of all 3 of them and then T alone. We even got one of T and Luke. :)

After pics we all had some lunch. T had a jar of squash and he nursed, I had a manwich, Jake had a corndog and watermelon, and EK had goldfish. Yea, I know. T napped for a little bit and then we headed to his 6 month check up. He was fortunate enough to get 3 shots today. When he gets shots, the nurse says the oddest thing. She always tells me I need to get between her and him so that he can't see her and associate her with pain. She says he will forgive me but not her. Do what??? That is completely backwards to me. Who cares if he doesn't forgive her? She actually scolded me for not blocking her from his view today and said I would have to when he got older. I'm wondering who is paying who here....

After shots, we went to Brusters and had ice cream on Jake :) to celebrate T's big day. What sweet boys I have. :) I got yogurt - I wasn't really in the mood for ice cream and figured I'd try it. It tasted pretty much the same to me - maybe even better because it wasn't as sweet!

No ice cream for ME?

Then we headed to do the dreaded deed. We took Jake to Toys R Us to spend his birthday money. Wow. I think I'd rather hang by my toenails than do that. And I very stupidly took EK with us, knowing she had no money and couldn't buy anything. Jake went with us to spend her birthday money and actually did well. She wasn't so forgiving.

After an hour of mind-changing, he decided to buy a new Nintendo DS. He lost his a few months back and I told him I would not be buying another one but he was welcome to spend his money on one. We wanted to buy it at Game Stop so we left and picked up Michael's truck at the doctor's office. We were all very tired and hungry and none of us do well on an empty stomach. We took the truck by the house and then stopped at Stevie B's for pizza before we went to Game Stop. I was quickly reminded why eating out has lost it's appeal.

We got the DS, exchanged the jet ski he got for a new one (the other one broke rather quickly) and headed for the hills. By the time we got home, T was wailing and every time you touched his little legs he screamed. We gave him some ibuprofen, he ate a jar of yummy peas, he got a bath, and I fed him. He finally calmed down and went to sleep.

At this moment, Michael is rocking EK in the rocking chair and eating up the attention. :) Jake is playing with his long lost love....his DS. And I am feeling quite happy that this post is completed before midnight.

A Week in the Life: Wednesday

2011-07-14T00:56:00.002-04:00

Wednesday
Today I was lazy. I was exhausted from partying late last night. I did not make it to walk. I guess we all need one day off a week. It worked out fine because mom wasn't feeling it either.

I fed T around 4:30 and went back to bed. Well, he went to bed with us. I very, very rarely put him in our bed. Every now and then, for whatever reason, I just really want to have him right with me. Michael doesn't mind when it's that rarely. Baby Jake, he was a different story. We couldn't get him OUT of our bed! We didn't make that mistake again!! :)

He woke up again around 7:30 to eat and we both dozed for a while after that. Jake came into my room and he laid down again and we all dozed. :) Around 8:30, T had had enough and was ready to play. By then, EK wandered in the room and curled up at our feet.

Jake was eager to try out his new toy, so we ate and packed up and left for Nana's to swim. Nana wasn't home, so our trip was short-lived. It's just too hot for T out there and the poor boy can't sleep worth a lick in the heat. If I take him for a dip in the pool and then lay him in front a high-powered fan, sometimes he'll sleep. Otherwise, he is so fidgety!! The kids were grumpy and arguing constantly so after feeding T, we left for some lunch and a break. I thought we might try it again this afternoon, but that didn't work out.

Once we were home, T went straight down for a nap and stayed that way for 3 HOURS!! Yes, you read that right! The boy who never sleeps performed a miracle today! :) I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I checked on him no less than 10 times during said nap. Michael was even nervous when I said that he had been out for 3 hours! He has honestly never slept so long.

It was a wonderful break for me. I had so much consignment stuff to work on and I actually got it done. A nap like that every day would be heavenly!! But like my friend said, if I'd dare laid down on the couch to rest, he would have snapped up like a turtle!! :) She didn't say the turtle part...I added that lovely illustration. :)

While T slept, the kids and I cut a watermelon Michael had picked up for Jake. He had been begging for one for days. EK even tried some and liked it! We took some to the neighbors because it was waaay more than Jake would eat. I'm not much of a watermelon person. I'll eat it, but when there is another choice, I'm gonna go with the other choice. Jake really wanted to sell watermelon like you would sell lemonade, and though I thought it would be good to sell, it's not like there is traffic on our road. I hated to rain on his parade but this just isn't the neighborhood for that.

T was starving when he got up so I finished up my work and fed him. I took a shower (not sure why I did not do that during my 3 hour break except that he naps in our room so EK can play in their room, and I wasn't chancing waking him up!).

The kids had choir tonight, Michael had a VBS meeting, and I was keeping the nursery during said meeting. Michael and I had good ole' sloppy joes before the meeting (made by Michael) and I packed EK a bag to take with her. I wasn't sure what they were having and didn't want to take any chances.
T enjoyed a dinner of peas and carrots (still not big on carrots) before we left. He ate a jar and a half!
At church, I developed a pounding headache (that I am positive had nothing to do with the 17 2-4 year olds in one small room) so before the kids got out and after I fed T, Michael, T and I escaped to Sam's for a few minutes. I feel like I've been to Sam's quite a bit lately. Hmmm.....

I have to say that I really enjoy getting out and about with just Michael and T. It's so nice to spend some one on one time with him. And it's so EASY too! One kid.....piece of cake!

Back to reality, and we picked the kiddos up from choir. Jake made a precious choice tonight....he has ice cream gift cards he received on his birthday yesterday. He wanted so badly to use them, but decided to wait and use them tomorrow to celebrate T's Half Birthday. Mercy, he loves that child.

Can't wait for tomorrow to celebrate T's special day. I'm not feeling sad about it .... YET.... but excited for my little man to be changing and doing so much! He is already sitting up. Wow.....

Back on the subject :) we came home, and I folded laundry in our room while Michael gave the older kids baths. We watched a re-run of the 2010 Chick Fil A Bowl in our room afterwards with the kids and it brought back sweet but strange memories of hanging out with friends while Michael went to that bowl game last year. I was 38 weeks pregnant and just praying I wouldn't go into labor while he was 3 hours away in Atlanta. We spent the night making a precious birth hat for "Reece" with a special bow on it. We were all ready to welcome baby girl. Read that last line of that blog entry.....little did I know... :) It is surreal now to imagine.

Laundry folded, kids bathed, T fed for the last time, we put all the kiddos to bed and for over 3 hours I have worked on consignment stuff. Seriously past bedtime.....

A Week in the Life: Tuesday

2011-07-14T00:26:00.001-04:00

Tuesday
It's here! The day my baby turns 8! 8! How CAN that be?!

Every year it seems they just can't possibly get any older. And every year they do.

8 just seems so ..... old. It goes so quickly.

Okay, enough with the sap, on to my day.

I woke up around 3:30 and knew I'd regret it that night. I watched some tv and fed T around 4:30. I dozed a little, had some cereal and met my mom around 6 to walk.

When I got home, I first fed T, and then I hurried to wrap Jake's gift before they got up. No worries....they were sleeping in. :) EK got up first and right off remembered it was Jake's birthday. She tried to wake him up and tell him, but he wasn't having it. He is like his momma. Nothing trumps sleep.

The kids finally got up around 9:30. EK had some yogurt and Jake some sausage that daddy cooked before he left for work. Daddy to the rescue!! I fed T again and then it was almost lunchtime.

We waited til Daddy got home for Jake to open his gift. He was DY-ing! It was a remote control jet-ski that he had been asking for for months. He was excited (This in itself is huge for Jake! He is very hard to buy for!).

Birthday boy got to choose where we would eat (we did lunch instead of dinner since his party was at 6 and we didn't want to be rushed). He picked Zaxby's much to his daddy's delight. We went for an early lunch around 11:30 and Jake picked a Big Zax Snack for his meal. I usually don't let him get that - he gets a kids meal - because more often than not, he doesn't eat it all. Since it was his special day, Big Zax Snack it was! Neither of them were too hungry since they got up so late and had breakfast late. They both took their leftovers home and had them for a late afternoon snack.

After lunch, daddy went back to work while we ran some party errands. We returned some library books, went to Walmart for some last minute things and to get T some more baby food, and we went by Sam's to pick up Jake's cake. He chose a Clemson cake but because Sam's can't do a paw, it was a purple/orange cake. It worked for him.

We made it home in time to feed T again and it wasn't long before the party. I gathered all our things while T napped. I fed T one more time, and we headed to Southern Sisters for ice cream, cake and gifts, and then to the ball fields for a game of kickball. (I'll post more on the party later.)

After the party, Mimi, Bobby, & KK came over for a bit and Bobby helped Jake put together some birthday toys. We went outside and shot some fireworks with the neighbors in celebration of J's day. :) After Mimi, Bob, & KK left, we piled up on our bed and played for a bit before T had had enough and headed for bed. The older kiddos stayed up a bit longer and finally made it to bed around 10:30.

Momma and Daddy crashed VERY soon after!

A Week in the Life: Monday

2011-07-12T16:01:00.002-04:00

Monday
This morning I was privileged to sleep until my alarm went off at 5:15. I believe at some point in the night I turned T's monitor off so I didn't hear his fussing. He was obviously fine because I had to wake him up to eat when my alarm went off. I fed T, ate some cereal, and was off to meet mom at 5:45.

When I got back around 7, the kids were still asleep so I laid down for a few minutes.

Soon everyone was up and wide open. Ella Kate had her usual yogurt breakfast while Jake asked for sausage. I whipped him some right up and then he informed me that I did not know how to cook sausage. Well, duh. I think it smells horrid and have not touched it since pregnancy #1 (AKA vomit fest). He lost his breakfast appetite after that.

The rest of the day is as uneventful as it gets. It was an all day spent at home, feed T every 3 hours, T fusses, T naps, kids argue, kids watch tv kind of day. You get the picture.

They did pull out the play doh and play for a loooong time. They created for a couple of hours at least. We had gotten a new bucket of colors and a burger/fry maker for Christmas and they really put it to use.

As the day wore on, it got increasingly hotter in our house. We have been told that our a/c unit is just not big enough for the house combined with these awful high temps. It was in the 90s today and I swear it was at least 85 in our house. For us, that is HOT.

I heated up the house a little more with the oven (cooking for this week is O-VER) and made us some chicken alfredo pasta. I like that kind of stuff....my family, not-so-much. They deal with it every now and then for my sake.

After dinner, I decided to give T a bath. He loves bathtime. Neither of the other 2 loved it like him. I always heard people say that bathtime was their kids favorite time of the day. Not ours. Ours cried most of the time. T has never cried in the tub.

From the day he came home, water quieted him down right away. It's our go-to if he is fussy-out-of-control. He sat in the shallow tub with cool water and splashed away.

Michael worked in the garage all evening on Jake's four-wheeler. Jake went in and out, staying out as long as he could before he was just too hot. EK stayed in and watched tv all afternoon/evening. She's just not into sweating. :)

It was finally bedtime for T and we were relieved from his fussiness - he has his days and this was one of them. He went down around 8:30. I had tons of consignment sale business to work on (coming up soon!!) so I worked on that while the kids and Michael hung out in the den.

See - told ya - we won the uneventful day award for this one. It's nice to have those sometimes though. :)

A Week in the Life: Sunday

2011-07-10T21:38:00.001-04:00

A blogger I enjoy at Kelly's Korner had a neat idea to document how she spent a week in her life. She knew that it would probably not be too exciting for readers, but she wanted to remember how her days were spent in this season of her life.

Memories fade far too quickly and I know these days won't last long.

I thought it might serve another purpose too, that being to get me back in the habit of blogging daily or close to it!

Sooo...here goes! Feel free to tune out now....this "picture-less" post will probably put you to sleep.

Sunday

This morning I woke up far too early, at 4 am, and couldn't go back to sleep. I watched a few DVR'ed tv shows, ate some cereal, and fed Tanner at 4:20 when he woke up. He usually wakes up between 4 and 5 ready to eat. He always goes right back to bed and sleeps until around 7 or 8. He eats every 3 hours pretty regularly once he gets up. I eventually got back in bed and took about a 15 minute nap before getting up and meeting my mom to walk at 6.

After walking I came back to shower and get ready for church. Tanner had a little rice cereal for breakfast - not much though because he hates it so much! We got the kiddos up and immediately they both began complaining of sore throats. Jake had been complaining for a few days but his allergies are so bad, I assumed it was from that. EK's made me suspicious. Stop. 180. Change out of church clothes. Pile in the car and head to the Minute Clinic.

We get there are 9:20 and it doesn't open until 10. Remembering I had heard the wait can get lengthy, we ran a short errand and came back at 9:40 to wait and be first in line. Excellent choice judging by the 6 people already in line after us when we left at 10:20!

The nice doctor determined it was not strep but viral which was good by me! She only charged me for one kiddo instead of two which was great by me! :)

Back home, I fed Tanner and we left to eat lunch at Nana's house. She had lots of veggies from the garden so she cooked some for lunch today. Uncle Dave & Frankie were there but Aunt TonTon nor any of the other kiddos made it. Uncle Gary stopped by for a few minutes. Jake swam for all of 3 seconds - EK started feeling pretty puny while we were there and didn't want to swim. He was bored silly without her to play. I fed Tanner again and we visited a little while before we left.

When we got home, Tanner laid down for a nap. Yours truly even got a nap today!! That doesn't happen much lately but it is so wonderful when it does!! Michael took care of Tanner (he never sleeps that long in the afternoon) and got me up when it was time for him to eat again at 4:30. EK slept much of the afternoon which is unusual, so I knew she was feeling rough. I made my 4th attempt at finishing The Social Network (the Facebook movie) and still didn't make it all the way to the end. One day I'll find out how that lawsuit ended....

We all had lunch leftovers for dinner - oh so good - except EK who had a peanut butter sandwich. Nana brought over some ice cream sandwiches for EK and some popsicles for Jake since they were both feeling bad.

A quiet day comes to an end as I finish up this post while Michael alternates between spaceships and wild animals on tv. Both enthrall me...I think my bed might be calling my name.

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-10T21:32:00.001-04:00

On Sunday before the 4th (the 4th was Monday), Michael's mom invited us over to swim, cook out, and watch the fireworks at the church beside her house. We have done this for several years now and they always have a good fireworks show and we have a great seat! We started the day, however, with church and the annual pancake breakfast!

The kids watching the downpour before we left for Nana's. Rain, rain, go away!

Quick 4th Pic after church

I LOVE this picture of T :)

I love these pics too since Uncle Gary never has his picture made with the babies :)

How cute is that baby in a basket?!

A Full Heart

2011-07-10T11:37:00.001-04:00

As I'm sure you've already noticed (all 5 of you) that my blog has itself a new name. I have been contemplating a change for a while...just wasn't feeling the old name anymore. I didn't want to switch until something really stood out to me.

When browsing Facebook one day, I saw the status of a new mom. I immediately loved it. It was the day she had her third child and she simply said "My heart is full." She could not have said it better. Though life is far from perfect (whose is anyway?!), God has blessed us immensely. I am amazed every day at the good things in my life, and thankful that God is there to walk us through the bad.

My heart is full.

So 2 requests from you:
1. I think you'll have to go in and change my blog name (or delete and re-add my blog) on your blog rolls. I don't think the name will automatically update.
2. If you have ANY idea how to eliminate the white space on the left of my blog, PUH-lease tell me! My header has been off-center for ever now and I have had no success in centering it up. It is driving me insane.

Sweet Success

2011-07-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

When Tanner was 4 months old, I attempted to feed him some rice cereal. I'm not big on feeding them early but most doctors agree 4 months is okay for cereal only. Plus, he is on the larger side so I figured he might enjoy it.

Was I ever wrong.

He screamed like I was feeding him nails and he obviously hadn't lost the tongue thrusting reflex. I decided to shelf the cereal and wait until 5 months. At 5 months I tried it again, and although better, he still wasn't very good at it. I gave it a couple more tries and decided I would wait until 6 months when I absolutely had to get him to start eating.

He will be 6 months old this week so last week when he was really into a spoon one day, I tried sweet potatoes. He did significantly better than with the cereal but still not an eating champ. :)

Yesterday, he had sweet peas for the first time. He LOVED them! He ate every bite willingly and was reaching for more! It is sooo much more fun to feed a willing child than when you have to shove each bite in when they open their mouths to scream!!

Yay for eating well and yay for his mama's baby that loves his sweet peas!

Cow Appreciation Day

2011-07-08T11:12:00.000-04:00

We are officially dorks. And I have no problem with that.

Today was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick Fil A and in honor of the occasion, our family dressed as cows and paid them a visit. We had the small incentive of a free meal for doing so, if you must know.

A $20 lunch and a $20 dinner for free? At one of our favorite restaurants? Why, yes, thank you!

See, told you we were dorks. Who goes for 2 meals anyway? Trust me...we weren't the only ones!! :)

4th of July

2011-07-05T10:49:00.002-04:00

Our holiday was spent at the Harrison's pool. We spent the afternoon and evening swimming and eating some yummy BBQ (thanks Mr Brad!).

T tries his first vegetable - sweet potatoes! He didn't really like it :)
We tried with the spoon first, but he didn't seem to like it. We thought the finger might go over better and get him used to it. Maybe not....

Smores around the fire

Brycen and his very burnt marshmallow....cause he LIKES it that way!

T was sitting up so well yesterday!

Where there is a snakeskin, there must be a snake!!

Water balloon time!

KK's Birthday

2011-06-21T22:02:00.000-04:00

Lots of laughs were had at KK's birthday party. We had a yummy meal at Outback with the whole family!

She is mad because they covered the vanilla ice cream with all that yucky chocolate syrup!!

I {heart} these 4 people!!