The Zions

So long ago...

2012-01-14T21:25:00.002-05:00

at least, it seems that way--so long ago that L had a pacifier. Really, it has only been six months since L has given up the pacifier, right before her 4th birthday. In these six months, she has changed so much. There is nothing baby about her anymore, she is a little girl; a school-age little girl. I really can't believe how she has changed. The princess dresses haven't changed. She still wears a princess dress daily--it's the first thing she puts on in the morning (if she hasn't slept in one) and the first thing she puts on when she is home from school. Sometimes she wears the same princess dress for days; sometimes she changes dresses every hour, or so. The princess phase is beginning to be sprinkled with the rock star phase. L often talks about having a "rock star" party and performs "rock star" shows. No matter how she changes, or what phase she is in, her zesty personality and deep imagination always shine.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2011-12-13T19:44:00.004-05:00

L participated in her second Christmas performance this evening. She was a Christmas present in the show this evening. She always gets so excited about her shows...mainly because she gets to wear make-up. She also looks forward to the flowers her Granddad gives after each of the recitals. The first thing she said this evening when I picked her up was "Where are my flowers?". William was an adoring big brother and said "you hardly did anything"...he did follow-up with a "good job, sister" after some gentle encouraging.

Lauren got some air in this picture, she is not that much taller than the little girl in the front.

What's up Doc?

2011-11-11T18:13:00.000-05:00

I asked L what was in her pants. She lifted up her shirt to reveal all her Dr. supplies tucked into her waistband. She was getting ready to doctor up the scarecrow.

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Leave it to Beaver...

2011-10-18T07:51:00.000-04:00

Today is 50's day at W's school.

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2011-10-07T13:32:00.000-04:00

I wish I could seperate them like this in the car!

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Miss T

2011-09-27T07:31:00.000-04:00

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It's official...

2011-09-10T21:27:00.003-04:00

soccer season has started!

William is on the "Tigers" in U8. This is a much bigger field then he is used to playing on, quite a jump from U6. The season started off great. William's team kicked of with a 7-3 win! The way practices have been looking, this was quite surprising. The team really pulled it together.

Lauren's team is called the "rapids". She is starting her first season of start smart soccer. Lauren started her season off with a bang. She was really "the last man standing" with her team...most of the kids needed a break. Lauren couldn't get enough of kicking that ball.

W, L, and their buddies

2011-09-10T19:32:00.001-04:00

Opening day for soccer. The kids are clearly in the right frame of mind.

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William is ready to support his team.

2011-09-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

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Soccer! (Or ballerina)

2011-09-10T08:54:00.000-04:00

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2011-09-07T21:36:00.000-04:00

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L's Very Merry Un-Birthday

2011-08-14T22:40:00.000-04:00

Dance Party

2011-07-30T21:25:00.002-04:00

2011-07-24T23:58:00.002-04:00

The faces on these determined children crack me up!

William is turning 6

2011-07-24T23:15:00.001-04:00

Today, William had a surprise birthday party! He came in the house, we yelled "surprise!", he looked around and soaked it all in then said "what are you all doing here?" in is sweet and somewhat frightened voice. He wasn't really sure what to think but, he got into the swing of things pretty quickly. The party was Pokemon themed since that is W's current top interest.

On another note, we have sort of been on blogging hiatus this summer. The summer has been full of fun activities including swimming/swim lessons, horseback riding, nighttime walks, soccer camp, short trips, and lots of playing. We are looking forward to the school year starting. William and Lauren have all their school supplies. They have both been through their supplies over and over again and packed their backpacks over and over again--I'd say they were excited (about the supplies anyway)!

Carnevale di Venezia

2011-05-11T14:56:00.000-04:00

L participated in her second performance last weekend. She was sooo...excited about this show. Her excitement came not from the actual ballet, but from the opportunity to wear make-up on the "big stage" and to get flowers after the show. After her first show in December, she was given flowers by her Grandparents. She still has one dried flower that she smells and touches every night before bed. L is very specific about the color of flowers she can be given...PINK! She was a little disappointed that she wasn't wearing a beautiful ballerina outfit like the older girls. She sure was a cute Jester, though.

The show was a great success. L was perfect, of course! Her classes role was small, maybe about 7 minutes. But those minutes were worth the more than $140 dollars her family spent on tickets to watch. I watched her on stage and watched the older, very talented dancers. I can clearly vision L moving so gracefully and skillfully on the stage when she is a older!

Easter

2011-04-25T22:07:00.002-04:00

William was excited to see Pokemon Black for his DS in his basket when he woke up Sunday morning. He opened it and started playing right away. He also loved his first Bible. He carried it to church that morning and then after church read to me the verses that they read in Sunday School. I was so proud of him.
Lauren was sleeping when William got his basket. But, William couldn't stand it, he really needed Lauren to get up and see her basket. So he brought it to her and woke her up. She has been carrying around her Little Bible and Princess Gigi books and blanket everywhere we go ever since.
After church we hunted for eggs at Grandma's and Grandad's house and then dyed Easter eggs.

Short trip

2011-04-04T21:29:00.006-04:00

We took a short trip to Tybee Island and Savannah. The first stop was Fort Pulaski. W and L really enjoyed the fort and the tunnels. W was really cute...he wanted to stop and sketch some things in his notebook. You can see him sitting on the hillside "sketching". L loved ALL the things that I found scary...the railless bridge, the narrow walkway on the steep hill that dropped straight into the moat, the railless second level of the Fort! She loved all those things and is much to fearless! William enjoyed hearing the history of the fort and he was pretty convinced (not by me) that the odd smell in some of the tunnels was from dead bodies. I assured him it was from all the rain and the water that must have collected on the floors. I think he liked his story better.

Please do take note of the scary edge on the second level of the fort...we didn't stay up there for long!

We stayed in a hotel with an indoor pool. William has had the itch to get back in the water since finishing his first session of swim lessons. He had loads of fun playing with other kids in the pool and even learned to swim to the bottom of the pool to collect his diving sticks. While in Savannah, we rode the trolley all around town, getting of and exploring the locations that were of interest. Our first stop was The Pirate House...a restaurant, lunch was a must. Next we went to the Jepson center for the arts. They have an ArtZeum for the kids to have some hands on learning. I think our favorite part was the sculpture wall. William creatively sculpted a face and L had to have everything off the wall so she could serve cupcakes.

After the ArtZeum, we went to Factor's Walk...where again, L loved the dangerously steep stairs. Then, we went to the River Street. W and L really liked looking at the boats. But, their favorite thing really had to be the candy store!

This Girl Can Work It!!

2011-02-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

L came home from school and ran straight to her room. Next time I saw her, this is what she looked like! And, YES, she left the house like this--W had soccer practice. I am certain that if anybody can pull this look off, that person is most definitely Lauren!

William's Words

2011-02-01T22:03:00.002-05:00

Let me start this by explaining that L has a ton of jewelry she plays dress up in that belonged to her Great Neenee. She LOVES the jewelry and wears pieces daily...and she also leaves pieces all over the floor. William found a ring on the floor that "looks" like a gold ring with 3 or 4 diamonds. The conversation went like this:

W: Is this an engagement ring?

J: No, it's just a play ring

W: Do you have an engagement ring?

J: Yes, do you want to see it?

W: yes

(we go to my room and I pull out my wedding set)

W: you get two

J: Well, one is an engagement ring and the other is a wedding ring. I wore them when I was married. Maybe you can have them when your old enough to get married.

W: Yeah, when I'm like 10

Who's been sleeping in my bed?!

2011-01-30T14:18:00.002-05:00

Well, nobody until this afternoon! Until this afternoon, Lauren's bed has been an exam table, changing table, napping place for her babies, storage for her animals...anything except a place where she sleeps. All that changed this morning when she saw her new bedding. I made it all yesterday but, she only saw little pieces until this morning when it was all put together. L insisted on napping in her bed. Well, who am I to stand in her way! And so, she naps in her bed for the first time in, well, years!

Sweet Moments

2011-01-25T22:22:00.003-05:00

L was patiently waiting for us to leave for dance class. She was finally able to finish "Enchanted" after about 4 or 5 days and the movie credits music was on...W and L always consider this to be dance time. L sweetly danced with her little baby while the music played. The video is a little grainy, no really sure why, but still super cute and sweet.

Stister

Now you may think that says SISTER but, you would be mistaken. Stister is not a familial relationship, it is a proper noun. Stister does originate from sister as L has been called sister ever since I knew she was a girl. She is still called sister today. L really, really enjoys role play. She can be anyone from Alice (in Wonderland) to Cinderella to Mommy and whatever else falls in between those titles. When she is playing "mommy" her playmate is always Stister. The playmate should definitely refer to themselves as Stister. The funny thing about role play with L is you never know what character she is going bring to playtime.

Oh, Momma got ya this

"Oh, Momma got ya this" is what L said to Zoe in her very prissy way, tilting her head just so. She piled all of Zoe's toys around while Zoe sat so patiently and let L play.

Starting 2011--part 4

2011-01-10T22:56:00.002-05:00

If W had any favorite moment it was this...the guy at the bottom of the "seesaw" was launched into the air and he did a back flip into the chair. Once he landed in the chair it backfired...W just cracked up!

starting 2011--part 3

2011-01-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

L did enjoy some cotton candy

W and L both enjoyed having floor seats. They took full advantage of the floor space beside our seats...well, the dance floor, according to them.

This is one part L liked. The elephants WOWed her.

Starting 2011--part 2

2011-01-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

W and Kylie enjoyed driving in the car. I am not sure if W is racing Kylie here or running for his life!

The circus was a hit with W. This was a magic show/circus. William loved the people appearing and dissapearing from the boxes. He really loved the clowns that came out between sets. Lauren needed some coaxing to stay for the whole show after the first person disappeared from a box. I am not sure how her little mind computed that but it terrified her, for sure.

Starting off 2011

2011-01-10T22:47:00.002-05:00

W, L, and I went to see "Gulliver's Travels". The really liked the movie but mostly it was the movie theater popcorn that they enjoyed. We were the only people in the theater so nobody was annoyed in the snapping of this picture.

W and L are finding more and more friends to play with in the neighborhood. In this picture is Kylie, a regular playmate. Lauren is in true form wearing her Rapunzel dress--I can't believe that thing hasn't fallen apart yet. The big ball is GREAT fun. The kids get in it and roll around in the yard--they are like hamsters in a wheel.

W and L are doing W's favorite thing to play, talk about, watch...Bey Blades.

L loves to put the dome cones out and spread them around the yard. This is the first time she actually walked on them.

White Shoes

2010-12-10T06:58:00.002-05:00

This is just a little more wholesome entertainment from W.

2010-12-07T14:47:00.002-05:00

Hello, hello, hello... I figure after such a delay in new blog postings I better open with some good material. William always delivers (L is doing her fair share too)! Will and Desiree, this may be exclusively for you two. I know how much you enjoyed W's last posted dance performance. We have been without a computer (well a suitable computer) for over a month. My trusty computer had to spend some time with its maker to work out some issues. I should be back to regularly posting updates about my very entertaining children.

2010-10-21T21:04:00.001-04:00

Halloween already you say....

2010-09-17T21:44:00.002-04:00

No, no, no. Just a piece of the day in the life of L.

Soccer Season is in!

2010-09-12T21:30:00.002-04:00

This weekend was opening ceremonies for the Fall Soccer season and the first game to kick off the season. William showed up to the game and he was a ROCK STAR! Somebody took the lead out of his shoes because that kid was running all over the field. He was aggressive like I have never seen him before (he maybe even knocked one or two kids over) and he played all 4 quarters! I am always a PROUD Mama but was so happy to see him shine in his first game of the season!

Party!

2010-08-14T15:47:00.003-04:00

Today was birthday party day for William and Lauren. This year, they had a joint party since many of their friends are the same. Really, this was L's first birthday party with friends. She has been slighted in the party dept compared to W's party history.

W and L had their party at Peach View Stables where they, along with their friends, were treated to pony rides, a bounce house, a hay ride, and the opportunity to feed Rosebud (the horse) a yummy treat (which was frosted shredded wheat cereal). Our prayers (in the way of weather) were answered by God today--the thunderstorms that were threatening to rain the party out were kept at bay until late this afternoon. They both had so much fun playing with their friends. W ran between activities most of the day riding the pony several times and jumping in the bounce house on and off. L was pretty much stationed at the bounce house. She came out once or twice to refuel with a Capri Sun but then, straight back to bouncing. L, who was most excited about having a pony at her birthday, opted out of all pony activities.

Florida

2010-07-31T14:22:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago we traveled to the FL panhandle to visit family and friends. Two of my good friends, Jessica and Lou Ellen, live in the area. W's and L's Great Neenee, Aunt Deborah, and Uncle Ken live in the area as well. We stayed with the Marlatt family and had a terrific visit. Kensley (Lou Ellen's daughter) and L couldn't have enjoyed each others company more. They shared the role of princess very nicely. W had a great time playing with the girls but mostly enjoyed running into the back yard and jumping on the swing.

We met the Benningfields for a playdate at the sprayground. L was a little afraid of all the spraying water. Keegan was so nice to take L's hand and gently introduce her to everything

We had a nice visit with the Gulf Breeze family. Aunt Deborah and Great Neenee had little gifts for W and L...they were spot on! William acquired a small collection of die-cast airplanes that he loved! As expected, W was instant friend and talked, talked, talked. L need some time to warm up. She eventually warmed up a little bit but was never in full force.

Aviation Museum at Eglin.

William was very interested in build a bear--I think he saw a commercial or something (marketing professionals know how to captivate my son). So, went through the whole rigamarole. W built a star wars dog and L built a princess bear.

Lake City

2010-07-18T15:00:00.002-04:00

We made an overnight trip to FL to meet the newest member of the family, Katelyn. L was in love at first sight of baby Katelyn, she is still talking about her today. While we were in Lake City, we walked to downtown and then to one (of many) lakes in the area. Greatmother brought some bread and W and L, along with the rest of us, ignited a feeding frenzy for the ducks. W and L had never seen such a sight and were totally fascinated. The ducks were happen to entertain as long as the bread kept coming.

On Sunday we attended Katelyn's baby dedication. W and L were able to sit in "big" church with me. I could not have been more impressed with them during the service. They both sat just as politely and quietly as they could. At home, they always go to "church school" a.k.a. the nursery because neither one of them is keen on the idea of sitting in one spot for an hour! A bonus of being in big church was that they got to watch/listen to Greatmother play the organ which she has done at church for 50+ years (well, the piano anyway).

And the fireworks. L missed all them as she was to terrified to even look out the window. She insisted that Grandma stay inside with her and away from all windows, as well. W had a pretty good time outside. He needed some convincing to do the sparklers even though he has been doing them every year since he was 1. I guess his sense of danger is sharpening. W had two favorites--one was a truck that shot fireworks from the tailpipe and the other was a firework that resulted in a parachuting guy after launched. Grandad helped up with the fireworks and also contributed the loud, scary ones to the night.

What a....

2010-07-08T15:27:00.002-04:00

GIRL!!! L is so girly. She loves her purses, shoes (high-heeled especially), and accessories. She also enjoys mini mani and pedi occasionally.

He's got moves!

2010-06-26T20:31:00.005-04:00

W loves to dance...anytime he hears music he can't help but move. Sometimes his moves get a little crazy. For instance, once at school he was in the middle of dancing and bloodied his own nose with his own knee. Now, I know you must all be wondering where he learned these moves...I assure you W choreographed the entire piece.

(nobody was harmed in the making of this video)

Hellooo...Postings!

2010-06-20T22:23:00.009-04:00

Summer has gotten off to a busy start, leaving little time for blogging! In an effort to catch up, you are all subjected to this MEGA post.

We traveled with Grandma to Gulfport, MS for a long weekend visit. W and L got new head phones for their DVD players which were a huge hit for both of them.

L quickly warmed up to Uncle Kyle and Aunt Misty. The travelocity gnome joined us on our trip and made several appearances.

We went to Mobile to watch the Tennessee Smokies play the Mobile Bay Bears. My cousin Michael is a sportscaster for the Tennessee Smokies...he was born for this job! He got us all tickets for the game and afterwards took us on short tour around the field to the players where W got a few autographs on his game ball. I think William was especially fascinated while listening to Michael finishing up his play by play of the game.

L loved this kitchen. She cooked, served, cleaned, and ate. Together we tried a variety of desserts, meats, pastas, breads, and seafood.
In these pictures, W and L are participating in a Father's Day craft at the center. Later they enjoyed the 4 and under room while we sat in the nest and read a book. Then, we went out back to play in the bubble exhibit.

In the backyard of the center are two tree houses, a small creek, and a wooden train. L loved getting her feet wet in the creek, imagine that!

W and L flew me to Mexico for a short vacation. L very serious about piloting (as I type this L is telling me " I am going to be an airplane driver"). W handed out tickets and reviewed the flight plan with me.

Next in the discovery center were the Victorian tea room, Grocery store and the news room. While in the tea room, W entertained us with some original pieces on the piano while L served tea and desserts. The grocery store was a HUGE hit. L had loads of fun filling up shopping bags (go figure!) and buying flowers from the florist (W). William wore many hats including cashier, baker, florist, and butcher. He played each role very well! The news room was very cute. W sat at the news desk and delivered the weather while watching himself on one of the four screens in front of him.

W and L had a great time in Uncle Kyle's pool with him, Zach, and Grandma. We had to rig an adult life jacket for W but it worked pretty well in this circumstance.

The Sledge family came through town on their way to south GA. This is their second visit with us and we are always excited to have them over. The three of them danced, played and read books. They seemed to rope Scott into reading several books. The girls played baby and pretended to be sleeping in L's bed...what a couple of jokesters!

This park was a huge pain to find but was totally worth the hunt! We seriously went to three different locations before finding the playground at the 4th location. Once we got there, W and L took off climbing, swinging, spinning, and sliding. W is really good at "pumping" his legs to swing...a little too good. At one point, I was pushing L and the next thing I know I see W flying through the air. He landed about 12 feet from the swing. I'm not sure what he was thinking but he made sure to slow to a near stop before jumping off again.

We won tickets to see Elmo's Green Thumb from a local station. L has been excited about this since we picked up the tickets. She repeated over and over "we got tickets for Elmo", " we are going to see Abby Cadabby", amongst others phrases until actual show time. Let me explain L's hair. The day of the show was crazy hair day at school for L. She did not want me to change her hair as she liked all the different bows in her hair. W and L both enjoyed the show and talked about it for days afterwards.

W, L and I went hiking with our good friends Sharon, Aiden, and Ethan. We did a 1-mile hike around one of the falls at High Falls State Park. The kids were fabulous. L is quite the little hiker, seldom complaining. W needed some coaxing at times but ultimately enjoyed the hike. His favorite part was probably the end but he also liked walking out on the rocks with me to get a better view of the falls.

Hotel Fun!

2010-05-28T21:48:00.001-04:00

William's mind

2010-05-10T22:36:00.003-04:00

I had to share this conversation William and I had driving home from lunch on Mother's Day...

W: Is that woods?
J: Yes, those are woods.
W: Is that where Nadia got lost?
J: Oh no, her woods are in Florida (only after a moment of wondering what he was talking about)
W: Oh, Are they Tiger Woods?

I explained to him that Tiger Woods is a person, not a place. I am still laughing about this as I type. The connections William makes really tickle me.

Noah's Ark

2010-04-25T21:44:00.002-04:00

We visited Noah's Ark with the Great Grandparents and Grandparents. Noah's Ark is a really neat 250 acre facility that was established as an animal rescue and a long-term care facility for children that were abused or neglected. The most recent additions to Noah's Ark are 2 retired circus tigers. The "Ark" housed emu, buffalo, lions, tigers, bears (Oh my), parrots, Llamas, monkeys and a variety of other animals. Most of the animals are contained. The llamas roam freely as well as the farm animals. I'll share two defining highlights from the visit. First, William was admiring the parrots when one of the parrots talked to him saying "hello, goodbye, and I love you". The look on William's face was PRICELESS and I wish I had the camera on him at that very moment. Second, Lauren was wearing her "squeaky" shoes that squeak every time she steps. For the Cheetahs, she was a hit. With every step she took, the Cheetahs zoned in on her little feet and followed her every step. They thought she was a really awesome new toy!

Potty Saga (Part 2)

2010-04-19T22:16:00.002-04:00

(L on her birthday)

I don't know if I should actually say this out loud (or put this is in print) but L is potty trained! Oh, this is a day I really thought would never come but, it is here and she isn't even 18! L has been wearing panties for a full week now. I tossed the pull ups Sunday a week ago because they were not agreeing with her skin and moving back to diapers...not an option (although she does wear a diaper for bed). She has had a couple accidents here and there but not daily and not more than once on a day that was blessed with an accident. Our travel potty comes in handy while we are at soccer and t-ball practices/games or just out and about. She was at first leery of it but, once she saw W use it, she was SOLD! Now, she likes it a little too much. I am super proud of my BIG GIRL!

Travel Unexpected

2010-04-12T21:28:00.004-04:00

Our Easter plans were unexpectedly changed to include a trip to Maryland. My Grandma, my Dad's mom, died on March 30th after suffering a severe stroke. So, the children and I booked tickets to MD and headed north. W and L were prefect little travelers. For one thing, they love staying in hotels and they really like airplanes! L loved the moving sidewalks at the airport and took to it like a pro. W, of course, wanted to ride the train. So, we alternated between the two as able. They couldn't have been more perfect on the plane. L was very serious when we were taking off (you can see her picture below (for you blog followers: her face is very much like the "bunny stare down" from last year)). W sat in the window seat for take off and L sat in the window seat for landing--the both very much enjoyed the whole event.

We got into Baltimore at about 9:30 a.m. so I decided to spend some time in Baltimore's Inner Harbor with W and L. There is no reason we can't have some fun while we are there. So, into the city we go. We toured two ships: USS Sloop-of-War Constellation (1854) and USCGC Taney (1935). W head the tour of the Taney...there were blue arrows directing your through the ship and he LOVED looking for the next arrow. The Constellation was the most interesting...W was very taken by the cannons.

After visiting the Inner Harbor we headed to Westminster to visit the family. W and L and sooo... much fun. After the funeral--which led to new heights of curiosity for W--we headed to my cousins house for a family reception. The back yard was this fabulous hill. All the kids wanted to do was go up and down the hill in cars. L cruised down the hill in the Cozy Coupe and that thing went faster than I ever thought possible. W and L made quick friends with their cousins Blake, Chase, and Alexis. Blake was an instant hit for L b/c he didn't mind pushing her in the swing endlessly. All in all, the trip was nice. Visiting with family and reminiscing about prior family get togethers from when we were little is just the way Grandma would have wanted the day to play out.

Sick Day!

2010-03-20T22:18:00.002-04:00

Actually, there were several sick days. First, W got sick at 11:51 p.m. Sunday night...that lasted ALL night. The poor boy missed two days of school and desperately wanted to go back. He kept assuring me he was not sick anymore. More importantly, he wanted to see his cousins some more and that led to more assurance that he was not sick anymore. W happily went back to school on Wednesday. Lauren and I got sick on Tuesday evening and by Wednesday morning we were on the mend. She and I enjoyed popsicles in bed with surprisingly no mess!

Dr. L was in the house our whole day home. She plays pediatrician and veterinarian--each profession has it's own stethoscope and other tools. After checking her dolls she turns to me and says in her very sweet inquisitive voice "you sick?". I tell her "yes, mommy's sick". So, she proceeds to listen to my heart, my lungs, and even my bowels (she must really pay attention to the Dr.). She also takes my temperature and feeds me a bone (the pediatrician and veterinarian jobs may be a little confused). In the pictures below she is putting some of her dolls down for a nap--after she has made certain they are well, that is.

L is lining them up
she picks them up and looks them over...then lays them down, pats their backs, and reads them a story. What a good little mommy!

Visiting with Mississippi Zions

2010-03-20T21:49:00.002-04:00

William, Lauren, and I were able to visit with Aunt Vicki, Uncle Greg, Hunter, and Clayton last week. W had so much fun. He really enjoyed playing outside with Clayton. I think he felt like a really big kid since I didn't keep an eye on him during his playtime (no worries though, he was in good hands with his cousins). L was a different story. Her stranger danger radar was on high alert! She needed lots of time to warm up to anyone. And, poor Hunter couldn't even look at her without sending her into a tizzy.

Zoe was very excited to gets lots and lots of lovin'!
W liked showing off his train track but I think Uncle Greg may have played with it even if W didn't play. W was most excited about introducing everyone to his fish--Kicktree Zion Mark, Bick for short.

Miracles do happen! L let Aunt Vicki hold her this one time.

W and Clayton are playing Wii...I think W is trying to direct Clayton's next move.

No Comment Necessary

2010-02-16T20:53:00.000-05:00

The Potty Saga!

2010-02-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

All you moms who told me girls were easier to potty train than boys are fabulists! My little girl is much to stubborn and independent minded--no idea where that comes from, by the way--to reason with about the potty. Let's be clear, she loves to sit on her potty, she loves to wear panties, she loves to tell me to "wipe my butt"---but, it is ALL pretend. Well, the part that is not pretend goes like this--she pulls her pants down, takes her diaper off, sits on the potty for about 30 secs and then proclaims "I go potty, I done going potty". At that point she saunters to her room and looks for panties. We usually come to terms that the panties can go over her diaper. However, there is the occasion that she is left in panties only with the hope that the she would find the wet feeling undesirable--WRONG! She could care less...as a matter of fact, she doesn't even stop when she is going to pee she keeps walking and leaves a stream on the carpet from her starting point to her end point, why can't she just pee in a puddle in one spot! Most recently, L went to the potty, removing her diaper, then went to her room and put panties on followed by her pants, socks, and shoes--all unknown to me. I found out about 2 hrs later when I went to check her for a possible diaper change--there was no diaper, only panties. Those panties were soiled with both numbers 1 and 2--she was completely unbothered. I am hoping there will be a part 2 to this soon. In this part 2 I hope to express my elation overs L's success with actually using the potty and officially retiring the diaper.

2010-02-13T21:05:00.002-05:00

W and L had a little Mardi Gras party today with a couple of their friends. W has been looking forward to it all week. They decorated a "float" to have a parade and then threw beads at the parents...the boys were chucking them at us, we felt like we had to take cover. W helped get ready by blowing up a few balloons

Princess L and her crew of boys

W, L, and their friends preparing the float decorations

They boys bailed, but L continued working until she had it just right

They are trying to pop the balloons, whoever found the feather in the balloon got a prize

Let the parade begin...of course L is in princess so, she rides in the float

Beads are flying!

They are still flying.

The night is wrapped up and W is ready for bed!

Snow Day

2010-02-12T20:42:00.002-05:00

Okay, not a snow picture but I had to slip in L's princess look. She has been wearing her "jewels" for over 24 hours now and is currently sleeping in them.
W, L, and the snowman. W made him a race car driver, that's his racing helmet. The first chance L hand she ran inside and took her hat off and threw on her tiara.

Music Day

2010-02-06T22:00:00.004-05:00

First things first...I gave up on the last post after trying three times to upload pictures. It's just not happening. The good news is I haven't given up all together so, here is a new post.

The GA Music Hall of Fame has an excellent children's music program once a month. We go as often as possible. W was comfortable from the beginning--joining in on the group movement activities and doing a little open-mic time without pause. L has warmed up a little more each time we have gone. The first time she wouldn't leave her stroller--now, on the flip side of that, she participated in open mic! They are both amazing and they have one proud Mama!

The Music Factory is the children's section of the museum. There are a variety of instruments for the children to play with including drums, tambourines, maracas, piano, and other things I can't remember the names of. They also this super slick slide that W and L love--seriously it is slick, you fly off when you get to the end. The music program is lead buy a children's musician named Pam Blanchard.

In this collage, L and W are strumming the guitar, playing the music wall, playing their harmonicas, and playing the drums

W singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

L singing Isty Bitsy Spider. You have to listen very closely to hear her, even in the mic, but she is singing. She was so proud of herself, as was I.

And the Dynamic Duo perfecting their harmonica duet

The Long Drive...

2010-01-18T21:57:00.004-05:00

was definitely made more enjoyable by W's dancing. We traveled to MD for Christmas to visit family. The drive was very long and very worth it. W and L had a great time playing with their cousins and staying hotels. They also very much loved the snow! Well, after the initial hatred b/c of frozen fingers, that is. L refused to wear gloves and W took his off to pick up the snow. After the first 5 minutes they were fans! L also did not like that the snow came up to her thigh and she had a really hard time walking in the deepest parts. Their favorite part was being thrown into the piles and making "snow seats". I will post pictures, they just wouldn't up load for some reason. This video is way better than any of the pictures though.

Christmas

2010-01-01T21:29:00.004-05:00

W and L making cookies for Santa who came the Saturday before Christmas

"Christmas" morning watching Prep and Landing before getting out of bed to discover that Santa came. We were waiting on the grandparents to get into position with their cameras.

What a day...

2009-12-13T20:56:00.003-05:00

a wet, cold day to be exact. We stayed home nearly all day Saturday--aside from a trip to the grocery store where my children were perfect angels despite the time being just before lunch and nap. After the grocery story trip, lunch, and nap (this has a very loose definition); W and L did Christmas crafts, built towers, made banana muffins, and watched a movie. I have a few things hung around the house from W when he was less than 2--he loved craft time. But, L doesn't really have anything so Christmas craft time was a must do!

Christmas crafts involve glitter--YIKES! It only comes out once a year because it takes nearly the whole year to get all the glitter up. W and L decorated snowflakes, Christmas trees, and circles as their little hearts desired. L had a blast. She was very serious and thorough with each of her projects. W really just wanted to deal in glitter, which made a BIG mess for me to clean up. The big clean up is totally worth all the fun.

W and L start off the Christmas crafting

Check out the mess!

W and L building their towers while waiting patiently for supper

W mashing bananas for banana bread. They both love to help bake. L is a little too helpful at times, but fun nonetheless. The both enjoy measuring, pouring and stirring

W and L eating popcorn while watching "The Race to Witch Mountain". L kept sneaking banana muffins, too.

And finally, the Christmas art for 2009

Reindeer Run

2009-12-07T12:26:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning we got up, bundled up, and headed to Macon for the annual Reindeer Run/Santa Stroll with our friends, the Smiths. It is an annual fundraiser for the children's hospital in Macon. This was W's and L's first race (W is ready to do another one--I think we will in Jan.). We did the stroll which was 1 full mile including hills. W did great...as soon as Santa waved the flag to begin the race, W was off. He ran most of the way. Of course, he'll tell you he ran the whole thing and that he won! L ran a little, walked a little, and got carried a little. She gets a little nervous in large crowds, but I think she would have ran the whole way with W otherwise. The most exciting thing for L that day was SANTA! She just kept watching a him and pointing to him and whispering his name.

...and he's off! ( you see him, he is the littlest one in red)

waiting for us at the finish line.

The Crew

2009-11-30T20:01:00.005-05:00

Soccer season is over...for now, that is. W is still really enjoying soccer. Aside from one "incident" he always looks forward to soccer. The one incident happened during a practice when W was playing rough with one of his teammates and then carried it over to one the girls. He pushed her over while she was dribbling the ball and that resulted in W having to run a lap around the field. He was so embarrassed, he never wanted to go back on the field. To bad for W, his mom has a "get back on the horse" policy. L was W's cheerleader this season. I made her a little shirt with the team name "CREW" on it (she is wearing W's old soccer uniform in the picture, she insisted!)and she went to every practice and game to support her big brother. W's turn is coming as soon as L is old enough to participate in sports/dance.

It is hard to hear the video of Coach Scott over the carrying on of W and his buddy Aiden--but, you can see W receive his trophy and the proud look on his face.

Hoedown

2009-11-29T20:41:00.002-05:00

I know I have been a naughty blogger...I am catching up so Santa won't put me on the "THE LIST"!

A few weeks ago, W and I went to a school dance--the Mother-Son Hoedown. W wore his best western wear and was mighty dashing. We had a lot of fun. There were many activities including line dancing, carnival games, and a hay ride. The hay ride was by far W's favorite; we had to do that 3 times. W was excited to see one boy in particular from his class, he calls him John Pon (W's teach gave "nicknames" to everyone in the class for rhyming--W is William billiam). He is pictured with W.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

Halloween was loads of fun for W and L. W was the Bumble Bee Transformer and L was a monkey. She was all set to be a bumble bee but when I found that monkey costume in a box, I knew it had to be worn one more time. I did have to squeeze her into the costume, though. The festivities actually started for them on Wednesday night when we attended "trunk or treat" at the base chapel with W's buddies Aiden and Ethan, followed by parties at school, and then Halloween day activities. We started Halloween night off at Publix (just in case later trick or treating got rained out) where both children played little carnival games that were set up in each of the grocery depts. and "won" candy. After that, we headed over to our friend's house--The Smiths...Phil, Tracy, Lindsay, and Jillian--and the tricking or treating started. The group of them happily went door to door and watched their bags fill with delicious and highly desired candy. Fun was had by both W and L...but, W pooped out long before L. You can see in one of the pictures that W is in the stroller and L is on the toddler step on the back.

Out after dark...

2009-10-26T20:31:00.004-04:00

We are seldom out after dark, since that would lead to a late bedtime. An exception was made so we could do the 6-acre corn maze at Lane Packing. I though that W might be a little afraid but, he wasn't the least bit scared and didn't mind going ahead of me to check things out. Of course, he did have the safety flag with him. That flag was just in case you couldn't get out, you raised it up in the air and they came to you. L wasn't even afraid...although, I was a little afraid of losing her since she was wearing navy and it was pretty dark in the field. The only lights were at the four corners of the 6 acres. Also, throughout the maze they had signs with text numbers to call for directions from that point (we used it once) and conundrums for pure entertainment.

Getting ready to go into the maze

The first riddle...corny, just the way I like it

one of many help signs

the way the field looked to us

W and L in the middle of the field

the three of us

W and L forging ahead

finally we are out

2009-10-22T20:14:00.003-04:00

Saturday we went to the Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival and enjoyed some local entertainment. W and L both rode horses. W has done it before but, this was L's first time. I was pretty sure she would freak out but, she did pretty good on the horse ride. We also did a hay ride and enjoyed a local bluegrass band. William had a lot of fun dancing while he was waiting on funnel cake from Grandma and Grandad.

2009-10-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

This is W with his class on 50's day at school. Today was the fiftieth Day of school and the celebrated by dressing in that decade. Then they had a sock hop.

W's rules for Mommy

2009-10-08T20:19:00.002-04:00

W has a pretty standard rule for me which he makes clear each time we drive on base. His rule is that "you can't talk to boys mommy", so I always explain to him that Mommy has to be polite and that means speaking even if it's a boy.
Well, we were driving home the other day and W tells me I didn't break two rules only 1. I asked him to tell me the two rules. W replied "You're not allowed to talk to boys--you didn't break that one..." and " No blowing wind". I immediately start laughing b/c my toilet humor leads me straight to flatulence. But, what W meant was that I could not put his window down and let the wind blow in--he had just combed his hair and this is very serious work for him.

Go Crew

2009-10-06T22:15:00.002-04:00

This is W and L pre-game. L is wearing her "Go Crew" soccer outfit that I made for her hastily one night.

Soccer Season

2009-10-04T20:49:00.003-04:00

Soccer season is in full swing. W's team is called The CREW and he is loving it. He practices 2 nights a week and then has a game every Saturday. Poor W spends most of the game watching his shadow as he runs with the group across the field, he is making improvements in his game, though. We have little pep talks before practices and games to ensure he is thinking about the ball and not his shadow. He is pretty sure he is the fastest on the team--in reality, he may be the slowest but, he never gets discouraged. L is quite the little spectator. Except during practices she likes to run onto the field and give W a very emphatic "no" paired with a finger point. She then proceeds to strut off the field like she has done something important. These are pictures and videos from his first game and some from the opening ceremonies. There will be plenty of soccer pictures to follow.

L's Birthday

2009-08-26T21:21:00.004-04:00

L had a small birthday celebration including her second annual purse cake and presents. She waited very patiently to blow out her candles and eat her cake. She was such a girl with her presents--she had many "ooh" and "ahh" sound effects. L has mostly enjoyed her princess shoes which she wears daily. She also really likes making "necklaces" with her stringing bead--she does love to accessorize.

W's first day of school

2009-08-25T21:05:00.002-04:00

W started pre-K about 3 weeks ago (I know I am a little late with pictures). These are pictures from his first day. This was the only day I could take pictures because from the second day on he has requested that I not walk him to class. So, everyday I walk him to the front of the school and he takes it from there... he is such a big boy and I am so proud of him!
First thing when he gets in his room, he selects his lunch item. Then he puts his nap mat in his cubby, agenda in the agenda box, and backpack on the hook. After that he finds his seat and starts the activities for his day.

She's a big girl!

2009-08-21T21:08:00.003-04:00

L had her 2-year well check today. She weighed in at 29.12 lbs. (83%ile) and her height was 35.5" (92%ile). She was terrific at her appointment today!

My little L is 2!

2009-08-20T20:45:00.002-04:00

My little L... You have not idea how much I love looking back through pictures and seeing how much she has grown or how hard it is to select just a few (this is a few compared to the amount of pictures I have). Every moment photographed is a distinct memory and looking at the pictures instantly brings the memory of that moment back. L has changed so much. She has hair for one thing--WOOHOO! Her very sweet and sassy, girly personality is fully blossoming and I LOVE IT!

Music Factory

2009-08-02T20:30:00.008-04:00

This weekend we went to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame for a Children's show in downtown Macon. There was a children's musician there for 2 hours, the first hour she performed and the second hour was open mic for the children. Much to my surprise W jumped up and did 3 songs--Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and ABC's (twice). He definitely doesn't get this extroverted behavior from me. I am the person who had stage fright so terribly in 8th grade I made the second chair trumpeter play my first chair solo--more about me--although, I did redeem myself my senior year of high school when I had a solo that had to be played every Friday in front of an entire stadium of people and during competitions. Okay so, W sang 3 songs all the while L refused to get out of her stroller (that sounds more like me). L eventually got out after the show was over and played with all the neat instruments available.

W Through his 4 Years

2009-07-27T15:34:00.003-04:00

These are a few, okay a lot, of pictures of W from the beginning until now. I tried to make it my favorties but really, they are all my favorties. Every picture of W makes me smile and has a special memory. I guess you are lucky that this isn't over a 1,000 pictures.

He's 4

2009-07-27T14:43:00.002-04:00

We celebrated W's 4th birthday at the Museum of Aviation. William had a blast. All the children put of flight suits and toured a C-130. They learned about the different things the c-130 carries including vehicles, which they seemed to think wouldn't fit in a c-130. W tried on a parachute backpack while the tour guide talked about the jump signals and other aspects of jumping. During this L decided she wanted to put on a flight suit and stand with her brother. After a jump demonstration with W and his buddy Brenden, they watched a video of an actual jump. After all the jumpers were out of the plane W exclaims "hallelujah". Following the c-130 tour the children assembled gliders and headed outside for a glider contest. Everything wrapped up on the 3rd floor in the Victory Cafe where they all had hot dogs, chips, cake, and ice cream.

Monkey see...

2009-07-24T20:24:00.004-04:00

W got a tattoo so, L got a tattoo

W had to use a bucket at a cup so, L had to use a bucket as a cup

W had to drink pickle juice so, L had to drink pickle juice. That's a big EWWW! to me.

L while enjoying some peanut butter toast

North Carolina--Here we come!

2009-07-16T20:41:00.014-04:00

W, L, and I just finished a short tour of North Carolina traveling to Hickory to visit my friend Elizabeth and her family and then to Fayettville to visit my friend Jennifer and her family. These girls can be put in the category of "old friends". I met them 8 years ago and that is hard to believe, seems like only a couple of years have past--but, so many things have changed. Hickory is a cute little town. While there, we visited a Catawba Science Center. It is basically a children's museum housed in an old school building--I thought it was a great use for an otherwise possibly unused building. In the museum there is a room of all sorts of bones, skulls, fossils, shells, sea life, etc. William really enjoyed all that stuff--looking at it anyway, he wouldn't dare touch any of the things that were touchable. L was completely terrified of the fossils and bones. Most of those things are cataloged in drawers. When I pulled one drawer out, L screamed and jumped into my arms--what a girl, huh! She couldn't wait to leave that room. She did like the turtle and the tortoise--but, they were alive! Next up was the area called "Swamp Things". This area was a little creepy to L as well. But, William was pretty cool with it. We were there specifically to see the feeding of the crocodile. But, first W sat with other children and listened to a man give some information about the American croc such as what it eats (W was used as an example), where it lives, how big it gets, etc. After the lesson, W watched the croc eat a dead rodent and some raw chicken breast. The other exciting thing in that room was the Albino Burmese Python that was nearly 4 times the length of W. After that, W, L, and Madison played in an outside area where they could listen to their echo in a long tube, send boats down a stream, climb a rock wall, and get dirty. Last stop was the energy room. W and L really liked this room--there were rocket launchers, spinning chairs, chair that went up and down with a rope, blowers and suckers to make balls fly. The next day in Hickory we all went to a park with a splash pad and some really fun equipment. I think the hit at this playground was the standing see saw, at least for L. W enjoyed the splash pad a little bit, but mostly enjoyed all the different climbing mechanisms on the play structures. That night, Hickory Downtown for ice cream and some live music. The music was enjoyable, but I particularly liked the painted benches and the very interesting people. Now, onto Fayettville. W and L met Sarah-Grace, not for the first time, but for the first time that W will actually remember. L and Sarah-Grace will probably only remember with the help of the many, many pictures taken. The first night, W, L and Sarah-Grace played outside on her swing set. L was particularly taken by the 3 dogs--Annie, Maisy, and Marley. The three went outside so L insisted on being out there. Later that evening, the whole bunch went for a walk. L hijacked Sarah-Grace's doll and doll stroller (for the duration of the visit) and pushed it the entire walk refusing to get in a stroller herself. The walk took a significant amount of time since L constantly had to stop and check on her baby. W took the opportunity to ride in the stroller. The next day, out to lunch (there was not way we were making it out of the house before then) and then to the Fayettville Children's Museum. That place was a HUGE hit. It's a small museum but plenty is packed in for the entertainment of little ones. The museum is set up in sections (construction station, post office, court room with voting booth, grocery store, locker room, doctors office, dental office, weather station, dress up, army, (need I name more)) with each section equipped with clothing, accessories and other paraphernalia necessary for the operation. Two sections were particularly successful with L--grocery and dress up. I had to carry her away from the grocery story. She loved her little toddler sized grocery cart and filling it up with all the yummy food she could find. Then unloading the groceries to be checked out....and repeat about 4 or 5 times. But, she had know idea that dress up was right around the corner. That place was like the jackpot for L--shoes, shoes, everywhere. This was a place after a little girl's heart. L put on some high-heeled shoes and sashayed around the museum--like she owned the place. W liked getting dressed up in the construction section, court room, and the locker room; the mailman was just to appease me. After L dominating the high-heels, I particularly enjoyed W giving a weather forecast. That section was sets up so the forecaster could watch themselves as they delivered the weather on the T.V. W and L each took a turn with the weather--L did it just to copy W, what a little sister. W was highly entertained by the large yellow funnel that a ball circled until going through the funnel, he could have stayed there all day. I don't really know why that is so fascinating, but then again I am not nearly 4-year-old boy. So, that about wraps up our visit of North Caroline. We had a great time and can't wait till the next visit with our friends.

Friday at the playground

2009-07-05T13:35:00.002-04:00

Boots

2009-07-05T13:30:00.002-04:00

L loves shoes, she loves to put on her own shoes. I always get "no no no" from her if I dare try to help her. Today she chose to wear her boots to school; so, W did too.

T-ball wrap up

2009-06-28T22:00:00.007-04:00

This was W's first t-ball season and he had a great time. His coach was wonderful--he really enjoyed helping the team learn the ins and outs of baseball, he had a very gentle way. There were some very funny moments with the kids--especially when it was time to run...the kids would haphazardly choose a base to run too but, by the end they pretty well had it down.

This is W telling his buddies about peeing behind the tree. He as done this every practice since mid season--because he REALLY has to go; nooo..., he just really likes going outside

W put his whole body into throwing that ball to first base.

W hustling for the ball. I have to laugh because most of the time W was out in the field talking or looking around, he was seldom actually attending to the ball. But, the last couple of practices he did a terrific job thanks to some good coaching.

We wrapped it all up this weekend with a party hosted at one of his teammates houses. All the kids enjoyed icream with lots of toppings and cupcakes then played and played and played. William and Lindsay had a water fight--but not with waterguns or hoses, with capri suns. W was a sticky mess. He sure did have fun getting that way.

Conversing with W

2009-06-24T21:36:00.003-04:00

William and I talk a lot about "ugly" words that may hurt feelings and about seemingly "nice" words spoken with an ugly attitude. W likes to try different words out to see what he can get away with--some words are made up and some are real. So he says "Mommy, you're a fluckjaw" (obviously made up word) and I give him "the look". He covers his steps by saying "I meant that in a really nice way. I didn't have a ugly attitude".

In church on Father's Day, W made a something for the occasion. In the car on the way home:
he says "I made this for Father's Day"
I say, "okay, we'll mail it to Daddy"
W: "Daddy's not my father"
me: "yes he is, Daddy and Father mean the same thing, Daddy is your father"
W: "no him not"
me: "well, who do you think your father is"
W: "God."
"He made me."
"He made my skeleton."
me: "yes, God made you possible, and he is your heavenly father. But Daddy is your Father"
His little mind is always working but, that seemed to be enough info for W for now.

2009-06-20T21:56:00.003-04:00

We went to the aquarium--and what a day! I did not plan ahead and reserve our time on-line (the original plan was the zoo the day before but fever and hot temperatures changed that)--so, we had to wait in line to get tickets. The wait wasn't too bad, only about 30 minutes. In the meantime, W found some cute, older girls that he tried to show off for. He danced around, "revved" his engine, and made funny faces. The girls were polite enough, but W definitely needs to work on his pick up style. First up was the Ocean Voyager. L was mesmerized by this. You go through a glass tunnel so the fish and sharks are swimming all around you. She just kept looking up and around. Then we went to the Tropical Diver area. W really liked this section because of all the colorful fish. Before we left for the aquarium, he was really curious about how many different colors the fish could be. Onto the Coldwater Quest where we watched the Beluga Whales, Japanese Spider Crabs, and the otters. The Beluga whales are something to be awed but, I am a fan of the playful otters. The last two sections were River Scout and Georgia Explorer. The Explorer area is really neat because you can actually touch things like shrimp, stingrays, and sea stars. W would not touch any of these things. But, he did come close with the stingrays. I touched them all
L doing her happy fruit dance
These lights were endless entertainment for W while we ate lunch. He was so excited every time they changed colors.

Day at the Museum

2009-06-08T13:21:00.004-04:00

The aviation museum is a favorite for W and L. Driving by always leads to some plane conversation. Usually W says "that's a plane like Daddy's"--really it's the same airframe but doesn't have the same purpose. These are just pictures of some of W's favorite things this time at the museum. Well, except for the engine in the first picture. For some reason he was a little afraid of this, it's not like it was going to turn on or anything. The last picture is possible one of my favorite pics of W.

Little Miss Messy Pants

2009-06-08T13:13:00.002-04:00

L LOVES to be dirty, dirty finds her. We went outside to splash in the puddles and she found probably the only one that formed over a pile of dirt. With every splash, spatters of mud started covering our legs. Then, she starts cleaning the puddle with her "cleaning wipey". The "cleaning wipey" not only cleans muddy puddle and any other disgusting place but, it will then be used to wipe her face and hands. In the world of L, this is a great idea.

Go Comets!

2009-05-21T21:24:00.009-04:00

These are pictures and videos from W's last soccer practice for this season and his soccer party--where he got his second soccer trophy. But, more importantly to W, he had pizza and cupcakes.

Bowling--YIKES!

2009-05-19T21:44:00.004-04:00

Well, this weekend W, L, and I went bowling with my friend Tracy and her daughters Lindsay and Jillian. I have a picture of the final score--I will not be posting it as the results are too embarrassing. Let's just say that Tracy and I got "schooled" in bowling by the 3 and 4 year olds--to be fair, they did have bumpers and they were not distracted by the 1 year olds being carried on our hips or tugging on our legs--I'm not making excuses or anything.

I am not sure why I video taped sideways. This L trying to jump. I love that stage before they actually learn to jump but are trying really hard.

On to Mississippi

2009-05-10T21:16:00.003-04:00

After Florida, we went on to Mississippi for a couple of nights to visit Uncle Kyle, Aunt Misty, and Zachary. The first night, I took the children to the beach after supper--to find shells, only. Well, L couldn't keep or little self away from the water. I think she felt like she hit the pigpen jackpot! She got in the water, rolled in the sand, and tried to eat the sand--she at one point dipped her pacifier in the sand and put it in her mouth. W mostly liked playing in the sand and running around with Zachary. They all laid down to make sand angels together. W and L were both soaking wet and sandy so they had to strip down before getting in the car. The next day, we got in the pool for a little while. W and L LOVED it. W was a little afraid b/c there was no spot where he could touch bottom. All in all, it was fun.

More Flordia Visiting

2009-05-10T21:02:00.006-04:00

We did a lot of visiting on our trip. Great Neenee and Aunt Deborah haven't seen W and L in about a year. Sky and Wright never met L, so you know how long it's been since they have seen W--since we moved from Mississippi, at least. L warmed up to Great Neenee instantly and Sky, as well--everybody else had to work a for it. W had a lot of fun playing with the boys. They played a little bit of t-ball and a little bit more of soccer. The boys were impressed with W's switching between his left and right legs to maneuver the ball. We had a great visit and was nice to see everyone after such a gap.

Visiting the Benningfields

2009-05-06T20:27:00.005-04:00

We took a trip last week to visit some friend and family. We were able to visit and stay with long standing friends. William and Lauren met Keegan and Koen and they definitly hit it off. Both boys were partners in mischief--3-year-old boys are fabulous handfuls. Keegan is a little mother and likes enforcing the rules--she did a great job keeping the boys in line. Lauren was in heaven in Keegan's closet. Keegan has all sorts of dress up shoes, Lauren insisted on trying all of them on even if it meant breaking her neck--the price of beauty...

A girl and her hat

2009-04-27T22:13:00.002-04:00

L has a new found love for this hat. Grandpa picked it out for her at Bass Pro Shop last summer and now she loves it. She doesn't leave home without the hat.

This is L with her three must haves--pacifier, baby, and hat--waiting to go for a walk

Next, we have L first thing in the morning. Seriously, we were out of bed maybe 5 minutes and she already put on her hat, found her baby, picked up a ball, and put on W's shoes (his shoes are another L favorite).

After church, she is still wearing the hat and playing a little t-ball. She did not bring the hat into church--that was surprising.

And today, she wore the hat all the way through W's soccer practice and on the way home.

Dauset Trails

2009-04-23T21:26:00.008-04:00

Easter weekend we went to the "Bluebirds and Bluegrass" festival at Dauset trails. That kicked off with an egg hunt for the children. They had the opportunity to visit with the Easter Bunny W went willingly. L, on the other hand, gave the bunny the stare down
Dauset Trails is a beautiful area full of nature trails and animals for viewing. L was so cute--she really loves animals so much. She oohed and aahed over every animal she saw. But, I think her favorites were the pigs. They were like her kindred spirits the way they rolled in the mud and got all dirty. I think she really would have rolled around in the mud with them given the opportunity. Before leaving the pig area, L had to have an immediate wipee bath and a change of clothes. She had a little bit too much mud splatter from the pigs and smelled terrible!

Opening Ceremonies

2009-04-18T22:10:00.005-04:00

Today was the opening of baseball seasoning--starting at 8 a.m.--that was a little early. All the teams paraded onto the field--the older children were obviously a little more orderly about this. The 3 and 4 years old did a pretty terrific job listening and staying in place. They were especially cute during the presentation of colors and the national anthem with their hats held across their chests. Today was just suppose to be parading on the field and typically pictures (who knows what happened to that)--the 3-4 years old don't usually play any games. But, late yesterday afternoon we found out that they would play two mini games. So, after opening ceremonies we went straight to our field and played the first "game" of the season. The way it works--every child gets an at bat and every child plays the field. When they are in the field, there has to be a parent for each child and when they are at bat, a parent for each base. These games were such cute chaos--all the children were a little lost. William, in particular, ran from home plate to first base then to the pitcher's mound instead of second base.
The boys couldn't help but cut loose when the music starting playing at the end opening ceremonies. They were so funny. William is the short one (that is funny to say because he is so tall) dancing between the tall boys.

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T12:22:00.001-04:00

This morning started early. W woke up a little after 6 a.m. At first, I was a little perturbed by this. Then, realizing he wasn't going back to sleep, I figured we might as well go to the sunrise service at church that started at 7 a.m. So, we got up and threw ourselves together and scurried off to church. W and L both attended the service and did surprisingly well. The donuts and orange juice probably helped with that.
When we got back, they got their Easter baskets. W had a new Thomas movie and some sugar free gum--he was happy with finding just those two things, never mind all the chocolate and candy. L, on the other hand, could not overlook the candy and took straight away to eating her candy--she was partial to the jelly beans and tootsie rolls. Next, the egg hunt in Grandparents yard. L barely had a chance to get any eggs since W was so fast and more experienced. She was able to get ahead at times because William has to open up every egg to see what's inside.

Dyeing eggs

2009-04-11T22:45:00.006-04:00

This was L's first time dyeing eggs for easter. W, at his ripe age of 3 1/2, is an experienced egg dyer. L loved everything about it--dropping the egg in, spinning the egg to make the color even; they were like her little babies the way she wanted to tend to them. So, she was very angry when W moved the eggs from the dye to the plate--as you can see in the last video.

2009-04-07T14:00:00.004-04:00

W likes to try out lots of instruments--piano, guitar, harmonica, trumpet, drum, recorder--those are the instruments he has tried so far. This is W trying out Grandma's violin. I asked him if he wanted guitar or violin lessons. He chose violin, hands down

L loves roughing up the penguin. This must be the way she treats her "friends" at school--except they just don't seem to bounce back up like penguin. L has actually not initiated any attacks on her friends in a few weeks. Although, she did bring her baby to school one day and fearlessly guarded her all day.

2009-03-20T20:59:00.002-04:00

Sweet Big Brother and Little Sister--I love this picture of these two. I know they are both a mess and in their underpants, but it so sweet.

This is the mess a little girl can make in less than 30 minutes. I could not believe she made this mess all by herself.

Lauren eating an apple--my apple to be clear. She pretty much wants to eat EVERYTHING someone else eats. She has never had an apple that wasn't peeled and cut into slices. L thought she was big stuff

Sink repair

2009-03-20T20:50:00.002-04:00

Well, the sink has a leak. W and L were very interested in finding the leak. The both tried really hard to copy what Granddad was doing

Weary Rant

2009-03-19T14:42:00.002-04:00

Why, why, why do parents bring their children to school SICK?! Okay, the rule is no school until you are free from fever, diarrhea and/or vomiting for 24 hours. So, why do parents think that the diarrhea that their child has is not contagious and that it is okay to share their virus with the rest of the class? This is not what they mean when they say to teach your children to share!!! So, thanks to some very gracious or selfish parents, I have been cleaning up vomit and diarrhea since Monday. This is the third time just this year!! Expletives have been omitted from this post but are definitely in my head!

nature trail

2009-03-10T13:03:00.003-04:00

Time Out, Oh no!

2009-03-06T12:58:00.002-05:00

Well, sweet little L has been in time out twice at school this week. Mind you, she only goes 3 days a week and the ladies in her room always tell me if they had 12 of her their day would be fabulous. They love all her sweet cuddling. But, L is tired of children playing with toys she wants to play with or thinks she might play with next(not bratty at all, right). She is apparently putting two hands up and pushing friends over if she suspects they are going to play with something she wants. She is an equal opportunity pusher, no one child is victimized. What's a girl to do?

Snowy Fun

2009-03-01T20:53:00.002-05:00

Holy Fiery Temper!!!

2009-02-25T21:47:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness--my usually very sweet and easy going little girl previewed the terrible two's today. I swear, if you just looked at this child wrong this morning she immediately fell to the floor in a full fit. She is on her back, kicking her legs, flailing her arms, screaming and crying, and rolling all over the place. The first time was in the waiting room at the Doctors office; then, on the FLOOR in the PUBLIC bathroom at the clinic (you all know my disgust over this) and then when we got home again. The first couple lasted about 15 minutes each but, at home she went on and on for about 45 minutes. Why did she pitch these fits, I'll tell you--1. she was not allowed to destroy the paperwork I just filled out for her 18 month check up, 2. I told her "no" very sternly when she was playing with the trash can in the bathroom, and 3. I gave her a few pieces of Valentine Candy corn and I put the pieces on the table instead of in her hand. Ay yi yi!

On another note, she had her 18 month appt. today. She was 33.5" tall (95%ile) and 26.4 lbs (74 %ile). Dr.'s only concern was Lauren's best friend, the pacifier.

She CAN talk!

2009-02-22T18:46:00.004-05:00

Note about the video. This was breakfast, we had both been up for about 30 minutes--this explains her fabulous hair.

I have, for the last six months, been anxiously watching L's language. It just really didn't seem she was ever going to talk or at least in a timely manner. Some of you know my worry over this already. Of course I know that every child's development is different but, after having chatty W who was talking in two word phrases from about 14 month on with a steady progression to sentences, L's expressive language was looking a little dismal. Notably as compared to her receptive language. Well, HALLELUJAH--The girl can talk. More and more words have been trickling into her vocabulary--duck, mama, meow, dog, Zoe, this?, no, more are some the the words that are regularly occurring.

Pitifully Funny

2009-02-18T22:13:00.002-05:00

Poor, poor W has had a hard few days. But, he says the funniest things at his most pitiful moments.
The first terrible thing was an accident involving that very sensitive part that comes with the Y chromosome. W has this thing about making sure he goes to the bathroom before me in the morning--I don't know why. That is a battle I choose not to have. So W goes to the potty and then I hear this terrible scream. Yes, what you are imagining happened--The toilet seat closed, well slammed, on his penis. All poor W could say is "Why that do that to me?, Why that do that to me?"
Next, W has always had a little bit of separation anxiety when we may be apart. I have taken many a shower with W standing there holding the shower curtain open to make sure I don't escape from the secret door in there, or something. I don't usually let him in the bathroom anymore; he big enough to be on his own. This morning he thought otherwise and screamed outside the door "Mama, let me in there please; Pleeeease, Mama, Let me in". Okay so finally I open the door and he falls to floor saying "you really hurt my feeling mommy"--5 times. This is my future Oscar winner.
Lastly, as some of you know W has been sick these last few days. Tonight we went to urgent care to confirm that he had strep and get the antibiotic. The Dr. wanted to test for mono in addition to strep. The mono test requires a little finger prick and some blood. So, after the finger prick, W keeps saying repeatedly "why he put a hole in my finger? he going to put my hole back?" I assured him it will heal. Then it was "why he take my blood? he going to put it back?" This was a thirty minute conversation. He was genuinely concerned that he wasn't going to have enough blood anymore and that he would permanently have a hole in his finger.

We love Play-Doh

2009-02-15T21:59:00.003-05:00

I know Play-Doh is one of those things parents have a love/hate relationship with. But, we love Play-Doh. There are just so many educational things disguised as fun to do. It was a huge success for L--it was her first time. Suprisingly, the Play-Doh did not end up in her mouth. She just squeezed it and broke it. I helped her make some shapes. All in all, she was very interested. W really liked making long, spaghetti like strings of play-doh.

2009-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

The Zions

So long ago...

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

What's up Doc?

Leave it to Beaver...

Miss T

It's official...

W, L, and their buddies

William is ready to support his team.

Soccer! (Or ballerina)

L's Very Merry Un-Birthday

Dance Party

William is turning *6*

Carnevale di Venezia

Easter

Short trip

This Girl Can Work It!!

William's Words

Who's been sleeping in my bed?!

Sweet Moments

Starting 2011--part 4

starting 2011--part 3

Starting 2011--part 2

Starting off 2011

White Shoes

Halloween already you say....

Soccer Season is in!

Party!

Florida

Lake City

What a....

He's got moves!

Hellooo...Postings!

Hotel Fun!

William's mind

Noah's Ark

Potty Saga (Part 2)

Travel Unexpected

Sick Day!

Visiting with Mississippi Zions

No Comment Necessary

The Potty Saga!

Snow Day

Music Day

The Long Drive...

Christmas

What a day...

Reindeer Run

The Crew

Hoedown

Trick or Treat

Out after dark...

W's rules for Mommy

Go Crew

Soccer Season

L's Birthday

W's first day of school

She's a big girl!

My little L is 2!

Music Factory

W Through his 4 Years

He's 4

Monkey see...

North Carolina--Here we come!

Friday at the playground

Boots

T-ball wrap up

Conversing with W

Day at the Museum

Little Miss Messy Pants

Go Comets!

Bowling--YIKES!

On to Mississippi

More Flordia Visiting

Visiting the Benningfields

A girl and her hat

Dauset Trails

Opening Ceremonies

Easter Morning

Dyeing eggs

William is turning 6