Fun filled Saturday mornings

Our Saturdays once again this fall have a fun morning twist: Upward football! This year, Coach Clay assumed the head coaching spot of the Bulldogs, a 1-3 grade team. Needless to say it is quite an adventure for all involved. The Bulldogs are currently 3-0, and their statue of liberty play is a killer. I must also give props to Assistant Coach David who runs with the boys when they break free! Here are the Bulldogs and Coach Clay in action...









The kids have enjoyed themselves at the two games we've attended (illness had us miss one week). It is quite bright and often warm, but they enjoy the time outdoors and all the activity. Our boy has a fascination with the cheerleaders - here he is cheering along with them as they did a halftime "show."










Here are the coaches' sons "playing" together. We're hoping a friendship will soon develop!








Coach Clay giving out stars at the end of the game - this is where the coaches recognize the efforts of the team and most importantly the Christ-like attitude of the boys. Then you have our two tired munchkins - it was hot without any wind (a strange day in this land) - and they had had their fill of football for one day!

Lovin' my boy

It's a big night here in our house - the boy tee-teed in the potty!!! We put him on it every night in hopes that it'll just happen - and tonight it did! He got the funniest look on his face and then I heard it. I called Clay to join us and we celebrated. I'm not sure the boy got why we were so excited, but at least he didn't get scared by our celebration.

Then during prayer time I asked him what he wanted to thank God for (up to this point he's only said names of family or friends). Tonight he calmly replied, "chicken."

Out of the mouth of babes - melt my heart!

(PS - make sure to listen to the song I talk about in the previous post...it's great!)

Song to share

Okay - you MUST listen to this song...Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin. Head to the bottom of the blog to the playlist, turn your speakers on and select it to play. AMAZING! (Karen, you're gonna love this if you haven't already heard it!)

What a gift God has given us - His grace...and now our chains are gone. Chains of defeat, chains of despair, chains of guilt, chains of pride, chains of selfishness, chains of sorrow, chains of the past...I may not be rid of my battle of selfishness, pride, guilt and more, BUT I now have the power of Christ to keep those chains from taking hold of me again.

Sing loud - sing proud - and know the victory we have when we give our lives to the ONE AND ONLY GOD!

Much to my surprise...

Our boy knows how to lock the door into the garage. Fortunately this wasn't a hard lesson learned...I had my keys with me (for no real reason) as I was getting the stroller out of the car for a walk. It could have been an interesting morning with my kids locked inside the house. God love him - he was just being a helper and imitating us - but I'm not sure which window I would have broken! And yes, the child lock is now on the door...

Too cute to be Tupac

Clay calls this the Tupac outfit due to the bandanna - it is on loan from sweet Emma - and I just love it! I do think she is WAY TOO CUTE to be Tupac and so I had to take pictures. LOVIN' IT!

(For those unaware, Tupac was a rapper who often wore a bandanna tied in just this fashion on his head. Tupac is no longer with us, but his "trend" lives on...)

Small milestones

Today was a day of small milestones -

1. We arrived at school early this morning (I learned this is NOT a good thing for our boy) which gave our boy time to get worked up over my leaving. However, when Ms. Joanne opened the door, he walked toward her with arms above his head asking for a hug. While my heart hurt for his sadness, I was excited to see his comfort level with Ms. Joanne. I knew he would be okay - and he was having a great time when I went to pick him up.

2. Our girl and I ventured to Wal-Mart during school. She sat in the buggy seat like a big girl for the first time. She is still so wee (she was wearing a 0-3 month outfit today!), but she looked so old sitting there so steady. It took my breath away. She's growing up so fast! A woman even commented on how well she was sitting for not even being 7 months old. I also discovered that she is just as much of a people magnet as her brother. Many people, children included, commented on her as we walked the aisles. She was even the talk of the checkout line as she smiled big again and again! Our next step is to see how our boy does in the big part of the buggy - something he's never experienced. I think I'll take Dad along for that adventure!

3. We got the joy of going to dinner with one of my cousins who was in town for the night. We sat at the table with both (BOTH) of our children in high chairs. Another first for our girl. Again, it took my breath away. Our boy didn't quite know what to do about his sister sitting beside him, but she did great. We've entered a new phase...

Nothing major...won't write it in any baby book...but milestones none the less...and things other mothers will understand why they mean something to me.

Our over-achiever

If you haven't read the previous post, please do so to get the full story...

When I arrived to pick the boy up, I learned that one accident report in a day isn't good enough for our over-achiever. Thirty-five minutes after the first fall and just moments before I arrived, he hit his head on the table trying to reach the cookie he dropped. He didn't cry this time, but it did leave quite a mark right between his eyes! The knot on the top of his head isn't huge, but it is a definite knot. Day #2 and I had to sign two separate accident reports...I'm beginning to be amazed we haven't had a trip to the ER...

I didn't realize I was such a prophet when I suggested we might have a few more of these this year!

Eventful day #2

This morning was just as traumatic for the boy - he started whimpering when we hit the hallway! He was in full blown mode by the time we reached the door, but Ms. Joanne quickly came to his side. She says he just likes to sit with her for a bit and get a lay of the land before getting involved (sounds like another man that lives in our home!). [SIDENOTE - Clay would like to add something here: Just for the record, I do NOT have to sit with Ms. Joanne and get the lay of anything. I have only seen the woman twice and we have no involvement. I love my wife dearly and would never do anything with Ms. Joanne despite what my wife’s words may imply.]

Back to my story:

And he's now had an accident report filled out that I must sign when I get there! A call from Ms. Joanne informed me that he tripped over his own two feet and hit his head on the playground. I'll see just how big/small the bump is when I pick him up in a bit. She said he only cried about 30 seconds and was giving her big smiles as we talked.

Something tells me we may have a few more of these this year...

Wasting time

WARNING: This is a big gripe session so you might want to skip it. I've been on quite a roll today about girl's clothes not being as practical as boys (they just aren't as interchangeable...and they each require shoes and bows and such!) and more...this is just my latest rant. So you may want to just skip this!

I think I'm an expert at this - wasting time - and the Internet is simply fuel on my fire. I think blogs are great, don't get me wrong. I can easily share what is happening in our world without flooding in boxes with stories and pictures. I don't have to re size pictures or worry about annoying people with things I love about my kids. But many days I wind up wasting time reading about other people I've never met. Yes, it can be encouraging to hear I'm not the only mom dealing with this or that, but I find myself getting sucked in unable to find my way out. And then I find myself feeling like I know this person or that when I've never spoken to them. Anyone can post whatever on a blog. Just because it appears a person is strong and a creative parent doesn't mean she never battles boredom or feeling lost. While our kids look adorable in the pictures, you don't experience the tantrums or screaming. And it's just another way for us women to compare ourselves. (I'm rambling, aren't I?) Anyway, I guess I just needed to confess my wastefulness today. Instead of resting, paying bills, cleaning house, organizing, exercising, spending time with God or a myriad of other things, I've spent the last hour plus reading about people I know and some I don't. Now my kids will be up shortly, I am still tired and there is still much to do; yet my kids will need my attention when they greet the afternoon. So much for living up to my gifts today! Fortunately there is tomorrow...

It's a BIG day

It's a big day for these two boys...one turns 30 and the other started school!

Clay has had almost a week of celebration including a boy's trip to Starkville (with detours to Tuscaloosa and Memphis), an SEC football game, more ribs than one should partake in one day, an evening with close friends, a family gathering, and more to come. I think it's been a good birthday for him...and he's finally as old as me!

The boy was a bit traumatized this morning as we dropped him off with Ms. Joanne, but a friend checked on him later and he was doing well. It's a new era in our world, but I am excited about having a few hours a week alone with the girl and having the option to run errands with only one child! They both looked adorable this morning so the camera had to come out!

UPDATE: Ms. Joanne said he was fine once she picked him up and loved on him a bit. She told him that if he needed a hug at any point just to come let her or Ms. Linda know...and she said a couple of times he walked up to her, held up his arms, and said, "hug." He wasn't too fond of finger painting, but that is no surprise to me. He is usually more intrigued with stuff on his hands than what he can do with it. He did put his hands on Ms. Joanne's and move them around the paper though. He was so excited to see me, but got upset that he had to wait a minute before coming out the door as they gathered his stuff. I'll know better for next time. I stayed after the other parents left to talk with Ms. Joanne and Ms. Linda (which is how I got all this info), and he gladly gave them both "five"; then, on his own, walked over to hug Ms. Joanne before we left. That melted my heart, and will make the tears that I am sure will come Thursday easier to handle.

Pop and Grannylou time

One night while Daddy was out of town last week, Grannylou came to spend the night. We have the blessing of having my folks just a few miles down the road, but that means they don't get the chance to experience our daily routines. So, I invited Grannylou to spend the night and see what happens around here. Grannylou and the boy played hard...their laughter was quite contagious! This game was such a hit that the boy handed us the sheet again the next morning. Pop came over for a bit the next morning, and the boy had fun with him too. What the pictures don't show is the boy slamming the cup down on Pop's head...he doesn't quite have the "gentle" part down. I love watching my folks act like kids again. What a gift God has given us by having family close by - we know we are the rarity these days!

True rest

Don't you wish you could truly rest like my girl? I pulled her in to bed with me this morning not ready to start the day quite as early as she was. We both fell back asleep while she was eating; and when I roused an hour and half later, she was completely undisturbed. If only you could hear her light snoring...

A story of playing together

Today a young brother and sister truly played together for the first time. Their mother, knowing it was a momentous occasion, documented the event. Here is their story:

The boy and the girl were happily sharing books when the girl realized a camera was around. She knew she had to pose.









After several attempts the boy and girl finally looked at Mommy together although it appears they were a bit annoyed at being interrupted. Then Mommy brought a new toy over. The boy amazed his mommy by waiting patiently while the girl inspected the toy.









The boy showed her another way to play with the toy and then let her have a turn.










While playing together, the boy got an idea...









"I think I'll bite her," the boy thinks to himself. In much shock while shedding a few tears, the girl wonders what just happened and why Mommy is just sitting there taking pictures.

No bite marks were left, but two attempts later Mommy decided the kids had had enough together time.

Fun times

Last week Grannylou and Kadyn came to play with the kids while I got pampered with highlights and a haircut. As you can see, the kids had a blast...the toy box has not been that empty since we bought it almost a year ago. Kadyn enjoyed being the older cousin and helping out. Amazingly neither of the girls ended up with food on them!

This man of mine...

Gotta love it when the back door opens hours before the hubby is to be home...and in comes this handsome man with flowers (my hubby of course)! We're having a home date night after the kids go to bed, and he decided he'd start the evening off with a surprise. He knew I'd never expect flowers on a date night - because I'm a gal who would prefer you skip them when "you're supposed to" and buy them for no particular reason.

I think we'll put the kids down early...

Girlfriends

Our daughter has the joy of having girlfriends from birth. She was one of 4 gals born within 2 months within my group of friends. The girls are just now getting to the point where they interact a bit. I love watching our girl study the others and laugh at their antics. Today I finally caught it on camera. Sweet Abby is 3 weeks younger than our wee one, but you would never know with her hair, height, and activity level. What a fun day!