Kline family time

This past Saturday we were supposed to head to the Christmas Tree Farm north of town with the rest of the Kline clan, but (long story short) plans changed. We have discovered the challenge of finding low-cost activities appropriate for a 6-year-old, 2-year-olds, and the adults as well (not to mention a 9-month-old). We still wanted to have some family time so Grannylou decided she needed help decorating her tree.
The kids made a few ornaments (with the mamas' help) - Kadyn and Dylan got into it.
Our boy thought his candy cane was a "J" and that his snowman was an 8.
He didn't get into decorating them, but he did enjoy coloring the stars and balls made of simple construction paper.

Our girl had a grand time too - can't you tell?

Then we decorated the tree - Kristi's kids got into it, but the boy was more interested in running around. The best part is that the most decorating was done by Clay and Eric - the only two non-blood Klines of the bunch and the two least interested in decorating a tree! The tree is a little heavy in certain spots, but it was decorated with love and much joy.


The boys then enjoyed coloring some Christmas pages Kristi found - I think it's the longest those two have ever been still at a table together. It was fun to stand back and watch them interact - we think an actual conversation happened!












Once the girl woke up, she donned a Santa hat and flashed her great smile. It is changing as one of her top teeth broke through last week and is now visible (you might have to look closely). We had a great time as family - nothing extraordinary, but great memories none the less!

Family photos and such

Merry Christmas!

We did our second annual family photos/Santa visit this past Friday. A photo session with a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old is quite an adventure. We did manage to get some cute shots and some memorable ones. I'm thankful they provide a CD so we get every shot they snapped. I've included a wide variety so you can get a feel for what the experience was like. You get to see the girl let us know she was done along with the boy stretching up high and showing off his muscles. Clay thought we should postpone Santa for another day since the boy was past his limit, but I thought a change of scenery would be all he needed. It was, but he wasn't too fond of the bearded guy. He cried and the girl just looked completely baffled by the hairy man. I'll have to scan the picture later along with the boy's first school picture. Enjoy the holidays!

I tried it again...silly me!

Are there times you are in the midst of doing something you stop to ask yourself, "Why? Why did I do this to myself?" I had one of those experiences this morning. I knew it was risky to take both kids by myself to get the boy a haircut, but I was so set on getting it cut that the risk seemed worth the end result. We've been letting the boy's hair grow to show off his curls; and just a little over a week ago, it was AWESOME. (His dad is majorly jealous!) It seemed like overnight that the curls disappeared under the weight of his growing hair so we discussed getting a little trim. Like with my own hair, I got a bee in my bonnet about the haircut and I could hardly wait another day. We had a commitment this morning that finished earlier than expected so I loaded them up and headed off to Cool Cuts. I was floored when I opened the door and the place was EMPTY. The boy headed straight to the train track while I signed us in. It took some coaxing to get him to the seat (a fun yellow taxi) and the tears started immediately. Mind you, it's been 4 months since we last entered this establishment - 4 MONTHS! I sat the girl on the floor nearby because I knew my assistance would be needed. We were the only ones in the store, but it was so loud as the girl screamed in sympathy right along with her brother who acted like we were torturing him. Elmo nor the taxi were good enough to pacify. The girl was very kind and I opted against the edger (previous experience proved those to be the worst part of it all). The other worker came in from her break and held the gal while we finished up. I was thankful no one else came in while we were there. It was only 10 minutes, but it sure felt like an hour! It took him a few moments and going back to the train to calm down, but the screaming started again when I told him we had to leave. I pulled a few of my tricks out of my sleeve and he was fine by the time they were buckled in the car. I said it last time, but I really mean it this time: I WILL NOT DO THAT ALONE AGAIN. (If you don't recall my first experience at Cool Cuts alone with both kids, click here to read the story.)

Then as if I hadn't had enough fun, I went to Mardel to buy a nativity set (see below) and a few stocking stuffers...and they have a Thomas train for kids to play with. It was a great distraction while I was shopping, but he let the whole store know how mean he thought I was for making him leave. I can only imagine what others were thinking as he screamed his way to the checkout and all the way out to the car. Thank heavens for our Hermie CD or the ride home might have been another adventure.

I caught the bug...

...the Christmas bug that is. It's funny how I was thinking this past weekend about how NOT in the Christmas mood I was. Even yesterday driving the boy to school I thought about the fact that I didn't want to listen to Christmas music (I know, Jodi, I should be shot for such a remark!) then I began thinking through what we wanted to get the kids and our trip and such. The more I thought and the more I emailed my mothers (ensuring duplicates are not purchased) the more I got excited. It's different this year though - I'm excited about our kids getting excited about Christmas. They are going to LOVE what their beloved grandparents have found - and knowing that makes me excitedly anxious. I want the kids to truly experience this season with all of their senses. I love that the boy says "It's a Christmas Tree!" at least once every half hour. I love that he tells it goodbye. I love that we chose to decorate sparsely so the tree is something exciting instead of a point of contention. I don't care if he touches it or moves around the things within his reach. My biggest desire is for them to begin to understand the real meaning of this season. I figure it won't be too hard since the boy loves birthdays and breaks into the birthday song at random times. To help begin to put the story in their heads, I borrowed an idea from a friend: The Little People Nativity Set. It's one they can touch and play with. I want them to know that Jesus isn't off-limits or just nice to look at. I want them to know that Jesus wants to be a part of their life - good, bad, and everything in between. I want them to know that He can go anywhere they do and withstand whatever they put Him through. So while there are lights and Santa and more they will experience this holiday, right now I'm most excited about getting the nativity set out of the car and sharing my most prized possession with our children.

New developments

No need for sound...


She turned a corner this past week becoming much more stable and much faster. She still has her moments, but she's learning quickly. Like her brother, she's skipping some easier tasks to grasp (getting into a sitting position, pulling up on anything other than a person, and she still crawls on her elbows). We continue to be amazed knowing she is only 9 months old!


The rest of our holiday weekend was a bit more eventful than we planned with a fussy, teething gal and a stomach bug, but we did manage to get the tree up. It is pretty bare compared to other years, but we just didn't figure it was worth the fight with two kids this year. We have a few ornaments up high but they are all lightweight in case they fall. I think I'll steal a friend's idea and have the kids make ornaments this year and throughout the coming year that we can use to decorate next year so they can move them and such until their hearts are content! We tried to keep the boy away from the tree last year, but I want them to be able to experience Christmas without fear of injury or losing something special.

Our turkey day

Our turkey day was quite different this year from our last few. We opted not to travel and wound up without company either. It has been a nice change of pace, and we are looking forward to a weekend without plans or entertaining. We'll surely make up for it come Christmas! We did gather with my parents, my sister and her family, my grandmother from AL, and some dear friends who didn't have family in town. We ate an early meal working around kids' schedules and other commitments, but it made for a very relaxing afternoon/evening. It stayed cold today and we even got some sleet. It actually feels like winter! We took the opportunity to take some pictures of my grandmother with her TX great-grandkids and then the family as a whole since we had extra hands. Hard to get 4 kids to cooperate at the same time not to mention the adults too, but I think we got a few good ones. I hope your turkey day was full of good food, laughter, and rest. How blessed we are...I hope you know that you are too.













Our good friends "Meghandy" and their daughter joined us for the festivities. Meghan and I took a moment to get some pics of our gals born 6 days apart. Sadly, these gals won't grow up together as they soon return to WV to start a church. How thankful I am that we got to spend this holiday together before they head north. They have been good friends and will be so missed!









Here's how the boy spent most of his day. There is a puppydog video that he has gotten quite attached to at Grannylou and Pop's house. He has been talking about it all week, and family are more than happy to help a brother out. Who can blame them when he so kindly asks, "Watch puwdydog, pwease?" The girl practiced walking behind a toy and got lots of cuddle time with Aunt Kristi and GrandMom. Then she found a pillow that we think so fits her. It may just become her motto (I can hear her saying it to me as she cries at night!).

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday our fine city broke the record high with a temp of 84 (recall we are in late November!)...and tonight we've had a fire going as our temps have dropped consistently since about 9 AM. It should stay cold throughout the weekend so it might actually feel like Thanksgiving. Gotta love Texas weather - that's why they say if you don't like it, hang around a minute and you'll have something totally different!

Here's a song the boy learned at school that seemed appropriate for this blog although it was filmed last week. Don't forget to pause the player at the bottom so you can hear the video!


Let me "translate" - There's a fire, There's a fire, In your house, In your house, What do you do?, What do you do?, You get out. You get out.

We really thought he might sing it when we started the fire tonight, but he surprised us. Here's about how it went: "Hot. Hot. Can you blow? (attempt to blow it out then he begins to sing...) Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you." The birthday song came out many more times before bed...what's that say about the number of candles he's seen on cakes around here?

(Please note the new post below dated Sunday. The computer locked up and I didn't realize it actually loaded the video!)

Kisses

I'm keeping this for proof one day that they did actually love each other!

Sunday morning photo shoot

The girl looked adorable this morning and we had some extra time (we'd been up for 3 hours!) so I took some pictures. As you can see, the boy isn't quite as cooperative these days. He's much more interested in seeing things from the other side of the camera. (Bailey, thanks for passing down your dress!)












I tried to get a few of the kids together - a challenging feat to say the least!
I think he's calling for timeout in this picture after he "loved" on her face! She obviously isn't too thrilled about his "loving"!

Randomness

Several things to write about so hang with me...

Ten years ago this morning (about 12:30 a.m.), a wonderful young man took the plunge and asked what was going on with us. It was the beginning of a "DTR" (define-the-relationship talk) that was sealed with a kiss and an unforgettable journey began. Baby, thank you for taking my hand that night. It was risky - our amazing friendship on the line - but I'm glad you followed your heart. I couldn't ask for a better partner on this journey of life. I couldn't ask for a better best friend. I couldn't ask for a better father for my kids. I couldn't ask for a better man. I love you.

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One year ago today, my best gal pal lost her mother to cancer. Today her family celebrates Gail's life with the joy of a new baby, Abigail, born just 9 days ago. Gail's influence remains strong in this world through her family's faith and her daughter's hospitality and care giving of family and friends. Sweet friend, my heart goes out to you, your dad, your brother and your husband. I pray today God is so big in your world and that you are able to laugh through the tears at the joy your mother was to God, you, and so many others.


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Isn't this a great picture? I see a lot of my mom in his face.

Our little man has come so far in the last couple of months. Preschool has made such a difference. His teacher was bragging on him yesterday when I picked him up, and it is such a joy to watch him become more and more social. Yesterday he was running with several 3 and 4 year olds holding his own. He's definitely testing authority here at home, but he truly is sweet to his core.
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Here are a couple of pictures of the gal's new favorite thing to do: stand! I couldn't decide which picture was cuter so I posted both. She really turned a corner this past weekend becoming much more stable and maneuvering around this toy or whatever she's holding on to. She takes a few steps while holding on to someone too. She even tried to pick up a bucket the other day while standing - she so wants to be big! She's still working on pulling up and getting herself into a sitting position, but she's interested. Big brother isn't so sure about this new development!

Now you know why my posts aren't as frequent...I get even less accomplished while they are awake these days and that makes the brief time their naps overlap a hot commodity.

Just for Mimi

Mimi - this is just for you!

(Make sure to pause the player at the bottom so you can hear...)

On the Move

I figured out how to do this video stuff and thought you might enjoy seeing her little army crawl.