Memorial Day

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Andrew, 13 months

My big boy is 13 months old today! (Will post pics soon.) Just wanted to give you a developmental update on the little rascal since he won't "perform" in public. ("What do you think I am, Mom, a circus monkey???")

Andrew can say:
Mama
Daddy
Sissy
Gigi (my mom)
Anna - "Nanna"
hey
bye
duck - "guck"
car - "cah"
truck - "tuck"
fish - "shish"
dog - "gog"
Dixie (our dog) - "Di-tee"
quack - "cack"
woof - "foof"

Andrew can also:
*roll a ball back and forth with a partner
*kick a ball (Yes, he chases the soccer ball all over the place and keeps up with it. Terri & Paul would be proud!)
*wave
*walk and run
*climb anything that will be still, including the dog
*blow kisses
*give REAL kiss (and make the "mmmmm-WAH" sound)
*give hugs with extra pats on the back for good measure
*fold hands in prayer

He has zero interest in television but LOVES anything musical.

This is a whole new experience for us because Peyton didn't really ever do the baby talk things. Most of her words sounded exactly like they were supposed to be pronounced. Regardless, he's getting up there in what he can say but absolutely, positively refuses to do it on command. Gotta say, he gets that stubborn streak from DADDY! Peyton had a long attention span and loved to watch Baby Einstein DVDs, but Andrew is constantly moving, moving, moving. All of those who say boys and girls are different creatures are certainly CORRECT. I guess it just makes us well-rounded parents.

Ladies' Night!

Last night, Kim and I took Autumn and Anna out for their SURPRISE graduation gift. We got them makeovers at Bare Escentuals and bought them some of their favorites from the collection. We had a really good time. You should have seen us...Kim was the "guinea pig". She let them do her makeup and ended up looking like a total hot mama/vixen. We were supposed to follow the steps they did with Kim, but it turned out that they ended up just doing all of it for us anyway. Autumn was in hog heaven, dazzled by the colors and very adventurous. Anna was overwhelmed (she's not a big makeup wearer) but was open and such a good sport about trying something new. They looked beautiful when it was all said and done! Anna with her "classic" beauty and Autumn with her spunky teal eyeliner. I went way out of my comfort zone and let them try colors on me which I would not normally use...and ended up LOVING it once I toned it down a little. After makeovers, we went to Panera Bread and had dinner. Dee-lish!

We are so blessed to have such wonderful girls to work with. I am so proud of their accomplishments and happy that I have gotten to know both of them. Kim - I am so happy you are my bestest bud. Wouldn't have wanted to share it with anyone else! Anna & Autumn - I am so proud of you. Congratulations and happy graduation! We will always be here for you, no matter where life's journey takes you.

Coldplay

A couple of months ago, I won free tickets from Magic 96.5 to see Coldplay at the Verizon Wireless Music Center (AKA "Oak Mountain"). Nick and I both love them, so we were excited about our view from the nosebleeds. While we were 75.2 miles away from the stage, it was still awesome. This band rocks! They are one of the few I have seen that sounds JUST LIKE their album, but LIVE. Chris Martin's vocals were stellar; they even performed two mini-sets amongst the crowd: one on a small stage in the lower section, and one on the sidewalk between the upper and lower sections. The show started with Howling Bells at 7:30, then Pete Yorn at about 8:15. Coldplay came on around 9:00 and played for TWO HOURS! Yep, that's right. We didn't leave until 11:30. Best free concert I've ever been to, and one of the top five of ALL the concerts I've been to...and I've seen a lot!

Mission Accomplished!

On April 21, 2008 my mission began. Assignment: Nurse baby boy for a full year, with never a drop of formula passing his lips unless medically necessary. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! As of last night, I nursed my sweet angel for the last time. It was sad, and tears were shed, but it was time. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to share the experience and form that bond with him. Thank you to all my sisters who supported me through the adventure, you know who you are! And to all of you out there who are currently nursing or planning to nurse, enjoy it because it is one of the most precious, memorable experiences you will ever have with your child. No one can do it for you and no one can take it away. I thank God for giving us Mothers the ability to experience such joy.

That said, I have received my next mission: Operation Lose the Baby Weight! As you all know, each time I tried to cut calories while nursing, my milk supply would CRASH, even at the slightest dip in calories. So I gave up and put weight loss on the back burner, devoting myself to the experience of nursing since I knew it wouldn't be forever. I am back on LIVESTRONG, a health and wellness website that allows you to track your lifestyle (calories, exercise, etc) for FREE while making connections with others who share your same fitness goals. I also started taking my Advocare vitamins again, which keep me healthy and provide all my essential vitamins for the day. In order to lose 2 pounds per week, I have cut back to about 1500 calories a day. I hope to begin exercising on a daily basis as soon as school is out. Say a prayer for me and join me on the road to better health and fitness. The more, the merrier (and healthier!)

Good deal on Kraft salad dressing

There is a coupon in Sunday's paper for $1.50 off any Kraft dressing. I was able to get it for 8 CENTS at Wal-Mart this weekend (they had a "rollback" on Kraft dressings.) WOOHOO!

Preschool days are over

As of today, Peyton has graduated from preschool and been promoted to Kindergarten. She had her goodbye party today at Froggy's Family Fun Center, a local party place that is full of giant inflatables for kids to jump in. She had a good time but was so sad to say goodbye to her friends, many of which she will probably never see again because they are zoned for different schools. I am so thankful for the wonderful teachers she has learned from. They have taken good care of her, taught her more than she needs to know to be ready for "real" school, and been patient as saints. We are so blessed to have DFBK and are sad that her days there are over, but excited about the upcoming year!

Mother's Day Card from Peyton

Similar to Christy's post, Peyton's class did a card for Mother's Day. Here's hers (her responses are in italics):

My mom's the greatest. She can't be beat.
Sushi is her favorite food to eat.
She weighs 65 pounds and is 10 feet tall,
She helps me up if I should fall.
Lemon-orange is the color that she likes best.
She would go to her bedroom for a rest.
My mom is only 4 years old.
She wraps me in my comfy green blanket if I get cold.
Washing dishes & cleaning the kitchen are her favorite things to do,
Or seeing tigers at the zoo.
When I do my work it makes her glad.
But when I disobey it makes her mad.
I love it when my mom tucks me in the bed.
Love, Peyton

Strawberry Arrangement

Sadly enough, I did not take a picture of my arrangements before they were eaten, but I can describe them for you. They are similar to Edible Arrangements. You take any vase or container and fill it with floral foam. Then, using either floral picks or wooden skewers, you make an arrangegment of fruit. I use pineapple cut with cookie cutters, strawberries, Granny Smith apples, and melon cut into wedges or spheres (using a melon baller). Start with a shape in mind and just get after it. I go stem by stem, shaping the "arrangement" as I go. The ones I did this weekend were in miniature hurricane vases and the strawberries were shaped into a ball on the top. It's usually better if you choose one of two options: 1) Use the same sized fruit throughout the arrangement or 2) use bigger fruit at the bottom and get smaller toward the top. These choices really just depend on the shape you are seeking with your arrangement. Next time I do one, I will remember to take pictures. Try it out! They make great, inexpensive gifts and are healthier than the chocolates that are oh-so-dear to our hearts.

P.S. If you still need the chocolate fix, try dipping strawberries or Granny Smith apple wedges in dark chocolate and use them in the arrangement. Dee-lish!

Eventful weekend

Well, it was quite a weekend. Friday night while Nick was gone to the mens' retreat, Anna and I went to the Galleria to do some shopping. Got home and started making mini-loaves for the Sunshine Girls' project, only to receive a phone call from my dear husband telling me he has injured his ankle and is on his way home. I was supposed to go to Laura's and hang out, but didn't get to. Nick, if you want me to stay home just ask. You don't have to disable yourself!! :)

Saturday morning, I sent Peyton with Laura, Charlie and Hailey to go do the SG project while I took Nick to the hospital for x-rays. The ankle is not broken, but maybe a torn ligament. MRI scheduled for Tuesday. I get back only to find out that my darling daughter has misbehaved with Laura...frustrating, but okay in the end. I begged Laura's forgiveness for having to deal with my heathen child. The rest of Saturday was a total blur. I made the cake for Sunday's lunch, made strawberry arrangements for our mothers, and chased after the kids. Didn't get much sleep that night.

Sunday was Mother's Day. Got up and cooked breakfast for the family. Peyton and Andrew pretty much cried all morning for one reason or another. Peyton made me a hilarious card and Nick got me a gift card to J.Jill to get some new clothes. My mom and grandmother came over after church and I cooked them lunch in honor of Mother's Day. After that, I crashed. Took a 2-hour nap and then back to church with the kids. Went to buy groceries, both kids in tow, after church. Went home, ate dinner, then went to Nick's mom's to deliver her gifts. Came home, did laundry, made lunches, crashed again. You don't stop being a mom on Mother's Day!!! :)

1 down, 3 to go...

Well, it's been a week since I took Andrew's lunch-time feeding away. He has done fine with it, but it has made him even more dependent upon his 4PM nursing. As soon as I get home, he is crying and climbing all over me to nurse. I don't know if it's because he gets cow's milk at lunch now or what, because it's not like he has been nursing at lunch anyway (except on the weekends.) Now it's time for me to take away another feeding. Originally, I had planned to take the 4PM feeding now, but I don't know. Any thoughts from my blogging buddies? I have to keep the morning right now for personal relief, but which should I take away next, 4PM or bedtime? HELP!

Kindergarten Registration - UPDATE

Well, she did GREAT at registration. She took her immunization and registration forms to Mrs. Pam all by herself (she is great friends with Mrs. Pam...To Peyton, anyone who buys her fancy shoes and an alarm clock is okay in her book!) Then she went back by herself to do her assessment. She did a great job on all components of the test: counting to 20, recognizing numbers to 10, recognizing all letters and their sounds, saying her ABCs, matching pictures to their beginning sounds, colors, shapes, and matching rhyming words. I was so proud of her.

Let me tell you something, though, I feel for all the parents out there who have more than one kid in school. The supply list is pretty hefty: 2-24 ct. crayons, 24 pencils, 1 pair Fiskars scissors, 2 bottles of Elmer's glue, notebook, journal, 2 jumbo coloring books, 1 pack of disposable drinking cups, gallon easy-zip bags, quart easy-zip bags, ream of copy paper, Germ-X, and other stuff I can't remember... plus there's a $55 classroom fee (class shirt, scrapbook, workbooks, etc.) and there are "extra" items on top of the supply list that the teachers requested (Lysol, Clorox wipes, and black dry erase markers.)

I can sympathize, though, because I am a teacher myself. Rumor has it that we might not get any State funding next year for supplies, so all classroom provisions will have to come from parents. God help us all if that happens, because only about an eighth of my students actually BRING the supplies I request. We will all have to say a prayer that it doesn't go that far next year.

Kindergarten Registration

1:05 P.M. - Can you believe my baby girl registers for kindergarten this afternoon? Say a little prayer that she does well on her test. Will give an update later.

Around the world (or our piece of it!)

It has been crazy busy lately, AS USUAL! But I guess I should just be glad we are all healthy enough to run around like we do. As promised, here are the zoo pictures from Peyton's field trip.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This past Friday night, the fam went out to dinner and to do a little shopping. We ate at Sumo, which you know is one of my favorites. It's nowhere near the first time the kids have been, but it's the first time Andrew has noticed chopsticks and attempted to do something with them. Here are the results of his adventure...

Make a Smilebox slideshow