Letters from the Principal's Office

UPDATE

2011-11-19T02:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! Has it seriously been 4 months since I last journaled? This summer was so crazy and it seemed to just sort of carry on into the fall. I really felt like we were only home a few days out of the whole summer. I know that's not true, but it just left like we were gone a LOT. Of course doing fun things, so no complaints.
First we headed to West Palm Beach with Jimmy's family. It was a bittersweet change from Marco Island. It was nice to experience the waves and sand of the east coast, but I think we all were missing our familiar Marco. We had a great time, though and the kids did SO good.

From there we headed straight to Anna Maria Island to spend a week with the Gordon family. I always look so much forward to spending time with my family (ALL packed into ONE house). Let's just say we have lots of memories. Ha. It is also so neat to see J.D. and Mady with their cousins. We get to see them a lot, but it's a totally different thing living with them for a week. We had such a good time and made memories we'll never forget.

Lastly, we decided to do one last trip to Orlando to take the kids to Disney. They had never been, and we actually vowed to not take them until they were bigger. However, someone gave us some tickets, so of course off we went. And I'm SO glad we did. I wasn't sure how they were going to do, but they did amazing. They were a little overwhelmed at first, not sure what to think of everything and probably not sure why Jimmy & I were so excited?! But after awhile, they warmed up and then it was no stopping them. We had planned to go half a day, take naps and then come back, but they were having such a good time, and attitudes were good, so we pressed on. They did fall asleep in the stroller, which gave them energy to last through the night parade (at 12:00). It was a great day and it exceeded ALL of our expectations. J.D. keeps asking when we are going to take him to drive the cars again, and Mady keeps telling us that she "misses the princesses". All in all, a GREAT summer!!

Since then, it has just been busy, busy, busy. J.D. went back to preschool. It's a long story, but after some last minute decision making on our part, we decided to hold him back because of his summer birthday. Being a few months ahead, we definitely think it was the right decision. He is doing so good and can tell he is more confident. He is such a good boy and is so sweet with Mady. He really is a great big brother and she's a lucky girl to have him.

Mady is still crazy Mady. I started her in a mommy & me gymnastics class. There's not much instruction, but she loves to just run around and jump on the trampoline. At the second class, she told me to go sit down, "I do by self!!" Guess she didn't realize it was a MOMMY & ME class?? The coaches have commented on how coordinated she is and that she's ready for a "real" class. We also just celebrated her birthday. I can NOT believe she is 3! Although, we say that it feels like she should be older than three...it's been a long 3yrs! Ha. Just kidding, it's been a wonderful ride. She keeps us laughing and keeps us on our toes. We had a strawberry shortcake birthday party (which was the 3rd theme she had picked in 2wks) and she is already talking about what she wants next year. Ha.

We have also been trying to sell our house the last two months. No offers yet, but we'll just keep trying. Well, I'm sure I'm missing some amazing story, but I'm getting tired of typing. Hopefully I'll be a little better about updating??

CRAZY MADY STORY

2011-08-04T07:38:00.001-07:00

I have told this story to several people, but I must write it down so that I don't forget it 20yrs from now.
So, it was a rare outing where I only had Mady with me. It was a Saturday and Jimmy took J.D. golfing. We had just gotten Mady her big-girl bed and I needed sheets to put on it. So off to the store we go. She also was needing some more panties (because she likes to change them several times a day and I can't keep up with the laundry), so we first went to the kids section and I let her pick out which ones she wanted. Of course she picked the Elmo ones - her fave. Next we headed over to the sheet aisle, where there happened to be a futon at the end of the aisle. So I'm busy looking at the sheets and she is sitting nicely (or so I thought) on the futon. I can see her out of the corner of my eye, but I'm not really paying attention to what she is doing (which I should know by now is NEVER a good idea). A few minutes go by and I hear, "TaDa!!" I turn around and she has her arms out striking a pose like she is so proud of herself. She is completely naked all but a pair of her new Elmo undies...she apparently sat on that futon, proceeded to take off every bit of her clothes, open the package of panties and put them on. Meanwhile, who knows how many people walked by and saw this happening and didn't say anything?? "They" will tell me 20 times in one day that she should sit down in the shopping cart (I'm tempted to hand her over to the next person that says that and challenge them to deal with her) , but she's totally naked and no one says a word. Now of course I have another problem, because I know she is not going to want to take these off, so naturally a tantrum ensues when I try to take them off and put her clothes back on. Finally she agreed after I told her we would not be purchasing the new Elmo undies if she did not take them off.
Whew!! She is such a crazy kid, and sometimes I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. She sure keeps life entertaining and I know one day when she's older I will long for these days again. (or will I????) ha.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.D.

2011-05-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

Today my little baby boy turned FIVE!!! I can't believe it, where did five years go??? In ways it seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital, yet in some ways we can't even remember life before him.
I'm going to try not to cry as I'm writing this, but he really is just the best boy in the entire world. When the ultrasound tech said "it's a boy", I never imagined what a great little man we would have and how much I would love him. He was such a good baby and is growing into a boy that I am so very proud of. He brings such joy to my heart and makes me smile each and every day. Here are some facts about J.D.'s life right now:
*he is finishing up preschool which has been so great for him.
*he is still so tenderhearted and so sweet
*he is the best big brother to Mady. He is so gentle and sweet with her and she looks up to him so much and wants to do everything that he does.
*his favorite food right now is "chinese soup", aka wonton soup
*he loves anything having to do with trains, trucks or boats.
*the highlight of his week is when the "bug man" comes at night to spray for mosquitoes
*he loves to hear the story about when he was born - he asks for it about 4x/week.
*he has the best smile; it lights up his whole face and is just beautiful.
*of course I think he is the most handsome boy I've ever seen :)

Well, I'm sure there's tons more, but that's just a few things.
I am so fortunate to be his mom and I thank the Lord every day for choosing him for me. He really is such a precious boy and I know that the Lord has great things in store for him. I love him more than he will ever know and so proud of who he is, what's in his heart and who he is becoming.

I love you J.D. more than anything,
Mommy

POTTY TRAINING...DONE!!

2011-05-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

I would rather gouge something in my eye than potty train (and since I've actually done that, that's saying alot). OK, not really, but I have been dreading this so very much. J.D. actually did fine with it, but it just takes so much patience and right now it takes ALL of my patience just to handle Mady on a day-to-day basis...my patience is tapped out. However, as usual with Mady, she decided it was time and there was no turning back. I don't know why I expected anything else, since she is "miss independent", but still I was shocked.
So one night she went on the potty before bath time (which I was not impressed with since a lot of kids do it then), however, she also wanted to go the next morning, and DID!! So, I buckled myself in and went on the crazy ride. Actually, it wasn't too crazy. She did amazing. It was just a few days/week maybe of accidents and going in the pull-up, but then it just happened and she hasn't looked back. She has done such a great job and has even gone so far as to train herself to not go at night either. She has not gone in her diaper at night not even once. She either calls me to go or she just gets up and goes by herself. Again, miss independent wants NO help at all. "No help, ME DO IT!!" (of course I still assist with #2). The sad part is I really can't take much credit for it...she decided she was ready and that was that!! Lord help me when she decides she wants a tattoo!! ha!!

"ALL ABOUT MY MOM"

2011-05-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

J.D. came home from preschool yesterday with a gift for me for Mother's Day. It was a picture of him that they had taken and a letter titled, "All about my mom". Apparently the teacher asked him a few questions about his mom and she recorded his answers. They are hysterical and I just had to record them in case I lose this paper some where down the road. Here it goes:

1. My mom is: 15 yrs old
2. My mom's favorite food is: Broccoli, chicken, rice, soup, salad, macaroni
3. My mom's favorite color is: Green (that's really HIS favorite color)
4. My mom's job is to: Works with babies and listens to their hearts at the hospital (I was actually pretty impressed by that answer)
5. My mom likes to : ride her bike, go to Busch Gardens (this was funny because I only got a
bike a week ago and haven't ridden it yet)
6. My mom makes me feel special when: she plays outside with me and rides the Shamu roller coaster.

Anyway, it was just cute to see what he really thinks about things and I thought it was so precious.

MY FIRST OUTFIT

2011-03-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Jimmy got me a sewing machine. I've been wanting one for awhile, so I was so thrilled when I got one. However, I do not know the first thing about sewing. I did make a dress when I was sixteen, but my mom did everything, I just basically pressed the pedal. ha. So, I got out the manual and started reading. It was really intimidating, but I kept pressing on and finally was able to at least thread the thing (which is the hardest part). I figured out enough to make Mady's halloween costume, but that was so easy it didn't really count as sewing. So, I found a skirt tutorial online and dove in. I picked something really easy to start with and I used fabric from the dollar bin at Walmart in case I screwed it up. However, I was pretty impressed with myself at how it came out. Now, if you look closely you will see plenty of mistakes and flaws, but just to look at it on her, it looks cute. I'm pretty proud of myself that I figured it out on my own and I can't wait to try other things. Here is my first EVER outfit:

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

2011-03-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, where to begin with this story...I'll try to give the short version. So, last summer we were unsure of what we wanted to do regarding preschool for J.D. I actually enrolled him at one, but as the day drew closer, I just could not get peace about sending him. He had absolutely NO interest in going (in fact cried and hid behind my leg during the tour of the school), and to say I was not thrilled about the idea is an understatement. My theory was that he is going to have to be in school for the next 12yrs of his life and I just wasn't ready to give up my time with him for "voluntary" preschool. Of course I know there are wonderful benefits of it, I just didn't feel it was right for us.

Fast forward to October, and we started noticing that J.D. was becoming more and more shy and introverted. Now he's always been shy, so that wasn't new, but it was becoming almost paralyzing. Jimmy and I knew this was much more than being shy and were worried how it might affect him if we let it continue. So after MUCH talking, praying (and crying on my part), I agreed that preschool might be a good choice for him after all. We went to look at his school, and I immediately fell in love and had total peace about it. They were so nice and SO flexible with the hours and I just felt like it was the perfect fit. And five days later...he had his first day!!

First day comes and I am expecting total meltdown. Oh how I was surprised...he couldn't WAIT and was genuinely excited. He looked so handsome all dressed up with his Lightning McQueen lunchbox in hand. Meemaw came over and stayed with Mady so I could take him by myself. All the way there we talked about how much fun he was going to have and how proud I was of him for being such a big boy. I parked the car, got him out of his seat and we prayed together and asked God to give him a wonderful day and to help him be so brave and make lots of new friends. He held my hand so tight as we walked up to the class, but still excited and with a smile on his face. Upon entering the classroom, he was welcomed by a big sign that said "Welcome J.D.!" That was so sweet and just touched my heart that they did that for him. I led him to his seat, gave him a big hug and kiss, and turned around to leave. At this point, I'm fighting back tears so hard it hurts. As I turned around for one last goodbye before I leave, I witnessed something that I will remember for the rest of my life. He waved goodbye, smiled and was simultaneously picking up a crayon and starting to color. The look on his face is ingrained in my mind and I will treasure it always. Now, I realize picking up a crayon is not rocket science, but for him that was HUGE - totally out of character. He will usually take a long period of time to "warm up" and scope everything out before engaging in any sort of activity. And for me, that was all I needed to let me know that he was going to be alright and this was a good decision (however, doesn't mean I didn't ball like a baby all the way home).

That day seemed like an eternity...I must've checked the clock 20 times and even arrived at the school 30minutes early because I just couldn't wait any longer. When he got in the car, he was so excited and said he had such a great time. He also said, "Mom, thanks for taking me to school, it was so much fun". Sniff.

We did have just a few tears on the second day, but after promising him a Slurpee after school if he didn't cry, that hasn't happened since. He absolutely loves school and is excited when the day comes. We've also seen a huge difference socially. Again, he's still our normal J.D., but he seems much more open to talking to people, open to trying things on his own, and we haven't had any more of the "episodes".

So all in all, I'm so sad that I don't have my little buddy with me two days a week and I miss him like crazy, but I know in my heart it was the right decision and I know we did the right thing. He is so precious and I want nothing more than to do what's best for him.

J.D. - I'm so very proud of you, more than words can say. You are my precious boy and it breaks my heart to let you go even just for a little bit. I love you so very much.

OK, I better stop before I send myself into a depression...Lord help me when he goes off to college!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADY!

2010-12-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Mady,
Well, first off, I'm sorry this year your birthday was not a big ordeal. Unfortunately for you, your birthday fell right in the middle of the chaos that was our November. Your Aunt Ashley got married, and between showers, luncheons, favors (ugh!), etc, we just were not able to squeeze in a party. We had a little dinner here with family, and you seemed to enjoy that, so hopefully it was OK.

It's hard to even begin to put into writing what all has taken place in the last year of your life. You have changed and grown up so much this year and I just can't believe you are TWO!! Where did this year go?? It seems just yesterday I was writing about you turning a year old. When I look back at your baby pictures, I can barely remember them and that makes me so sad, because that means you are growing up TOO fast!! I just want to stop time and keep you this age forever.

Here are some fun facts about you right now:
~You LOVE to eat (girl after my own heart). You can eat WAY more than J.D., but you are still so skinny (lucky you!)
~We joke that you are going to be a nudist because on a daily basis you take all your clothes off and pitch a fit if we try to put them back on.
~You love to copy everything J.D. does.
~You also know exactly how to push J.D.'s buttons and do so quite regularly :)
~You are extremely independent - you want to do everything for yourself.
~You can pretty much dress yourself now. If after about 20min of you trying to do it by yourself, only then will you come ask for "hep".
~You have been slow to talk. You have the usual suspects - mom, daddy, J.D. - and are just now starting to take off.
~You are physically advanced. By that I mean you were able to scale our rock wall the first time with no help, you can climb up on anything, you've been jumping for a very long time, learned a somersault after just a few tries. I can't wait to get you into gymnastics - I think you would do great!!
~You are all-or-nothing...either throwing a tantrum, or laughing; no in between.
~You are a wonderful sleeper. (12hrs @ night and a 3hr nap).
~You are just SO crazy (that's the only word I could come up with)
~You have the best "belly laugh" and it gets us all laughing.
~I'm not sure why, but Jimmy & I have several nicknames for you...not sure where some of them came from, but you answer to any of them. Here they go in no random order :
*Mady-cakes
*Mady-girl
*Moones
*Moonie
*Mooner
*Mal-Moones
*Poones
*Pal-Poones
*Pooner
*Poonie
*Mads (what J.D. usually calls her)
Like I said...totally random and silly, but we really do call her ALL of these. I think we have a problem :)

And lastly, it would not be an accurate documentation of her year if I didn't discuss how "STRONG-WILLED" she is. I hope that one day this will definitely work in her favor, but right now it's taking everything in me to keep me SANE!! To say you are "strong-willed" is an understatement. Whether its putting your clothes on, getting in the car seat, sitting in a high chair/grocery cart, etc etc...if you don't wanna, you aint gonna!! I'm not going to lie, this year has been extremely difficult trying to figure out how to best parent/train/handle (ha) you. There have been days when I feel like I'm not cut out for this and that I'm failing as a mom. But deep down I know that all I can do is keep seeking the Lord for guidance and not give up because you are WORTH IT!!!

Mady, you have tested me. You have pushed every button. You have made me think I'm going crazy. But I wouldn't change a THING about you. You challenge me. You make me WORK. You make me dig deep down inside myself. You make me get on my knees and seek God. You have made me laugh so hard I've cried. Your smile is so big it lights up your face. Your giggle is infectious. I love how independent you are.
You are YOU and you are so unique and I'm so thankful that God thought I was strong enough to be your mom. I promise you now and forever that I will do everything in my power to love you, protect you, and point you to Christ. You are such an amazing girl. I love you so much more than words can say.
I love you, Ladybug. Happy Birthday!!

MADY'S FIRST HAIRCUT

2010-12-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

As much as it pained me, I just could NOT put off cutting Mady's hair any longer. It was totally out of control and people were making fun of her (not just us. ha) She has extremely fine hair and it somehow gets all matted up in the back. She really did look like a crazy person. So when I went to get my hair done, I asked Jennifer if there was anything she could do with it. Mady was SO patient and sat in a chair all by herself (with a sucker in hand) while Jennifer proceeded to cut off ALL her hair!! Yikes!! I must admit that when she first did it, I hated it and was so sad. But then after I got home and played with it a little, I am totally in love...this hairdo just suites her. She's a sassy little girl with a sassy little hair cut!!

Before: (can we say CRAZY!!!)

After: (adorable)

Before: ("wild child")

After: ("cutie pie")

She looks adorable...however, I do miss the piggy tails (sniff,sniff), but this it totally cute and fits her personality :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2010-12-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

So we did our "4th Annual Halloween Extravaganza". Ha, not really. We just had some friends and family over for dinner and then trick-or-treating. As usual, a great time was had by all.

J.D. was a "construction worker"...NOT Bob the Builder, just a plain ole construction worker (he was very specific about that). He looked great!!

Mady was a "Candy Corn". I actually MADE her costume ALL BY MYSELF!!! I got a sewing machine for my birthday and this was the first thing I've ever made. If you looked closely, you could see some mistakes, but I was pretty proud that I figured it out by myself. And after ALL my hard work, this was the BEST picture I got of her.....CLASSIC.

All the kiddos ready to go get some sugar: (minus my own kids)

Not sure if William was trying to hold Mady's hand, or snag that treat from her hand...either way she wasn't having it ;)

GREAT MEMORIES!!

Pumpkin Patch & Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-02T14:14:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we made our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. The kids had a great time "picking out" their pumpkins. Funny story - we told J.D. that they could pick out a few little pumpkins, but that we were going to buy the real big ones at Sam's later (because we figured they were cheaper there). So as we are purchasing our "little" pumpkins, the guy at the patch asks us if that's all we're going to get and J.D. says, "Mom, can we please go to Sam's NOW to buy our big pumpkins??!!" Oops!! Jimmy & I pretended we didn't hear him and just turned around and walked away laughing! Ha!

After we got our pumpkins, we got set on the carving! J.D. was hilarious because yet again, he did NOT want to have anything to do with sticking his hand in that pumpkin to get out the seeds. But they both did a great job scooping them out with a spoon and then Daddy & I carved them. They came out pretty good this year, if I do say so myself. Fun times and a great family tradition.

GO CHEETAS!!

2010-10-10T01:35:00.000-07:00

My sweet boy had his FIRST EVER soccer game today...sniff, sniff. I'm not joking, I literally was tearing up as he ran out onto the field in his adorable little outfit. He was so darn cute!!

He did such a great job and we were so proud of him. We had been prepping him all week and he was so excited that morning to put on his uniform and cleats. We got all dressed and headed out to the field. It was a beautiful day and he couldn't wait! Jimmy was coaching because the regular coach was gone, and as he headed off he said, "bye mom, I'm gonna kick so good!" Love him. Anyway, he did so great in the warm up - he kicked the ball in the goal, was excited to see his friends - it was looking promising...until the game started and he was the first to have to sit out. In hindsight, that was a big mistake, but certainly Jimmy didn't mean for it to be. Well, he did fine standing there for awhile, but when the minutes kept passing, he begin to lose hope. I'm still not sure if he thought he wasn't going to get to play, or if he didn't like standing there all by himself (which I don't blame him for), but he started crying and no matter what we said, we couldn't get him to stop. We all took a turn trying to console him - Daddy, me, Memaw - but he just wasn't having it. My heart just broke for him because he WAS so excited (which we were SO shocked about) and then to have his excitement dashed by being made to sit out...I'm crying right now just thinking about it! :) Finally he did make it in the game for a few plays and he did GREAT! He kicked the ball a few times, but finally decided to call it quits and sit with Memaw. I must admit that a part of me was starting to get frustrated, but I quickly remembered that I had NO expectations and I also realized how he must've been feeling, so I was SO proud of him for what he did do - because that was a HUGE step for him and I know that just going out there at all was a push out of his comfort zone. He is so much like I was as a kid - which is challenging because I identify with him and want to just tell him he doesn't have to do it, but at the same time I know he needs to be pushed out of his shell a little bit.

Anyway, it was a great day and a mental image that will be ingrained in my mind forever. I'm sure this is the first of MANY days out at a ball field.

Love you, J.D. and I'm so proud of you!!

This was him standing on the sideline patiently waiting his turn before the meltdown:

First Trip to the ER!!

2010-09-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it a WHOLE 30yrs without going to the ER. My streak is over...thanks to my precious little bundle of craziness...MADY!!!!

It was just a casual night at home hanging out on the couch and watching a cartoon before bedtime. I was holding Mady on my lap, when all of a sudden she flung her hand back toward my face (for no apparent reason) and poked me in the eye. I knew immediately that this hurt more than the usual "poke-in-the-eye", but I just kept rubbing it (now know that's NOT what you are supposed to do) and hoping that it would feel better. I layed in bed for a few hours, tried ice, and this throbbing pain just would not go away...and I couldn't open my eye ;(

So, I took some Tylenol, and just kept trying to go to sleep, thinking it would all be better in the morning. Well, sleep was NOT coming. This stupid eye was hurting SO bad I couldn't think straight. Throughout the night I would doze off for maybe 30 min, then wake up to what felt like a knife being jabbed straight in my eye. After an awful night and maybe only an hour of sleep, I was finally over it around 5am and told Jimmy we had to go the ER. He awoke poor Barbara to come watch the kids, and off we went.

This was one of the most humiliating things I've ever done. So I have to be led by Jimmy into the ER (I now can't open the other eye as well because it hurts the other one too bad) and proceed to tell them that I'm in the ER because my daughter poked me in the eye! ha! I'm sure they chuckled about that one. Then, they actually make me SIGN papers!! Are you kidding me?? "Lady, I can't see a stinking thing!" She laughed and told me to just sign wherever. ?? Not to mention, I have NO idea what I'm wearing or how my hair looks and I didn't wash my face the night before (due to the incident) so I probably look like a circus performer with mascara all over my face. Ugh!! Such a blow to my pride.

Anyway, long story short, I had a corneal abrasion, but pretty deep and with a piece of my eye actually lifting up...which was causing all the pain. I had to see an eye specialist and he put me on some antibiotic drops and some pain drops. Hallelujah!! However, STILL couldn't open my eye!! It was actually the next day before I could open either one...36+ hrs with NO vision. I have a new appreciation for blind people. Four days later and a doctor's appt every day, and I'm finally feeling back to normal.

Mady - not that I will forget this, but had to write this down to make sure you never live it down. You are such a crazy girl and it only makes sense that it would be YOU that would send me to the ER. Love you in spite of you gouging my eye out - literally! :)

First Rays Game

2010-09-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we finally did something we have been wanting to do all season long...we took the kids to a Tampa Bay Rays game. The season is almost over, and Jimmy was just sick that we hadn't gone yet. So we made a spur-of-the-moment decision and decided to give it a try. We were really nervous about taking Mady, but we packed lots of snacks, and went with really LOW expectations for how she would do. Ha! And guess what, we were pleasantly surprised!! She was actually really good - she would watch a little, eat a little, then eat some more. J.D. on the other hand did enjoy it, but I think was more concerned about the hot dogs and cokes! He was really excited to see the stadium and walk around in it, but it was a little difficult for him to follow the game. For that matter, its hard for ME to follow the game! Ha!
Anyway, all in all it was a great night and we were so glad we did it. The kids seem to enjoy it and it was a great family night.

Anna Maria Island

2010-08-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

As I said in the previous post, we spent a week with my family at Anna Maria Island. We've done it for a couple of years now, and I truly enjoy it and look forward to it all year long. Even though all our family lives close by, there's nothing that can bond you like living together for 7 WHOLE days!! Ha! Anyway, we had such a great time and made lots of amazing memories. I'm SO glad that my kids get to make memories with their grandparents and ALL their cousins - I think it is so special and I hope they remember it all their life and stay close to each other.
Here are some more beach pics:

J.D. shooting "Nina" with the water guns that SHE bought them:

The guys playing their new favorite game:

All the kiddos trying to catch a fish:

And J.D. finally caught one - with a little help from Daddy:

Attempting to cover Kassidy with sand - that didn't last too long:

What do you do when it's raining outside?? Why, fill the bath tub up with water and play with your motorized speed boats, of course! (I didn't get a picture of it, but the highlight was when Colton reached to get his boat just a little too far and went head first into the tub - we all about died laughing - and THEN we helped him out! )

On a completely different side note, Debbie and I are in full throttle planning Ashley's bridal shower, which is a red, white and black polka dot theme. When I lay down to sleep I see polka dots. So I just had to make my blog background coordinate with my life. Ha!

BEACH TRIPS

2010-08-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years our family has turned into "nomads" during the summer. I think because we rarely take trips or go anywhere during the year due to school, once the summer hits, we just pack up and GO!! This year we spent one week in Marco Island with the Ammirati family, one week in Anna Maria island with the Gordon family, a few days in Orlando with friends, went back to Orlando for a few more days just us, then lastly to Miami to visit family. Whew!! I'm exhausted just writing that all down. I think I spent a solid week catching up on laundry when we got back. We had a blast on ALL the trips and now I'm glad to be getting back into some sort of routine.

Here are some beach pics:

JUST A FEW FUN SUMMER PICS

2010-08-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

CATCHING UP

2010-08-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well as I said in the previous post, I've been having trouble getting on here to journal. So now it'll probably take me months to get all caught up, but I'm determined not to miss a thing, so here we go!!

I last posted on J.D.'s birthday and wanted to jot down about his party. He has had pretty big parties for the last couple of years, so we decided that this year would be low key.

*On a side note - I'm kind of torn with the whole "birthday party thing". My logic brain tells me that they don't need a big over-the-top party every year (since they probably won't remember it anyway). But then there's the side of me that says its only once a year and I want EVERY birthday to be special. I think that was something that my mom was really great at growing up - she didn't just pay attention to the "special ones" (1,5,10, etc) - she made every year feel like it was the most important and went "ALL OUT"!! She was great at making wonderful memories for us and I hope I can do that with my kids as well.

I'll let you know if I can find a happy balance! Ha!

Anyhoo...so since it was "low key", I decided to take his "best buds" up to the playground at church and then go get pizza. He insisted on having a "Gordon the Express Engine Birthday Party", which of course doesn't exist, so we found some Thomas paraphernalia and pretended it was Gordon (for those of you without boys, they look almost the exact same). So, it was a great, but HOT day and I think he really enjoyed himself. He's already asking about when's his next party???

We also did a family party at Debbie's to celebrate J.D. & Joscelyn's birthdays together.
Lots of good memories, prayerfully there will be many more.

I'M BAAAACK!!

2010-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

So, I have not blogged in FOREVER because something has been wrong with my computer and hasn't allowed me to sign in. Then today, miraculously, I'm signed in - YAY!!! Don't know what changed and don't care.
I would love to sit and blog about the summer and catch up, but J.D. is calling me to come play "trains" with him - how can I resist.
So, I'm alive and I will try to catch up really soon :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, J.D.

2010-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

J.D.,
I can't believe you are FOUR years old today!! Where did the time go?? Four years ago today, at this very second that I'm writing this (1am), we were checking into the hospital. I was supposed to be induced at 7am, but I had been having contractions every five minutes for over 24hrs. I tried to wait as long as I could (because I didn't want to be one of those people we always send home!), but I just couldn't bear it any longer, so we decided to go on in. I was 4cm when we got there, and after receiving my lovely epidural, was able to get a little rest. As difficult and as painful as it was (epidural was not working so well by now), I LOVED every second of the delivery process. I loved pushing, I loved your Daddy being there with me and seeing how he was "pushing" with me, and I loved finally getting to see you and all the joy that came with that. I was immediately overwhelmed with LOVE for you, love like I've never experienced before. I'd only just met you, but I would've given my life for you in a second.

Since that day, you have truly been the joy of my life. It has been such a privilege to watch you grow over the last four years and to be there for every "first", every "booboo", and every high-five.

At four, you are becoming quite the little man. You are SO handsome, and people stop to tell me that every where I go. Your smile can melt my heart. You have the most tender heart I know. That is such a beautiful characteristic to have, and I pray you never lose that. You are also hilarious - sometimes daddy and I just crack up at you, which makes it very difficult to discipline you. You are into "knock-knock" jokes, and even the 700th time I've heard it, it still makes me laugh the way you tell it. You still sleep with "Mr.Woobs" (and I'm just fine with that). You would be outside 24/7 if I let you. You are into Thomas the Train, Lightning McQueen, and ANY kind of truck. You are SO good with Mady. You always look out for her, and try to calm her down when she's having a "fit". You guys play so well together, and know how to make each other laugh. She's so blessed to have you as a big brother, and I know you will always love and protect her.

Words can't express how much I love you. I know you don't know now, but one day you will understand. That day you hold your firstborn in your arms, it will all make sense. You are such a joy, and I love you so very much. I thank God every day that he chose you for me.

I love you. Happy Birthday, buddy!!!

FIRST FISHING LESSON

2010-05-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

PURE JOY

2010-05-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

This just makes my heart melt. Lately, they have been playing really well together. Of course, we have the everyday spats over Mady taking J.D.'s trucks, but they get along great for the most part. Now that Mady is getting a little older, she really wants to do EVERYTHING J.D. is doing, and follows him around like a little puppy. And I think he really enjoys her as well. He is always looking out for her, alerting me when she's doing something "daing-a-wous", and is so sweet with her. They've also started "rough-housing" alot, and that is just hysterical. They will pull each other, flip each other over, all the while cracking up like it's the best time they've ever had. They know how to make each other laugh, and it brings tears to my eyes when I hear them doing it.
I can remember my mom talking about how one of parents deepest desires is to know that their children are close and will remain close after they are gone. I now know what that feels like, and of course want that so much for J.D. & Mady. I know they will grow up and lead separate lives, as they should, but I pray they always stay close and love each other like they do today. I love you guys SO much!!

DAY OUT WITH THOMAS

2010-05-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to the fabulous "Island of Sodor". If you're kids aren't Thomas fans, that's where the engines live. I had heard about this event a few years ago, and was SO excited when I saw they were coming to Tampa. J.D. is in LOVE with Thomas and I just knew he would have a ball. They literally just take an old train station and turn it into this land-of-everything-Thomas. I wasn't sure how he would respond since he usually has to "warm up" to things, but he was so excited when we got there and saw Thomas. Of course, he couldn't actually ride Thomas when we got there because his aunt (who will remain nameless) and I thought we needed to get there TWO hours ahead of time to do all the other fun stuff. We only had to answer the question, "can we ride him yet?" about 473 times. Ha! J.D. & Mady had a blast and it was a great family day.

EASTER FESTIVITIES, PART 2

2010-04-22T19:34:00.001-07:00

So, I'm finally getting the second part of this done - whew!!
We started off Easter morning by letting the kids find their Easter baskets (which I just learned this year that not everyone hides their baskets. Growing up ours were always hid somewhere, and I thought everyone did that??) Anyway, J.D.'s & Mady's were hid in the bathtub and J.D. was so excited he found it all by himself. He was screaming and yelling - it doesn't take much to excite him! :)

We then went to my parents house for lunch. The kids all got baskets from Nanna & Papa, and of course had an Easter egg hunt. My mom gives prizes, and J.D. won for collecting the most eggs. A whole $10 to buy a toy for himself. He was so thrilled to have won the money, although he knows nothing about the amount. She could've given him a quarter and he would have been just as excited.

We also had a great thing happen that day as well. Ashley & Andres got engaged!! Yay!! He put the ring in an Easter egg and when she opened it up, he proposed. Awh, so sweet. Congrats, guys! So happy for you!!

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After a LONG day, we finished up the festivities at Barbara's house. We did another egg hunt, the kids ate so much chocolate that they were throwing up - literally (SG), and it was a great day had by all. We made some wonderful memories, and had a fabulous time. HAPPY EASTER!!

EASTER FESTIVITIES, PART 1

2010-04-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, did Easter just sneak up on us! I was SO ready for spring, but somehow still managed to not be prepared - shocker!
We started the "Easter activities" with an Easter egg hunt at the church rec fields. J.D. was SO excited and looking forward to it, however once it came time to do it, he was NOT into it. When they yelled "GO", he decided he'd rather pout on the bench, then look for eggs. So, a few minutes later when he was good and ready, or course there were only a few eggs left. Things escalated from there when he opened them up to discover that someone had already taken the goodies from inside...can we say meltdown!! Mady, however, was having a great time, but only got a few eggs as well because she decided she needed to EAT the candy inside before she could progress to the next egg! Ha!! Oh well, better luck next year! :)

We decided to attend Easter service on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning. We did that last year and it really helped Sunday seem a bit more relaxed. The kids looked ADORABLE, if I do say so myself. J.D. looked so handsome in his suit, and Mady was precious in her outfit as well. We got some great pics outside after the service.

Lastly, just had to jot this funny story down. We decided after all the talk from J.D. about the Easter Bunny, we should make sure he knew what Easter was REALLY about. So, we quizzed him to see, and of course, he was coming up blank. (yes, I'm a great mom). So, Jimmy and I told him the Easter story several times and thought he had it down pretty good. So next quiz went something like this:
me: "what does Easter mean, or why do we celebrate Easter?"
J.D. : "umm...Jesus died on a cross?"
me: "good, and then what happened?"
J.D.: "he went in a grave."
me: "great! Then after three days, what happened?"
J.D. : (with SO much enthusiasm because he just knew he had this right) , "The Easter Bunny comes!! YAY!!!"

By the way, we're still working on getting that story nailed down in his head. Dying, the grave, raising from the dead...all difficult concepts for a 3yr old! Ha!

MY "BFF"

2010-03-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

J.D. has been saying something really cute lately. I'm not sure where he heard it, but guessing he's picked it up from somewhere. Out of nowhere he will say, "Mommy, you're my BEST friend", and give me a big hug and kiss. Adorable, I know. Then sometimes he will say things like, "you're the best cooker in the whole world" (which is strange seeing how I have to threaten to spank him just to eat his dinner), or "you're my best mommy" (as if I'm competing with his other mommy? huh?).
Anyway, it's really cute and so sweet. I told him the other day that he had to promise me that I would still be his best friend 10yrs from now - of course he agreed, but we all know better.
He's also been so sweet with Mady lately. When she cries (which is a lot), he will try to console her and give her toys, food, etc. He will rub her arm and say, "it's OK Mady, it's OK" in his best baby voice. I think part of it is he's just being sweet, and then there's probably another part that is just trying to get Mady to shut up! Ha!
Anyway, he is such a sweet little boy and has such a tender heart and I pray that God continues to grow that in him and that it doesn't go away as he gets older.

PIGTAILS

2010-02-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

No one will probably care about this, but I had to journal it nonetheless.
Unfortunately for her, Mady got blessed with MY hair. It's fine, wispy, and static-y (is that a word?) and won't do much of anything other than go where it wants to. It's at that awkward stage where it's too short to put up, and looks straggly hanging down. At night after her bath I have been attempting to blow dry it in hopes of it looking better the next morning. I dry it with a roller brush and it looks really cute - Jimmy says she looks like a "little dutch girl", and makes fun of me for drying it. Oh well, the things we do for looks, huh? Anyway, she was still waking up with crazy hair, so I wondered if I could get it into pigtails, and I DID!! It looked so cute from the front (the back is a little sketchy), and I just had to get some pics. She looks so much older, so not sure if I like that, but she seemed to not mind, and didn't try to pull them out. So here's some pics of my little piggytail girl!! :)

"They say the darndest things!"

2010-02-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

My little man, J.D. has said some really cute things lately, and I just had to record them so I would never forget.
#1:
He was talking at the dinner table something about "Spanish", and how he could talk Spanish. So, I figured maybe he had retained one of those annoying "say it two ways" from Dora or Diego, so I asked him if he knew a Spanish word. He didn't quite know what I was asking him, so I said:
"Do you know how to say hello in Spanish?"
"Yes, Mommy. Hello, Spanish!!"
He was so proud of himself and it was so cute.

#2:
His new favorite thing to "help mommy" is to push Mady's stroller in whatever store we are in. I am usually not opposed to this as it seems to keep him distracted from touching everything and asking if he can buy whatever he sees. Anyway, we were in a store and I told him we were almost finished and then we were going to Chick-fil-a. He started jumping up and down and cheering (obviously his favorite place), and then he went around in front of Mady, took her face in his two little hands, and said to her in the cutest little baby voice: "Mady, aren't you so cited? we going to chick-a-way!!" It was so darn cute and of course Mady had no idea what he was talking about.

#3: (and my favorite)
I heard him calling for me in the morning on the monitor, which he normally does, but he sounded whiny and a little upset. I went in to get him,
"What's wrong, J.D., why are you crying?"
(I immediately could tell his nose was stopped up and was developing a cold)
"Mommy, I so sad. I can't smell my Woobs. See? (sniff, sniff). And I WANT to smell him, but I CAN'T!!"
He said it in such a pitiful tone and I felt so sorry for him. His "Woobs" is his most favorite friend and he loves to just sit and "sniff" him. Don't ask me.
Well, that's all I can think of for now, I'm sure I forgot something. What a cute little boy he is and he makes me laugh all the time.

Middle-of-January Update

2010-01-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't journaled in a while, so here we go...

On New Years Day we headed up to Jacksonville for the FSU game and to see Bobby Bowden one last time :( It was quite an interesting trip. We left at 6:30 in the morning (which might as well be 3am to me), and drove 4hrs to Jacksonville. On arrival, the temperature was a cold 49deg. and raining. Yes, I said raining. Pretty much as miserable as you can get. I was trying really hard to be a trooper, and the Lord must've noticed, because in the second quarter it stopped raining, and we actually had sun shining on us. It was short lived, but nice while we had it. Anyway, it was a great time, and I know Jimmy will always remember it.

Other than that, not much really exciting has been going on. We did take J.D. to the circus (Mady stayed home - would've been a nightmare!). He had seen a flier in the mail about it, and was SO excited to go. Not that he really knew what it even was, but excited none the less. He would ask every day about 10 times a day, "Is it time to go to the circus, yet?" Note to self - don't tell him until the day before. His favorite part of the circus was the "train" that brought the circus into town. No, not the elephants, or tigers, or motorcycles...he loved the make-shift train they had. Although, I think the popcorn came in close second. He and Kate sat together and shared a box of popcorn - it was so cute. They would take turns holding the box, and they would tell each other to clap at certain points. They are adorable!! It was nice to get to spend some one-on-one time with J.D. I'm sure he's been missing that over the last year! :)

Not much new with Mady. She got her first illness. She had a fever for a few days, but she was acting normal, and no other symptoms, so I put off taking her in. By day four or five, she was just really cranky and still had a fever, so I decided to go ahead and take her to the doctor (did I mention how much I hate taking them? that's another post!) Anyway, I felt like an awful mother because after looking at her, the Dr. informed me that she had a viral infection AND a double ear infection!! No wonder the kid was cranky!! Yikes!! So, antibiotic given, and first major illness done with! Yay!!

She is really growing up too quickly. She's like her own little person, now. She feeds herself completely (won't let me get near it), she plays on her own, she just has her own personality. She is very stubborn. She gets her mind set on something and you better just move out of the way. I have been informed (by my mom) that she is JUST like I was at this age...strong willed, throwing temper tantrums, stubborn. Yikes! I think that means I have my work cut out for me. But look how great I turned out, so I'm sure she'll be just fine! Ha! However, as frustrating as it can be sometimes, all it takes is for her to smile at me, and it's all better. Her smile really lights up her face and she's just so darn cute. She's a mess, but she's a delightful mess and wouldn't change a thing about her.

J.D. is just as sweet as ever, as well. He is so compassionate and has the most tender heart. He struggles when Mady takes the trains he is currently playing with, but other than that, he's a great kid. I really enjoy spending the days with my kids and even though I need a break every now and then, I wouldn't give up one second I have with them.

I love you guys so much and love being your mom.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This a VERY lengthy post. This is more for my documentation purposes, so if you want to keep going, proceed with caution.

I LOVE Christmas!! The cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, scurrying around for that last minute gift, spending time with family....I love it ALL!! And this year was no different. We started Christmas off by going to the Christmas Eve service at church. Our church growing up never did that, and I've really enjoyed doing it and hope to keep that tradition as the kids get older.
Off to church: (J.D. was not cooperating)

After church, we headed over to Dennis & Mariana's house for dinner. For the past couple years, they've done a "Noche Buena" celebration on Christmas Eve. This is the first year we've been able to go, and I was so excited. It was good to be with all my family, and the food was delicious. Mariana had all the traditional Spanish food - roast pork, rice, peccadillo, yucca...yum yum!!!

When we got home that night, Jimmy & I witnessed one of the funniest things I think J.D. has ever done. We had given him the "spiel" about how Santa doesn't come unless you are sleeping, so when we said it was time for bed, he ran as fast as little legs could carry him to his bed. We tried to do our usual bedtime routine (prayers, kisses, hugs, etc), but he was NOT having it. He kept saying, "Get out NOW. Santa's coming. Get out, I have to go sleep!!" We were cracking up. He's usually the king of bedtime stalling, but not that night! A minute or two after he got in bed, we heard Santa (Nanna) outside his window saying "Ho Ho Ho" and jingling his bells. We went in to see if he heard it, and he was laying there stiff as a board with his eyes closed tight. He was not interested in talking about what he heard...he just wanted us to get out of there so he could go to sleep! Hilarious! Such good memories. :)

The next morning was awesome. They both came out of their rooms and were so excited to see that Santa had been there. And J.D. was also excited to see that Santa and his reindeer enjoyed their cookies and carrots.

They had a great time opening up their presents. J.D. wanted to open up every toy he got before unwrapping the next one - typical kid. After unwrapping one, Mady was pretty much done - thankfully big brother was so kind to help her. Ha!

After they opened all their presents, we found a note under the tree from Santa saying he left one more present in the backyard. So off we went to discover what he left. A playground!!!!

They had such a blast. It was actually sprinkling, and I'm very proud of myself that I didn't let that stop them. I put some shoes on them, and off they went. The look on J.D.'s face was priceless. He was so excited!!

After much needed naps, we headed over to Meemaw's (Barbara's) house to celebrate Christmas with her and Chris & Karen (and Bradley and Sarah Grace). It was a great time. We did presents, then had a yummy dinner, and then we started a new tradition...we played "Gassy Gus"! It's a fabulous board game that fits in perfectly with our family (I won't go into detail). Some families go caroling, some read the Christmas story....we play Gassy Gus. Trust me, you don't want to know! Ha!

The next day we went to my parents house. My family decided to celebrate it the day after so that we could all have a little more relaxing Christmas Day and not have to be running around. Thank you so much, Mom - you're the best. It was actually nice to spread it out a little bit. Two days of eating instead of one sounds like a winner to me! My mom tells the Christmas story and has all the kids act it out with a nativity. She started it several years ago, and it has become a precious time. We then opened presents and had yet another scrumptious dinner. It was a wonderful time.

It was so special to see Christmas through J.D. & Mady's eyes, and I can't wait until next year. We have two of the best families in the world, and it was so special to share Christmas with them. We know from experience that Christmas is not about the presents or the "hoopla" - it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus, and spending time with your family. We often take our families for granted, and it's a good reminder to really cherish them because you never know what the next year holds.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

"SAY CHEESE!!"

2009-12-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is so funny, and I just had to share it. So, my sister-in law, Mariana, had a wonderful idea to take a picture of all the grand kids as a Christmas present for the grand/great grandparents. I thought it was a fabulous idea and I knew they would all really appreciate it. However, we did not think through the process of actually getting them ALL to cooperate at the same time. Thankfully, we decided to just try to snap some at Debbie's house rather than go to a studio. (After you see the pictures, you will understand why.) So I get them all dressed up, head over there, and everyone looks great....until I say it's time to take the picture. I don't know what came over J.D., but he had his mind set he was NOT taking this picture. I told him I was going to have to spank him if he did not cooperate, and he quickly informed me that he would take the spanking. I explained that it was not one or the other, but he still insisted on the spanking. So I did what every good mother does, and I gave him what he wanted! ha! However, the spanking did not work. After MANY trips to the bathroom, he still refused to stand there and take the darn picture!! I felt like an awful mother and was on the verge of tears. So, needless to say, we did NOT get a good picture. Not even close. I feel really bad, because every one else did so good, and I just don't know what his problem was. Below are the results of the photo session. Better luck next year?!?

HE DID IT!!

2009-12-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

If you didn't read the previous blog, J.D. was asked to be little boy Jesus in the Idlewild Christmas presentation. The first few nights did not go well at all, but after much talking and bribing, he was very excited about his debut appearance last night. Sitting backstage waiting, he kept asking, "is it my turn yet to go on the stage?" He was SOOO stinkin cute in his little costume (of course I'm not biased).

Before he actually went on stage, he had to wait quite a while in this dark "tunnel", and we were concerned he would get scared, so Aunt Karen (dressed as a Hebrew) went with him so he wasn't back there with people he didn't know (thanks Aunt Karen!). We were very worried about the initial "break away", but he did fabulous. They said it was time, and he jumped up and held Aunt Karen's hand and was grinning ear to ear. Jimmy and I stood there and watched him walk away and I felt like I was going to lose it. I don't know what came over me, but I immediately started to tear up and felt this gut-wrenching pain in my stomach. I looked over at Jimmy, and he obviously was having the exact same feelings. He looked like he couldn't decide if he was going to cry, laugh, or throw up! We said to each other that it's going to be one awful day when we drop him off for college! Ha!

So, we quickly went out into the sanctuary on the side so we could see the imag's (which weren't working 2 songs earlier, and I did some MAJOR praying, so thank you Lord for allowing those to work! ) And there he was, out on this big rock with Mary and Joseph ( or as J.D. called him, Jophes) watching the caravan come by and bow to him. He was SO good up there. He just watched and was actually pointing, and talking to them, and of course, smiling :) We weren't sure what he was saying to them, but apparently he was pointing out the kids he knew (Micah) and talking about the animals he saw. Jimmy and I stood there on the side holding hands trying to hold back tears and literally beaming with pride. Our little "shy guy" did it, and he couldn't have done it any better. As I was standing there, I thought of the day he was born, and just how I didn't know at the time how much I could possibly love this new little baby that I had just met. Of course I loved him the moment I saw him, but I can say I love him so much more now than I ever thought humanly possible. God gave us such a precious little boy and I know that He has wonderful plans in store for him - if I'll just let him go! :)

Lastly, I hope God allowed Poppy a front row seat tonight. He would've been so proud of him. After he expressed his concern that J.D. was wearing a "dress" and blush, he probably would've shed a few tears himself. Ha!

p.s. His first words off the stage was, "can I have my truck now?" (what we bribed him with - whatever works! ) :)

"J.D. to the Principal's Office"

2009-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness - what an interesting night we've had.
So, recently J.D. was asked to be "little boy Jesus" in the Idlewild Christmas presentation. I must admit that my first instinct was "not a chance", because, well, I know my son. But after thinking about it, I decided that I didn't want to hold him back from a potentially exciting opportunity because I don't think he would do it. I fully believe that kids live up to what we as adults "label" them as (good or bad), and I'm working hard to not make excuses for, or to feed into his shyness. My mom had to push me my whole life to come out of my shell, and I'm seeing that God has given me a child after my own heart. So no better PUSH than to throw him out onto a stage in front of a few thousand people! Ha!
Anyway, tonight was the dress rehearsal, and let's just say it didn't go so well. He was only the backup, and thank goodness the main kid was a rock, because there was no way in tarnations he was going out there tonight. As soon as they gave me his costume he started the drama : the burying his head in my legs, covering his eyes, crying, etc. etc. So, we promptly went to the bathroom and received a "talking to", to which he did not respond well to, as you can imagine. He finally did put the costume on, but was NOT happy about it. (Just a side note - imagine being Mary and NEVER having to spank, or be embarrassed because your child is throwing a temper tantrum in public....just a sobering thought. ha!) Once we realized that he was not going on, I decided to take him into the sanctuary to let him watch the program and see what he was SUPPOSED to do. He thought it was great and was really enthralled by it.
As soon as we walked out of the church he said, "Mom, that was so much fun. Can I have my treat you promised me now?" What in the world????
So, stay tuned to find out if he makes in on stage. We are backup on Friday & Saturday (let's pray that the main kid doesn't get sick) and then the main on Sunday. GOOD LUCK, J.D.

MAJOR MILESTONES

2009-11-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Our Mady-cakes has 3 major milestones to report. Over the last few weeks, she has become quite the "big girl". First (and my favorite), she all of a sudden decided that she wanted to hold her own bottle. One day when I was feeding her, she just pushed my hands down and held it with her own two little hands - I was so shocked, and thought for sure it was just a fluke, but she's been doing it ever since. This may not sound like a major thing, but believe me it is. J.D. NEVER held his bottle, so this has come as such a pleasant surprise. We're having a little trouble transitioning to the sippy cup, but I'll take this little victory for now! :)
Secondly, we were at our favorite place, Chick-fil-A, and Mady climbed up to the second step in the playground area. (Mommies, you know what I'm talking about). I could not believe it - they are pretty big steps, and I was shocked she could get her legs up that high. It's also funny to watch the different personalities - J.D. was fully capable of climbing at that age, but he was too shy and didn't want to get in the other kids way (Mommy's kid). However, Mady didn't give a toot who she got in the way of, and in fact was slinging her leg over some other kid - she wasn't about to let some little rugrat keep her from seeing what was so great up there. Side note - I was in the other room and Jimmy was playing with J.D. in the family room, and he looks over in the kitchen to find Mady sitting right in the middle of the kitchen table. She had gotten up in the chair, and climbed on the table - quite the climber she is. I see many more skull fractures in our future - Ha!
And lastly, we finally switched her over to her big girl car seat. It was becoming almost impossible to buckle her in the old one, so we decided it was time. She looks like a little peanut sitting in that big seat. I had a little meltdown the other day when I looked in the backseat and saw TWO toddlers looking at me - my baby is GONE!! Sniff, Sniff!! I can't believe she's getting so big, and it seems the days and months keep flying by and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I pray that the Lord can help me stop and cherish and be thankful for all these little milestones instead of wishing them away for a "easier day" (whatever that is?) Thank you, Lord, for my little Mady-cakes and the way she keeps us on our toes.

~Allison

STOMACH FLU = AWFUL!

2009-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

WHEW!! It has been a crazy month for us. We ended October with our Halloween party, followed a week later by Mady's birthday. I had been "burning the wick at both ends" those two weeks and was so looking forward to a relaxing week with not much on the schedule - Ha! Should've known that sounded too good to be true.
Wednesday night I was awaken around 3am by J.D. throwing up all in his bed - YAY!! Poor guy, he was so sick, and continued to throw up several times throughout the night. I think we both maybe got one hour of sleep in before Mady woke up the next morning. Needless to say, being up since 3, my patience was thin and was just counting the hours until bed time. So, I finally get the kiddos to sleep, and I drift off into oblivion...until 1am when I awoke running to the bathroom. Yep, I got it! So, I'll spare the details, but didn't get any sleep that night either. I felt really awful the next day and did the only thing I knew to do...called Mommy! My mom, bless her heart, was heading out of town, but took time to come over and help with the kids and even made me some homemade chicken soup - yum! I slept for 12hrs that night and felt like a new woman the next day. I thought life was starting to look better, then...yes, you guessed, Jimmy got it the next night - yet another night with little sleep (couldn't sleep with all the moaning & groaning. ha!) He stayed home from work the next day, so I had to play nurse, mommy & house cleaner that day - let's just say it was NOT a good day! On another note, J.D. was so sweet when I was sick. He would say, "Mommy, I'm so sorry you sick, I'm sorry". I kept telling him he didn't have to be sorry, but it was so precious - he has such a tender heart and really cares about stuff like that. Anyway, I think we've all had it now (Mady had a little diarr, so hoping that's all she'll get), and am really hoping we can get back to normal, whatever that is, before the holidays. Although, I better be careful - wishing for normal is what gets me in trouble! :)

OUR LADYBUG TURNS 1!!

2009-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby is ONE!!!! We celebrated Mady's birthday this past Saturday, and we did a ladybug theme - OF COURSE!! It was is Memaw's backyard and it turned out better than I ever expected. The food was great, the decorations looked amazing, and I think all the kids had a good time - even Mady! Ha! It was a beautiful day and we had such a good time.

Here's the Birthday Girl in her Ladybug Birthday outfit :

I decided to make her cake for her, and it turned into a hysterical nightmare!! (hysterical now, not that funny then). I dropped it getting out of the car, so I had to perform major surgery on it (and nurses do NOT get training in that), then I proceeded to spill RED icing all over it. Like I said...nightmare! However, in the end, I thought it actually looked great and I was glad I did it.

Mady also LOVED smashing into her cake. Well, she didn't really smash, it was more like a "girly mess." She would pick up one piece at a time and put it in her mouth - still, red icing got EVERYWHERE! What was I thinking making her cake RED??

This was one of my favorite things: opening presents. She was a riot! Every present I would show her, she would open her arms, reach out for it and say "OOOHHH". Such a GIRL!! She acted like every present was her very favorite. I've been to my share of 1yr old parties, and I have NEVER seen a child act like that - it was hysterical. Do we think maybe her love language will be "gifts"? Ha! We're going to be in trouble when she hits 13!!

Well, that's about all. It was a wonderful party and I actually got to enjoy myself some (which is unusual when hosting a party) and I genuinely think everyone else did as well.

Mady,

We are so blessed to have you as our daughter and we thank God for every one of those 365 days he's given us with you. We beg God for many many more days and a lifetime of more memories. We love you so much more than you will ever comprehend. Happy Birthday, my ladybug!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

2009-11-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Mady!!
Madelyn Elise Ammirati was born Nov 6, 2008 @ 1:44pm. 8lb, 4oz.
I can NOT believe it has been a whole year. Where did the time go?? In some ways it seems like yesterday, and then in other ways it seems like she's been here forever. She has brought us so much joy and we can't imagine our lives without her. I prayed so hard for a (healthy) little girl, and God blessed me with such a precious little lady.
Happy Birthday, Mady - Mommy & Daddy & J.D. love you SO much!!!

TRICK-OR-TREAT

2009-11-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year, and this year was no different. We started off the Halloween holiday by carving pumpkins. This was actually our first time doing it, and J.D. really enjoyed it, so I'm sure this will be a yearly tradition.

And then it was on to the good stuff...Trick-or-Treating!! We started a few years ago having our families over for dinner on Halloween and then going trick-or-treating. Every year we seem to add some people, and it has now become too big for our house. This year we actually put up a big tent in our bag yard to accommodate everyone. It was actually really nice and it didn't feel so cramped. We had chili (was hoping it was going to be a little cooler, but oh well) and all the fixins and then headed out for the main event. J.D. dressed up as a pirate (HE got the idea from his favorite Backyardigans episode). He practiced for weeks saying "Argggh", and was calling everyone "Matey" - it was hilarious! I "made" his costume, and it was rather funny. Of course I thought he looked great, but we did have a few laughs at his expense - some people thought he looked like a gypsy!! Jimmy said it was definitely a more "Johnny Depp-ish" pirate. Ha! We joked that Frank would have had something to say about it and would not have let me live it down. He was SO excited, though, so who cares?? And then of course Mady was a ladybug - what else?? We borrowed a costume from Joscelyn and it was just too darn cute. She was precious. All in all, it was a GREAT night. J.D. had an awesome time and is STILL talking about it. In fact, the next morning, the first thing he said when he woke up was, "thank you for taking me trick-or-treating. I had SO much fun!" That makes all the hard work worth it - what a thoughtful little guy. Fun memories!! :) Here are some pics :

2009-10-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it!! I've been wanting to start a blog for awhile now, but frankly was kind of scared. However, with much encouragement from some of my friends, I decided to take the plunge. (Thank you Paige & Ashley). A few months ago, I became overwhelmed with the feeling that I needed to start journaling for my kids. I tried to shake it because, well, I'm not that great of a writer, and I kept telling myself I didn't have time. But it kept haunting me and I knew I would never forgive myself for not doing it because I was lazy! :) Time is all I really have with my precious children, and before I know it that time will all be gone. I want them to one day look back and read the things I thought, what I was feeling, and most importantly, to see how very much I loved them and how special they are to me. I think that is a gift any child would be blessed to have, and a gift I hope to give my kids. ENJOY!!