Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Priceless

Cost of gas to get to Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $65.00

Lunch on the way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.00

Number of times "are we there yet?" is heard . . . 10 +

Hotel, massage & a night alone with Marty. . . . . PRICELESS

Wordless Wednesday

7 years ago this Saturday

Hole in one

Abby chose putt-putt for family night last night and we had a blast. Everyone except for Marty got a hole in one. Yes, you read that right. Everyone except for Marty. Sorry babe. That includes Abby and Andrew. Mine was talent (yeah right) but the kids’ was purely luck. Andrew was the first to get a hole in one. We were playing a hole that you pick the left or the right hole and either the ball goes down one level or it goes all the way down to the green. Andrew hit it into the right hole (all you had to do was barely tap the ball and it would go down hill right into the hole. Once we get to the bottom green, we couldn’t find Andrew’s ball. We looked all around in the grass and the woods. We weren’t even thinking to look in the hole. But that’s where it was, sitting pretty in the bottom of the hole. Abby’s hole in one came a few holes later. Abby approached the hole in typical Abby fashion and whacks the ball. It bounced off one rock, bounced off another rock, skipped over the water and rolled right into the hole. Marty and I were ducking the whole time because we thought we were going to get hit by the spastic ball. There was a group in front of us that saw the whole thing and they all cheered for her. She was so proud of herself. Another successful family night.

Happy Day!

Jason Aldean, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, & Carrie Underwood
That’s who all we are seeing tonight and I can’t wait. We have a songwriter friend (the couple that we swap babysitting with) that has weekend passes to the CMA Music Festival but he can’t use them so he gave them to us. They called this morning to say that we can have the passes if we want them, um yeah. They just had their third baby last week so we weren’t going to ask them to watch the kids but luckily some other friends said they would help us out. I love Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood, what a great treat. Are you jealous?!?

Wordless Wednesday

What have I gotten myself into?!?

Last night I got a glimpse into what Abby and Andrew will be like in 4-5 years and boy will we have our hands full. A couple of weeks ago I was asked to be a teacher for the 10 week WAK (Wednesday’s Activities for Kids) program at church. I agreed because 2 of my friends were going to be co-teachers with me so I thought it would be fun. We found out last week that we have 4th and 5th graders; wow is all I can say. It gets very loud with 22 4th and 5th graders.
Our lesson was on Solomon so we asked the kids if they could ask for anything what would it be. We got a range of answers from an endless supply of chocolate to a Nintendo Wii. But we also got thoughtful answers. The loudest and most obnoxious boy in the class said that he would ask God to make his brother normal (his brother suffers from severe cerebral palsy) and the quietest girl in the class asked for a sister (her mom was in my bible study class so I know she is going through infertility issues) It was really touching. We also asked the kids what problems they have had to ask God for help on. We got a lot of problems with bullies and siblings. We also got a few of the girls saying that they have a problem with self confidence. I guess some problems never go away.
They are a precious group of kids and I can’t wait to get to know them better.

Wordless Wednesday

Before and After . . . the kids' bathroom

Well, the kids’ bathroom was the last room to be finished and it is my favorite by far. Marty gets all the kudos for this one because he did everything. All I did was help pick out the paint and the accessories. He’s the one that wanted to redo the floor and put up the wainscoting (which I think both are a huge improvement) I am so proud of him because it turned out great. Let him know what you think.

Hi, my name is Robyn. . .

And I am addicted to strollers. Yes, you read that right strollers. I have come to realize that I have a small obsession with strollers. We have 5 strollers. Let me remind you how many kids we have, just 2. You ask why do we need 5 strollers? Well, honestly we don’t, especially since Abby rarely rides in a stroller anymore. I just like them. We bought our last stroller over the weekend and I promise I am done. I quit. I will say that I love the new one though. We went to the mall the other night just because I wanted to push it. I know, very very sad. They say admission is half the battle. So I now make my problem public and I promise no more strollers, well unless a really cool one comes out.

Every child does it. Part 2

Last time it was Abby, this time it is Andrew. No, he didn’t cut his hair but he did something that “every kid does”
Marty is on the phone with his mom and gives the kids each a box of raisins for snack. Do you see where this is going? Andrew comes to Marty with a runny nose and a little teary eyed. Nothing unusual because his nose and eyes always run. Well, he does it again. This time Marty looks a little closer and yep, there’s a raisin up Andrew’s nose. Why? Why do kids do this? Marty then goes to look for the emergency flashlight so he can look even closer. The flashlight is no where to be found. Yes, the kids have taken and hid our emergency flashlight
Only one raisin made it up there. Let’s hope he learned his lesson, but I’m not going to take that bet.

Ok, so I wrote this yesterday but never got around to posting it. Here’s the update. We get to church and Marty is getting Andrew out of the car seat when he notices another raisin. Yes, there were 2 up there. One made it out in a timely fashion; the other was in there for oh about 9 hours. Poor baby. I had to take him home so I could get the tweezers because it was way up there. When I got it out, it looked more like a grape than a raisin. Lovely thought huh. He’s no worse for the wear but mommy and daddy are a little concerned for his future.

Wordless Wednesday

2 year well check

Ok, so I was a little late this year, but we finally got Andrew to the doctor for his 2 year well check. He’s growing and developing great, albeit a little small but we knew that. He weighs 24 pounds (5%) and is 33.5 inches tall (50%). He has finally surpassed Abby at this age. Up until now Abby was always a little bigger. At 2 years old Abby was 23 pounds and 32 inches. Maybe there’s hope for him after all. Maybe he will make it to 18 month clothes one day in the near future. He did have to have one shot and his big toe picked. It traumatized Abby more than it did Andrew. A few snuggles and a promise to go to McDonald’s pretty much did it for him. His iron test came back great. YIPPEE. We have always battled anemia with Abby so it was a huge relief to know that Andrew is in the clear. Oh, and he didn’t cry at all when the doctor examined him. This is a huge deal. My little man is growing up.

Wordless Wednesday

They are always listening

Abby “Daddy’s gonna whoop those boys and mommy’s gonna jump the fence”

Interested in the story behind Abby’s comment? Sunday night is family night, so this past Sunday we took the kids to play putt-putt. Abby is surprisingly really good at putt-putt and Andrew, well he just likes to hit things. After putt-putt Abby wanted to ride the go carts. So Marty graciously agreed to take her. There were probably 6 other carts on the track with them and Marty was doing really well. He stayed back a little so all the other cars wouldn’t scare Abby and boy was she having a good time. She would squeal and wave to Andrew and I every time they went around. Well, the other carts caught up to Marty and Abby. There were 2 guys that I guess thought they were at Atlanta Motor Speedway or something, they had already spun out once despite numerous reminders to be careful over the loud speaker. One kept riding Marty’s tail and finally got so close that he bumped them pretty hard. I guess the mama bear came out in me because I immediately jumped up from the table and screamed that’s my daughter, be careful. Abby told Marty that the bump scared her but she then went on enjoying the rest of the race. Walking back to the car Marty and I were talking about what had happened and I told him that I was about to jump the fence if I had to. Marty then tells me “I know, I wanted to whoop some . . . “ Well he left it at that. Getting in the car Abby asked Marty what he was going to whoop, so he filled in the blank with “the boys” So now, Abby is going around telling everyone, I believe she told Ella yesterday on the phone that “Daddy’s gonna whoop those boys and mommy’s gonna jump the fence” Well, see if she tells her teacher today, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Classy of us huh?
Moral of the story, little ears are always listening.

Happy birthday to my one and only!

I know it’s an old picture, but it’s one of my favorites.

Finally, Marty has caught up to me. According to Abby, we are both 52. Ok so she’s only 20 years off. Happy Birthday Marty. The kids and I are truly blessed to have you; you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am sorry that Andrew woke up at 6:26 this morning and that you were already playing hide and seek by 9:00 am, but I’m sure you didn’t mind at all. I hope you have the best day ever and know that you are loved more than words can express. I love you.

Some are right, some are way off.

Here is the card that Abby made me at school for Mother’s Day. Too cute.

How do you know?

So how do you know when kids are playing you or not? I ask because I think we were played last night. Abby had her church choir concert last night and has been looking forward to it (or so we thought) for weeks. She was so excited last week when she got to practice on the big stage. So last night we go eat at the church like we do every Wednesday night. During dinner Abby seemed not like her self. We kept asking her if she felt ok or if she was nervous. I think that’s what did it; I think we planted the idea in her head. As I start to take her to her class she tells me that her throat hurts and she thinks she needs to spit up (throw up) So I rush her to the bathroom and nothing. I ask her if she wants to go to her class or go home and she says that she wants to go to her class for the concert. I take her and she starts crying. Again, her throat hurts and she thinks she needs to spit up. She finally tells me that she wants to go home. To this point I am thinking that she is going to throw up any minute. As we walk down the hall, she asks if she can go watch the concert. Hmm! Once we get home she laid on the couch for oh about 5 minutes. Then the rest of the night was spent riding her bike and playing with bubbles. I’m not sure if she was really sick, if we pressured her or if she was nervous. I’m not sure we will ever know but she has promised to give us our own concert tonight

Wordless Wednesday

What a week!!

Wow, are kids are really putting us to the parenting test this week. Calgon take me away! So Abby cut her hair earlier in the week, well last night was Andrew’s turn to test mommy and daddy. I’m still not sure if we passed or failed miserably. Our bedtime routine consists of getting jammies on and reading a book in Abby’s room. Depending on the night Andrew will join us in Abby’s room for the book. Last night was one of those nights, but Andrew just didn’t want to and wouldn’t cooperate. So instead of fighting with him, Marty and I agreed that it would be better to just put him to bed and finish the book with just Abby. Andrew didn’t like that idea one bit, he pitched the second biggest temper tantrum I have ever seen. HUGE I tell you. We are in Abby’s room reading and all the sudden we hear Andrew’s door open. I take a quick inventory as to who was missing and the only one was Andrew. Yes, he had climbed out of his crib. I know they are two completely different children but Abby never even tried to climb out of her crib. So, we tell him that is not allowed and I rock him a little to try to get him calmed down. He stops screaming so I go to put him back in his crib. Well, this is when the biggest temper tantrum starts; I guess the first one was just the warm up. Marty and I stand outside Andrew’s door listening. We hear him jumping in his crib and don’t think much about it until we hear a loud thud. Yep, he did it again but this time we are pretty sure he fell, or jumped, out of the crib. I think he really scared himself that time because when I put him back in his crib he laid right down and didn’t try it again, nor did he pitch a tantrum. Needless to say, Marty and I both went up there about 15 minutes later to give him some love. Marty rocked him for a good 20 minutes and we hope he went to sleep with happy thoughts. Parenting is hard work!
After all the events this week, Marty thought it a good idea to give me my Mother’s Day present early. I love, love, love it. It’s a locket key chain from red envelope. If you don’t know what red envelope is, go check it out because they have some of the best things. I have already put the pictures in, so next time I see you feel free to ask to see my keys. What a great husband I have, presents always brighten the day.

Update

All is good!! I can tell that Abby cut her hair but no one else can. It was way better than what I was imagining. Thank goodness!! We talked about it and hopefully got it through her hard head that she does not cut her hair, ever. Oh she also said that she cut Andrew’s hair, but we can’t find where. Oh my, and I though Andrew was going to be the one to keep us on our toes!
Sorry no pictures.

Every child does it, right?!?

So I get a call from Marty, nothing unusual about that. He’s been working on the kids’ bathroom (I can’t wait to show y’all because it’s going to be the best room in the house) and the kids were awfully quite. That’s usually not a good sign and in this case it was true. Here’s what Abby tells Marty when he finds them in our bathroom:
A: Ok daddy, here’s the truth. Since mommy thinks my hair is too long (I LOVE her hair and am in fact very envious of it) I cut it.

I wanted to cry! She used her childproof scissors that were in the junk drawer that has a child safety lock on the drawer. Marty *says* you can’t tell but he also said that there is about a 2 inch lock of hair in the trashcan. She cut it from the bottom on the bangs side of her hair, if that makes any sense. I feel bad because she did it because she thought that I thought her hair was too long. I’m guessing this is coming from the fact that I have been pulling it up into ponytails lately since it’s getting warmer. Now I’m also having mommy guilt because when I talked to her on the phone I was in shock and I sure I didn’t get across what I really wanted to and not the way I wanted to. I will let you know tomorrow if you can really tell or not.

WooHoo

I just got off of the phone with the Admissions Director at DCA. I wanted to give her a heads up that we will be taking Abby out of school for vacation and also get her opinion. Well, it went so much better than I had imagined. She said that Abby will miss out on bonding time but from what she can see in Abby; she will be just fine. She also said that it is great family time and she is glad to see families still see the importance of vacation. Such a load off my shoulders, I was really dreading making the phone call. Looks like Abby will be having school by the pool. How many more days do we have?!?

Is it August yet?

Pack the bathing suits and sunscreen because we’re going to the beach, well not until August. We booked the condo for our beach trip this morning and I don’t know how we are going to make it through the next 4 months. We are staying at the same place as last year, with the same awesome friends (the Walker’s), but this year we are staying a whole week. Oh, that is so exciting!!
Ok, so Marty and I will get the bad parent award but that’s ok. Abby is going to miss her second full week of school. Yes, we are taking her out of school to go to the beach, bad parents I know. We will have to have some learning time on the beach or by the pool.
I also just realized that we will be at the beach for Ella’s birthday and also for mine. It’s going to be a birthday week, what a great present. Hurry up August, get here already! Well, not really because that will mean that my baby will be in Kindergarten, oh I can already see the tears flowing (mine not Abby’s)

Going to the chapel

Last time we were at my dad’s house, Abby found my wedding veil and thought it was the greatest thing ever. Ever since she was a flower girl in my sister’s wedding (back in 2005) she has loved pretending to get married. Last night she asked Marty if he would marry her. A little forward of her don’t you think, we have to work on the fact that the guy asks the girl. Marty asked her what about mommy; she went on to tell him that she can’t marry me because I’m a girl. No silly girl, daddy’s already married to mommy. Well, I’m obviously no obstacle for her because she said it didn’t matter, they could still get married. When Marty said he couldn’t marry her, she went onto Andrew and he gladly said yes.

Gatlinburg, 2007

Here are a few pictures from this past weekend. We went to Gatlinburg with Marty’s family for a little quality family time and had a blast. Enjoy!!

A picture is worth a thousand words

I thought this was awesome

We Survived

Sporting their doggie ears and tatoos, thanks Keri!

Jumping fun!

Birthday Boy

Jumping

More jumping

One, Two, Three Blow!!

PRESENTS!!

Well, the rain held off for the most part and we were able to have Andrew’s party outside. YIPPEE!! It started sprinkling right at the time we were going to eat so I put a quilt on the floor in the living room and the kids had a picnic inside, which they were completely happy with.
Abby and Andrew didn’t know that we had rented the jumpy thing and the look on their faces was priceless. They were so excited and honestly Marty and I had fun jumping too. All and all, party day was a lot of fun. Well, that is until about 10:30 pm. Marty and I were dead dog tired and went to sleep around 10:00. At 10:30 we hear Andrew saying “daddy, daddy” Andrew NEVER calls so Marty went to check on him. I hear the door open and then Marty promptly calls me. I knew exactly what I was going in to. Andrew had thrown up all in his bed. Marty puts him in the bath and I strip his bed. Marty and I were still holding onto the thought that it was just all the junk food he ate at his party (he was camped out in front of the puppy chow for a good 15 minutes) We put him in our bed and 15 minutes later we figured out that it was not the junk food. He had the stomach bug AGAIN. Andrew had it 2 Friday’s ago, I got it the following Monday, Abby had it last Wednesday and Andrew got it again on Saturday. I want this bug out of my house and I want it gone now. So far Marty has stayed well and we are keeping our fingers crossed. Poor Andrew baby, he threw up 6 times from 10:30 until 2:00. We only had to change our sheets once, after that we were able to get him to the bathroom in time. Marty and I did have to laugh at his expense though (maybe we were just delirious by this point) He would lean over into the toilet bowl so far that we thought he was going to stick his face in the water. He would also put his little foot up on the toilet bowl rim to get more leverage; it was pretty darn funny in the middle of the night. I guess you had to be there because writing it out seems pretty gross not funny, but at the time we were cracking up.
Party planning is over for a few more months until we start planning Abby’s horsey (that’s what she wants at the moment, it could change by tomorrow though) party. I love planning their parties.

Bonus photo. Andrew's actual birthday.

Rain Rain go away

Come back another day (other than Saturday) We are having Andrew’s birthday party on Saturday and it is supposed to rain. I promise this kid must think his birthday lasts a whole week. He got a present from my sister on Saturday, Sunday brought more presents, Monday brought a present from my dad, we finally gave him his present last night and Saturday will bring even more presents. Good gracious!! Anyway, there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow and we have invited way more people than can fit in our tiny house. Not just that, but we rented a jumpy bounce thing for the kids to play in (again trying to keep everyone outside) I have been avidly watching the weather all week in hopes of a miracle, so far no such luck. We are praying for the best but planning for the worst.

Happy Birthday Little Man

Andrew is 2. I can’t believe it!!
I am a planner through and through; well Andrew threw us for a loop. Abby was planned, Andrew was not. I found out I was pregnant with Andrew the day before Abby’s 2nd birthday on Friday the 13th (that should have been a sign as to what was headed our way) I will admit that I was not jumping up and down with excitement, in fact I called my sister at 11:00 at night crying, she has since repaid me by called me at 6:45 in the morning to tell me she was pregnant. I have always said that mom had something to do with Andrew, he was born a year and a week after her funeral, talk about bitter sweet. Marty and I were not going to have any more babies because I had such a hard time laboring and delivering Abby and we were scared of me getting Pre-eclampsia again. I talked to my doctor and she gave me a 3% chance of getting PE again, I could handle those odds. Again, Andrew defied all the odds and at 14 weeks my blood pressure started creeping up. My BP stayed decent until about 32 weeks, and then it really started climbing. At 34 weeks I was taken out of work and put on bed rest, there is no such thing as bed rest with a 2 year old by the way. I start seeing the doctor twice a week, Tuesdays was my biophysical ultrasound and Thursdays was my non stress test. I had a great doctor that took excellent care of me, very proactive. At 38 weeks I go in for my non stress test and my BP is way up, I get sent to the hospital for monitoring. While there my doctor decides that tomorrow is the day. We are to be back at the hospital at 9:00 the next morning to be induced. Let me tell you how hard it was saying bye to Abby the next morning. Marty and I knew what was going to happen but the poor baby had no idea, we were about to turn her life upside down and she just happily kissed and hugged us goodbye.
We get to the hospital and my biggest fear was having to be put on Magnesium Sulfate again (that stuff is the enemy himself) I was able to avoid Mag for 9 hours but Dr. Z said she just didn’t feel comfortable without it anymore (Mag is used to prevent seizures in women with PE) I bawled because I knew what it did to me with Abby. Dr. Z knew my feelings and started me with a very low dose thankfully. When I got my epidural, it lowered my BP so much that I had to be given a shot epinephrine to raise it back up (yes we had been fighting high BP the whole pregnancy) It was a wild and crazy ride. We sent the family home (except for my sister) at about 11:00 pm because I was stuck at 5 cm. My labor nurse came in at 11:35 and said that we were going to have a baby by midnight, WHAT?!? Marty calls his mom and tells her that she better get back to the hospital if she wanted to see her grandson being born. I wasn’t convinced that he would be born by midnight because I pushed for 3 hours with Abby, but I was excited to finally get to that point. Well, Andrew was born at 11:47 pm, 13 minutes before midnight and just minutes after Jeannie and Gidget get there. He weighed 7 pounds 12 ounce and was 19 ¼ inches long, 2 weeks early. Our life changed for the better yet again at 11:47 on April 8th 2005.
I think back to what a blessing and a pleasure he has been. Had there not been an Andrew, I wouldn’t hear “mommy, get me” in the monitor in the mornings, or get sweet slobbery kisses, or have a mommy’s boy. Oh don’t get me wrong, I know what’s in store for us, he is Marty’s son after all. But he is just so darn cute and it melts my heart to see him and Abby playing (nicely) together. We might not have meant to but we did a good thing. Happy Birthday sweet boy, ok a day late.

Good Friday

Have you ever wondered why Good Friday was called Good Friday? It is the day that Jesus was on the cross and was crucified, I wouldn’t exactly call it good (well, for him at least). I guess I always thought it’s because the outcome was good or maybe because what he did for the sinners was good.
According to Wikipedia here’s the real reason:
It is likely that the name "Good Friday" came from the earlier English name, "Godes Friday," meaning "God's Friday." In much the same way as "God be with ye" was shortened to "goodbye," so did "Godes Friday" become "Good Friday."

Now you know and don’t have to wonder anymore.

When did that happen?

Waffle House and credit cards. Those words do not belong in a sentence together. Don’t get me wrong because I am thrilled that WH will now be accepting credit cards but I remember the many nights of scrounging up change so you could get the yummy scattered, covered (and chunked if you’re Marty) hash browns from WH. I also remember the days that WH would accept checks, but never credit cards. Our WH by our house just recently put in an ATM machine but we refused to use it because it would charge you some outrageous amount just so you could get access to your money. We were thrilled to see those notorious Visa/MasterCard stickers right at the front door. We are not big frequenters of WH, but that might change now. Marty and I just never carry cash so that pretty much ruled out the good ole Waffle House, until recently. Watch out WH here we come.

Mom, I love you and miss you everyday.

Say cheese (or rather cake)

Well, this is what happens when you let Andrew eat cake by himself. Abby and I made a cake a while back. It was a pink strawberry cake with chocolate frosting and Andrew seems to be wearing all of it, luckily it was bath and laundry night. Notice that there is not a crumb of cake on the fork.

You did what?!?

Let me set the scene. Saturday morning, I was at Target, Marty was working in the garage (with the door open) and the kids were playing nicely upstairs. Marty goes in to check on them and Abby says “Aren’t you glad I changed Andrew’s dirty diaper” Well; they are all the time playing baby and mommy so Marty didn’t think much about it. He said “Oh are y’all playing pretend” Abby then goes on to tell Marty that it wasn’t pretend, Andrew had a dirty diaper and instead of coming to get Marty, she changed it her self. Oh my!! Marty went to investigate the site, not knowing what he was going to find (probably scared to see what he was going to find) To his surprise, she did a pretty good job (she was so proud of herself) She did use about 20 wipes but Andrew’s hiney was spotless. The new diaper was on a little crooked but it was on the correct way. The dirty diaper was put in the diaper champ and the changing pad was on the floor. She even got his jammies back on. We told her thank you for helping us and Andrew out but let’s leave the dirty diaper changing to mommy and daddy. So, now it’s Sunday. Marty and I are downstairs and the kids are once again playing upstairs. I call the kids to come get ready for church and Abby tells me that Andrew had a wet diaper, so she changed it, again a little crooked but it was on. I had just changed his diaper 30 minute before, yes he might have already wet, but at that rate we would be broke from having to buy so many diapers. I elaborate a little more and tell her to leave all the diaper changing to us. She is very hurt and asks if we can take turns, we’ll see honey!

Plan C

There is no Plan C, but that’s OK because we don’t need a Plan C. We found out when we got back home yesterday that Abby has been accepted to Donelson Christian Academy. A huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We knew this was where Abby needed to be and we are so thankful that the admissions board saw what an asset Abby will be to their program.
Oh no, my baby is going to be in Kindergarten. How did that happen? Up until now, I have been stressing as to where she was going to go not that she is actually going to go. She is going to be a whole hand old in August and is going to real school, oh my baby. At least I am very happy about DCA and have full confidence that they will be everything and more that Abby needs, but she’s my baby!!

Consignment Sales

Consignment season is upon us and I love it. I absolutely love a good consignment sale. I went to one on Wednesday at DCA and found a few things for both the kids. But Marty put me to shame. He did something most men wouldn’t do in a million years; he shopped a consignment sale for me. Not only did he shop it, but he did awesome. Anyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE Gymboree. He racked up on Gymboree items. Things for both kids; many still with tags on. He bought Gymboree, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, shirts, shorts, shoes, you name it. He said at first he felt a little out of place (since he was the only male in sight) but after a few comments from other shoppers he felt at ease. Have I told you I’m married to the most awesome man? Thanks Marty for being such a great daddy; who just happens to have great taste in kids clothing.

Abby's bedtime prayer

Along with the various songs and stories that go along with our bedtime routine, Abby also says her prayers. I will have to paraphrase (although I’m pretty spot on) but you get the point.

“Thank you God for everything you give us; family, friends, food. Especially thank you for houses. If we didn’t have a house we would have to have a campout in a tent in the backyard. We would just have to cook food and roast marshmallows. We could play frisbee and sleep outside. Oh and thank you for all the dead people. Amen.”

What a random prayer I know. She always starts off really good and then she goes off on a major tangent. We have stuck with the campout prayer for a while now and she always thanks God for the dead people?!? I have no idea where that came from. To me it sounds like she would prefer to sleep in a tent, maybe we will have to go camping in the backyard when it gets warmer. Gotta love having a fenced in backyard.

When he gets it, he really gets it

Warning: Brag ahead

I guess I should just learn this about Andrew. When he gets something, he really gets it. He might do things later, but there is no learning period with him because once he figures out he can do it, he’s off. Just like when he started walking. Marty called me on my way home from work to tell me that Andrew had stood up on his own. Once I got home he was taking a few steps, by the time we put him to bed that night (2 hours later) he was walking down the hall to get his jammies on. He went from not walking at all to walking everywhere in just a matter of a few hours.
The same goes for talking. Marty asked me yesterday (he’s been gone for 3 days) when did Andrew start talking? Just a week or so ago I was telling my sister that I was getting concerned because Andrew wasn’t putting words together. I guess he heard and wanted to prove me wrong because he has really started putting words together. He told me “Andrew blankie kitchen” yesterday when I asked him where it was. He’s getting it!! I think he absorbs it all in until he’s ready to master it and then he will show us what he can do.

Guess who?

Can you guess who they are? The other day Abby came into the kitchen to get Marty and tell him something "important" This is what he saw when he went into the living room, that's right we have our very own manger. Abby was being Mary and she had Andrew playing the part of Baby Jesus. Can you tell we are at church a lot?!? Just had to share.

Yes, my kids often run around without clothes on in the middle of winter.

Our update

Wow, what a week and weekend. We have been fighting the family cold and Marty and I seem to have gotten it the worst. Better us than the kids though. I hate going to the doctor (but have no problems taking the kids for every small problem) and avoid it at all cost. We finally had to break down and go to the doctor yesterday, we had finally had enough. Marty and I both went and took the kids with us. The nurse starts talking to the kids asking them what was wrong and what hurts. Then she realized that we weren’t there (it’s a family practice that see kids too, just not our kids) for the kids, it was for us; the parents. It was pretty funny. I think Marty and I have every possible itis of the head and throat, everything seems to be inflamed. Marty and I both got a prescription and I was the lucky one who got a shot. Abby was not pleased in the least that they were giving me a shot. She was so cute; she held my hand and gave me one of her yogurt covered raisins for not crying. When we got home I also got a Dora sticker.
On a happier note, we think Abby did really good on her testing for DCA. We don’t know for sure, but everything is pointing to her doing well. She happily went back to the classroom with the teacher and seemed in really good spirits when she returned. From what we can tell, she had to write her name, the number 4 and 5, draw a circle and square, name some animals (one of the animals she named was a chipmunk, what does she know about a chipmunk?) and who knows what else. Now we are just waiting to see what happens. I have a really good feeling this time though.

One down one to go

Well, Marty and I had our interview with DCA this morning and I think we might have passed. WOOHOO!! Now it’s all up to Abby. She goes in on for “testing” Saturday morning. I say “testing” because for her it will seem more like playing, and I want to keep it that way. She will build with blocks, draw shapes, write her name, etc. We are trying to keep this fun for her.
The interview really wasn’t bad at all. It was more for us to get to know the school a little more intimately and be able to ask questions. We did learn that there are more applicants than spots available though, so here we go again. Please say a prayer that Abby gets in because this was our Plan B, there is no Plan C. The admission committee will look at the test results, the parent interview and the referral letter. Abby’s referral letter was amazing; Ms. Gayle (Abby’s current teacher) let us see it even though it was supposed to be confidential. She gave Abby a great review, Abby even got the well rounded compliment that Andrew got a few weeks ago. I feel a little more confident about this admissions process because Abby will be a part of the deciding factor. She is not just a computer generated number picked randomly. Besides, who couldn’t love Abby and not want her in their school. We should know something by the second or third week of March. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers; we want this so much for Abby.

My son the stripper

Let me just tell you about the funny things Andrew does at night. Andrew wears two kinds of jammies; feetsie jammies and non feetsie jammies (don’t you all wish you could wear feetsie jammies and still be so darn cute) When wearing the non feetsie jammies we always put socks on him. Well every time I go check on him before I go to bed he has not only taken his socks off and thrown them over the side of his crib but he also always takes his pillowcase off and throws it over. Drives me batty. I put the socks back on and the pillowcase back on, only to find the pillowcase and the socks off again come morning time. Well, he has recently started something else when wearing feetsie jammies. He thinks he’s Elvis! He will unsnap his jammies and unzip them down to his bellybutton. I guess he’s going for the sexy baby look, I don’t know. So on feetsie jammie nights I zip and snap him back up AND put the pillowcase back on, again only to find him sexy baby in the morning and the Elmo pillowcase on the floor. Spring is not far around the corner so no more feetsie jammies and socks, but there will always be the pillowcase.

Open house, interviews, testing oh my!

Wow, it sure does involve a lot to get your little girl into Kindergarten. Today we went to the open house at DCA was very happy to get to peek into all the classes. Marty and I are very excited about Abby going there in the Fall (I guess school doesn’t really start in the Fall anymore since they start in August now) Everyone was very friendly and we even got to speak to and ask questions to 2 kindergarten teachers, the headmaster, the elementary principal, the PE teacher, the art teacher and the librarian. We were also taken to the chapel, which they will have every Wednesday morning. We loved hearing that they will have PE 3 times a week but go outside (or some other form of recess) every day, art once a week, music once a week, Spanish once a week and computer once a week. They also visit the library once or twice a week. Yeah, all these great classes!!
Abby will be dropped off and picked up right at the Elementary School doors and will be escorted to her class. There is also a separate cafeteria for the Kindergartners; they understand that it is a scary time for our babies. If Abby chooses to eat the school lunch, the lunch will be fixed for her and brought to her at the table. No worries about trying to serve herself and get it to the table alone.
Abby did so well, proud mommy moment. She wasn’t shy at all and talked to everyone, she even wrote her own name on her name tag. She was most excited about the playground, but what 4 year old wouldn’t be. She did tell us that she will miss Ms. Gayle but she’s sure she will like her new teacher too. I think she will be ready.
Marty and I have an interview next Thursday. I didn’t know we were trying to get into the school? We were able to speak with Becky (the interviewer) today and I am more comfortable with it now. I will let you know if we pass or not. Abby then has to go for testing on March 3rd, again not sure what to expect but we are learning as we go. At least we will be pros when it’s time for Andrew to start Kindergarten (which by the way isn’t for a long long time)
We are very excited and know it will be a good fit!

Sunday Night = Family Night

Marty and I made the decision last night to make Sunday night Family night. Sunday night seemed like the best choice for many reasons, one being that we go to church in the morning and everyone is in good spirits and another being that no one has to work on Sunday's. We are going to do something simple for dinner like ordering pizza or cooking something in the crock pot so that way no one has to really cook or do the dishes. The TV is going to be turned off and we will enjoy each other. I foresee many nights of dress up, go fish and hide and go seek. But that's ok. It hit us last night that one day Abby and Andrew won't want to snuggle anymore or won't want bedtime stories or won't come to us and say "up peez". We don't want to miss these times and say I wish we hadn't been so busy. They are only little for such a short time and we are going to take it all in. So from here on out Sunday is Walters' Family night.

Marty's so good

So as I told you yesterday, since the kids didn't have school Marty was going to take them to the mall for some play time. Well, that's not all they did. Marty called me before lunch and said that they had gone into The Children's Place and he had found the kids' Easter clothes (ok, so we're both planners) Great I said, told him to get what he liked. I trust his opinion, he always buys great clothes for them. Well, after lunch he said he can't decide and then tells me that we need to come back after dinner so I can help him decide. It seemed a little odd because he was so set when I talked to him earlier, well whatever. When I get home Marty tells me that they have a surprise for me but I won't get it until we get to the mall. I tried everything to get it out of Abby. He promised a special treat, I promised two. Nothing worked!! She loves surprises, so much so that she doesn't want us to tell her where we're going half the time because she wants to be surprised. We get to the mall and I figure out what my surprise was, Marty had taken them to get their picture taken. Aren't they adorable? From what I'm gathering, it took nothing less than a few baloon animals, a promise of a cookie, and a silly daddy to get Andrew to cooperate. I love my surprise!! We did end up getting the Easter outfits also, the ones that Marty had origionally picked out. He later admitted that it wasn't the clothes he couldn't decide on, it was the picture. There were too many good ones to choose from.

Snowed In

Ok, so tell me from looking at this picture how school could be cancelled? This is all the snow we got and on my drive into work this morning, it looks like we got more (could that be possible) than anyone else. I thought I was hearing things this morning when I heard that school had been cancelled. Amazing!!

Needless to say, Marty was not pleased because this is his only day that he gets to himself because both kids have school on Thursdays. They will be taking a trip to the mall for lunch and a little play time.

Plan B

DCA desires that students love the Lord with all their heart; love their friends as their own self; become like Christ in their conduct, thoughts and decisions; and discover their strengths and talents in service for the Lord.

We have talked and prayed over where to send Abby for Kindergarten and we have finally made a decision, in fact I just sent the application off today. She will be going to Donelson Christian Academy starting in August. The above quote is taken directly from DCA’s website and who wouldn’t want that for their child, it sounds wonderful in fact. We were looking at 2 schools, one being a Baptist school and then DCA. We decided on DCA because it is more well rounded (there’s that word again). DCA is a kindergarten through 12 grade school that has almost 900 students that not only produces some of the highest test scores in Tennessee but also offers fine arts programs such as drama (Marty’s happy) and band along with a great athletic program which includes all the major sports and some others such as tennis and golf (again, right up Marty’s alley). DCA is on my way to work, so I will be able to take Abby myself and pick her up in the afternoons. That way we can keep Andrew’s current nap schedule just the way it is. Now we just have to break the news to her that she won’t be riding the big yellow school bus that she has longed to ride for so long. I love that the student teacher ratio is 10 students to one teacher. I feel like Abby will get the one on one attention that she deserves and she will have a more personal relationship with her teachers and her peers. We are very excited. I would have loved for her to go to the Montessori school but this is a pretty great Plan B.
We feel that in the long run it will be money well spent; now I can’t wait to see her in her school uniform. Pictures to come later.

Well Rounded

I don’t feel like I brag or even write about Andrew nearly enough, maybe it’s because Abby is so vocal and much easier to write about. Andrew is coming around though and it is so sweet hearing his little voice and seeing the “light bulb” go off when he figures something out. I do have to brag because he no longer cries when we drop him off for church or school. He not only doesn’t cry but he will put his lunch bag up and walk in like the little man that he is. It is such a piece of mind knowing that he is happy when we leave him.
I picked him up on Wednesday night from his class and his teachers gave him the most wonderful compliment. They told me that he is so well rounded. At first I didn’t think much about it but when you think about it; well rounded is the absolute best compliment. He not only is sweet but he is also funny. He’s not only out going but he’s also sensitive. Not only adorable but also thoughtful. I was so proud of my little man. Yes, it was also a good feeling for me too. It feels really good when your peers compliment your child which in a round about way compliments you and your parenting ability.

Snow Day

Ok, so on the day that we were least expecting it, we got snow. The kids have had a blast playing in it, although they wish it wasn't so cold. Right now they are having a snowball fight, too fun!! Here are the only pictures I have of my star children so far. Enjoy!!

Good news Mommy

This morning Abby came running down the stairs and into our room with a huge smile on her face. She said to me “Mommy do you want to hear the good news? I looked out the window and there’s snow on the roof” She then goes on to ask Marty and I if we want to go outside and make snow angles and build a snowman. One small problem, there was only snow on the roof, no where else. For days now we have been hearing that we were going to get 1-2 inches of snow overnight. So last night before Abby went to bed we told her that she might not go to school today because it might snow. I guess she remembered because she looked out her window first thing and was so excited to see the dusting of snow on the roof.
Ok, so I will admit it. I was pretty excited about the thought of snow; I want to build snowmen too. So what did I do first thing this morning, look out the window. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get as excited about the dusting as Abby was. Only to be young and innocent again.