All I Want For Christmas.......

Is my two front teeth!!!

Funny Funny Mae

Today we were sitting around the table eating lunch. The conversation was lively as usual. We were all dressed in our "play clothes". Rusty's shirt had a hole in his left arm pit. (I've been trying to get rid of it, but he insists on wearing it) Anyway, he gets up to get something from the refrigerator and Mae notices his hole. She then proceeds to tell us this story. It goes something like this:

You know, Dillon, my friend, had a hole in his shirt in his arm pit. We were doing exercises in our classroom and he lifted his hands up and there it was! (a few seconds of thought provoking silence) I guess he just blew it out. Or maybe his Mom busted it out with the hanger.

Now, you have to understand. Dillon is a little on the heavy side and has the cutest round face with huge blue eyes. Blond messy hair completes his appearance.

I thought this was sooo funny. I couldn't contain my laughter. Mae is my little observer and nothing gets by her. She's just plain funny, funny!!

Time of Your Life

There is a song that I just love by Green Day. Many of you have heard it a million times and know exactly which one I'm referring to. You probably will sing along with these lyrics I'm going to share. The name of the song is Good Riddance-The Time of Your Life. It goes like this.

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go

So make the best of this test, and don't ask why

It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.

I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind

Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial

For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.

I hope you had the time of your life.

This song has meant so much to me over the years. While I worked with special needs children it reminded me of the parents of these children. What they planned and what they were dealt. While I was going through all the "stuff" with Mae when she was born it made me realize that there would be a silver lining one day. Now that we are far, far away from "home" and family, it makes me realize that this is exactly where we are supposed to be. We have been blessed by so many new things, and most importantly the closeness of our little family. God has a plan for us that only he can see. It's up to us how we deal with it.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. We are having the time of our lives!!!!

Works for me Wednesday

Some of the blogs I like to read do this little thing called Works for me Wednesday. They post a little tip that they have found "works for them". It's really fun and I enjoy reading them. So... Here's my Works for me Wednesday tip for you.

When shopping with a two year old dum dum suckers work wonders...miracles on some occasions. They are small enough to fit perfectly in a zip lock baggie which in turn fits nicely in a purse or diaper bag. They are small enough to provide not too much sugar. They are just the right size to produce little mess and trash. And... most importantly they make a two year old happy long enough to get your shopping done!!!

And that's my little Works for me Wednesday tip for you!! Hey...it works for me!

I Forgot To Tell You!!

We just had a wonderful visit with my Mother and Don. It was very fast. Too fast, if you ask me. There isn't enough time to really visit. I miss them already. Don and I celebrated our birthdays, we visited many of the local sights and we did our regular routine of soccer games and school. We all had a blast.


As soon as we picked them up from the airport we all were very excited. As soon as Will caught a glimpse of Mimi he was ecstatic. He immediately started saying, "I forgot to tell you!! I forgot to tell you, Mimi!" It was hilarious. This continued for the entire time they were here. As soon as he woke up in the morning he would run to Mimi and say, "I forgot to tell you!" When we would all pile in the car he would reply, "I forgot to tell you, Mimi!" As we sat down to watch TV he would climb up on the couch beside her and say, "Mimi, I forgot to tell you!" The last time Mimi visited was three months ago. Will's favorite thing to tell her during the last visit was,"Hi, Mimi, Hi, Mimi!" I guess his little vocabulary has grown, and he has suddenly remembered all the things he wanted to tell her for the last three months. It was very sweet.

We all enjoyed our visit very much. We miss our family and friends terribly, and it is very hard being so far away. Although we have made new friends and are very busy with our everyday lives, it is so nice to have a visit from family. Only a few more months and we will get to visit with family again. I wonder what Will will have to say about that!!

Will

Will is hilarious. His little vocabulary is growing everyday. Just the other day at soccer he said, "I want to go with you, Mommy!" I couldn't believe it. When he gets mad he points his finger, closes one eye, and stares at his finger with the opened eye while telling me, "NO!" I was getting him out of the car this morning after taking the kids to school and he said, "Stop copying me!" (This is something John Russel and Mae say to each other daily) He loves to ask, "What's this, Mommy?" Especially when he knows the answer. His favorite game is something we made up after the Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? book. We say Will, Will what do you see? Then he replies, "A----- looking at me. It could be a tree, a bus, or something imaginary like an elephant. Mae loves to ask him questions and talk to him. At this point I'm not sure who talks more, Mae or Will. They can talk to each other until their ears fall off. Oh well....thank goodness they have each other.

I never get tired of watching them grow and learn. Each child is so different and offers so much to those around them. I thank God everyday for all the wonderful blessings they bring to me.

Family Visits

We are so excited around here. Mimi and Don are coming to visit!!! They will be here Wednesday. We can't wait. The kids are growing so much and I can't wait to show them off to some family. Just last night Rusty said, "It's going to be nice to see some family this week."

Being so far away from "home" has made us realize how precious family is. We knew this before, but being so so far away brings it all to light. Thank goodness for telephones, but there is nothing like feeling the hugs and seeing the faces of our loved ones. We are looking forward to a fabulous visit.

So for all of you that haven't made the trip out west yet....What are you waiting for? The kids are growing and we all miss you! So come on!! If not, we'll see all of you at Christmas. I'll be counting down the days!!!

Blast From The Past.

I was going through some old pictures the other day. Don't Rusty and I look cute? I hope you enjoy them.

Grandmothers Legacy

I was just reading a blog and it was named after a saying that the author's grandmother used to say. I was immediately captivated by this. It made me start thinking of my grandmothers and how much they have impacted my life. Even though they are no longer here on earth with me, I think about them both on a daily basis. I know that we will all be together again some day, but I really do miss them a great deal. I am so blessed to have had these two marvelous southern ladies in my life. They were different in so many ways, but both taught me how to be who I am today. (which I hope is a marvelous southern lady, myself)

My Memaw was so crafty. She could cook, sew, and do most any "crafty" thing. She loved to grow things in her yard, which was glorious by they way. She always had a garden and she loved animals. She even had a pet squirrel. She was so very funny and loved to play jokes. She would make scavenger hunts for us at Easter and she would let me help her sew. She made me sweaters and dresses and dolls. I could go on and on. She was so precious to me. My memory is so full of all the gifts both material and immaterial that she has given me. Her voice, I still remember. I can still hear her joking with Big Pop about his rocking chair, if I let my mind drift back a little. I'm a better person for knowing her. Her gifts she has passed on have made me who I am today.

My Big Anne was so loving. She wasn't the type to smother you with hugs and kisses, but she loved us like no tomorrow. She just showed it differently. She loved to cook and take care of people. We lived next door growing up and we visited her daily. She had a fabulous southern home and she was as beautiful as it was. She never threw anything away, which was fabulous for me because that meant tons of "stuff" to play with. My favorite was her "dress up clothes". She would let us play with anything in the entire house, except one special drawer. This drawer was the only organized thing in the house. I'm not sure what special things she kept in there, but we didn't dare go near it. She loved her social clubs and was a member of just about all the town had to offer. I'm a better person for knowing her. Her gifts she has passed on have made me who I am today.

I think about my children's grandmothers, mine and Rusty's mother. What gifts do they have to offer? Oh, so many. I'm sure my children's list would be different than mine. That's the fun thing about grandmothers. The gifts they give are as unique as the women they are. Grandchildren get to experience them in a total different way than we do and did. I can't wait to see how my children are shaped by their grandmothers. I know that their great grandmothers would be proud!

All Things Southern

We have been so busy lately. This is a good thing. It means that we have gotten into a routine and have met new people. I have been very involved with the PTO and the kids with school and soccer. Every day our schedule has some crazy event or another. This has allowed us to meet so many new people. Just last night I realized that two people on the PTO board live down the street from me. It seems like such a small world, but really we just live in a small town. You can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know. It's nice, actually. The more people we get to know the friendlier everyone has become.

This has been such a good change for us. It has made all of us realize that the people, although different from the south, are really very similar to us in many ways. Things may be a little different and the people here go about things a little differently, but that isn't always "bad"...just different. I think it's good to branch out of our comfort zone. It makes all of us more well rounded.

Our new friends like the differences we have to offer, too. They love to hear our Southern accents. They love to hear me say Mae's name. One girl told me that she never knew the word Bar-B -Q could sound so beautiful. They think some of the "stuff" we do and say is so neat and funny. I hope we don't loose all of our southern "culture" while here in the southwest. I'm sure I won't, but the kids are already picking up some of the "local sayings". Just the other day John Russel asked me if he could have a soda. A "what" I thought. He was wanting a coke. Too funny.

Oh well, I guess it's OK if the children pick up a little bit of our new culture while we are here. Being free spirited and loving the outdoors is actually a great attribute. I will, however, just DIE if they loose their little southern accents. Now that would be a catastrophe. I'll do my best to keep that one going. After all, how could they possibly loose something that their mother carries so strongly.

So, I'll keep on using my southern accent with my favorite southern phrases as much as possible. And, I'll just worry about their accents tomorrow after all tomorrow is another day!!

Even More Soccer Pics.

More Soccer Pics!

It's Soccer Time!!!

John Russel and Mae had their first soccer games today. Mae's game was at 9:30 and John Russel's game was at 11:00. They had a blast. It was very hot, but we all made it. The park where we played was filled with teams of all ages. It was amazing to look at all the kids running and playing in their multi-colored uniforms. It was a total sea of colors. Here are some pics of our day.

Isn't HE Pretty?

I know many of you have experienced having some stranger call your baby by the wrong sex. You are shopping in Wal-Mart and some grandma-ish person comes up and says, "Awww! She's just precious!" Your response is either, "Thank you." or my favorite, "Yes, we think HE's just beautiful." You could have them in blue from head to toe with baseballs and monster trucks and it still would make no difference. This usually stops around 18 months or so. Not us. Everyone here thinks Will is a girl!! It could be the state in which we are currently living. I don't think anyone has ever heard of a john john or smocking. If they have you can bet they are from the South. Little boys are decked out in khakis and button downs as newborns here. There is no concept of real "baby" clothes. It could also be his hair. He does have great hair, and I do keep it cut kinda long. Girly though, I don't think so. Finally, it could just simply be that he is just plain gorgeous and no human could possible imagine a boy acquiring all of that beauty. Who knows? All I can tell you is that it's getting pretty funny. Both of my children's teachers have made comments about Mae and John Russel's little sister. People in the grocery store tell me how pretty SHE is daily. Strangers on the street comment on HER shiny hair frequently. Come on people. My usual response of, "I know HE is pretty," is getting very old fast. I'm loosing my amusement with this. Rusty is now at the point of telling me I need to cut his hair. HORRORS!! I will not resort to that!

I guess I'll have to keep on living with this. I will NOT cut his hair, nor will I stop dressing him in john johns and smocked outfits. Who knows if it would make much difference anyway. I'll just take it like a mama and realize that it's simply because he's so beautiful. Who knew beauty would be so hard!

Snaggle Tooth

OK, So I've told you about John Russel loosing his tooth. It's not his first, it's his third actually, but it makes him look so different. I guess it's because it's his top front tooth. I don't know, but he looks so strange sometimes. I'll catch myself doing a double take to see if that's my son sitting in the backseat. (UH OH, did I rush some other little boy in the minivan after school? He sounds like John Russel...but something's different?) He even talks differently. Of course the hole makes him have a little lisp, but it's also the way he's holding his mouth as he forms his words. I just stare at him as he tells me how he made a goal at soccer practice, or how he made his friends laugh at school like he's this new little boy that has come to live with me. It's so WEIRD!!!! All you mothers out there probably have experienced this strange phenomenon, why didn't any of you warn me?? Don't get me wrong, I love how he is changing and growing. It's just such a drastic change all at once. At least the other changes occur slowly. I like how God does this. He uses these little things to show us that he's in charge, and he can still surprise even the most seasoned mother. I can't wait for the shocker of how he's going to look with those big chicklet permanent teeth. At least that will be a slower more gradual change. I have a feeling I'll be just as shocked!

Best Day EVER!!!

I just got my Southern Living, Wonder Time , and Kraft's Food and Family magazines in the mail today. Let's all say it together. The BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!!! I can't wait to sit down and read them all cover to cover.

Go to Sleep My Sweet, Sweet Will!

*The title of this post is a song I made up when John Russel was a baby. I have sung it for all of the children. Now we sing it to each other.*

Will loves to take a nap. He loves his bed. He loves his muckus (his blanket). And....unfortunately he loves his pass (his pacifier). He will run up to me and say, "Take a nap, Mommy, take a nap." He'll even do this at night time when it's time for bed. It's amazing. If it's around nap time or if he's looking tired all I have to do is ask, "Are you sleepy, Will?" He'll answer, "Yes, Mommy, take a nap."I'm almost afraid to talk about it out loud for fear he will morph into a normal two year old in the particular area. I added that last part because he is a typical two year old in most other areas. He can throw a huge tantrum and run off at top speed toward a parking lot or hit a friend for no apparent reason. His little personality is pretty easy going though, or maybe it's the third time around thing that make him a little easier than his brother and sister. He's still in his crib which he will stay in until he is five... unless he climbs out, and he does still have the dreaded pacifier. Hey, why mess with perfection?

I know one day I'll be yelling upstairs, "Will, get up you're going to be late for school!!" He will probably be the biggest bear when it comes to sleep. Oh well, I'll take it!

Even more Phoenix pics

More Phoenix Pics

Phoenix Trip

We had such a funfilled weekend in Phoenix. It was full of activity. John Russel lost his tooth when we arrived Friday night. It had been hanging on by a thread for some time, but it was still a surprise to us. We visited many fun places and had a blast.