Hair and Flowers...

Have you ever seen such hair on a two-year-old?

Hair that can even go up in a bun?!

Or so much hair on a 7 month old??

So much that I have to put it up so that it won't be in her face ... but her brother says it looks like a water fountain!

And how about that brother?? He is such a funny guy!

This is a snap dragon flower, mom! he says...

Because when you smell it, it snaps to your face, like this!  Hilarious!!

Love these cute, smart kiddos of mine!

Officially a Kindergartener!

Clayton is officially a Kindergartener! He was up and dressed before I could even turn around. He asked if it was time to go, but I suggested we eat breakfast first! 

I think he asked a couple of more times if it was time to go, but I was able to hold him off with a chore or two. He happily fed the dog when asked. And I overheard him tell Maecie that while he was gone all day, she could take care of the dog!

Finally it was time to go and we had to take pictures...

 I've got my backpack!

I want to go to school too, Mom!

Heading out of the door...

We made it to the school!

Mom did okay too ... a little twinge as I left him there, already working puzzles, with only a "Bye, Mom!" as I walked out of the door. And then the rest of my day was consumed with preparations to teach preschool music and trying to get the girls acclimated to new people. Maecie asked numerous times "where Bubba?" and when we left the preschool it was, "Let's go find Bubba!" I think she and I will have to adapt the most!

When it was time to pick up Clayton, we waited in line for 45 minutes (so hoping that gets better after the first week!), and he joined us in the car! "Hey Mom! School was GREAT!" That was music to my ears!

As dinner was cooking, Clayton and Maecie enjoyed some brother/sister time in the recliner watching cartoons. I hope every day goes as well!

The Latest and Greatest

The latest breaking news in our house is ..... (drumroll) ...... Clayton is 5 years old!!!

Now for some, that might not mean much. But to Clayton, his whole life has changed. Did you know that 5 year olds can run super fast? He has been showing me almost daily!

Did you know that 5 year olds can eat more, faster? Tonight, he ate his french fries two at a time!

Did you know that 5 year olds can stay home by themselves? I don't think so either. But he sure does have a fun time trying to convince me that he can!

This is Clayton posing as a 5-year-old!

We scaled things back a bit since Clayton's last birthday. I think that 60 people for a waterslide birthday party for a 4 year old was a little much. So we said that he could have just a few friends over and we had a pirate party. And my sweet friend took pictures for me during the party so I could be a good host mom. However, my phone (the best camera I have ever had!!) decided to break the next day and I've lost my pics. Luckily, I posted one to my instagram (LOVE that thing!) and was able to email it to myself so I at least have one picture of that day!

There were foam swords, eye patches, pirate talk, cupcakes, a treasure hunt, and more food!!

I think they all had fun!

As a 5 year old, Clayton:

*Likes to ride his bicycle (still on training wheels, but man, can that bike go!)

*Like to annoy play with his sisters.

*Enjoys doing super cool tricks (like jumping from the couch to the cuddle bag. One day it's going to be disastrous, but he doesn't believe me!)

*LOVES to "artist" ... make crafty projects like webs and basically gluing and taping and coloring whatever he can. (his dad even bought him 3 different kinds of tape for his birthday!)

*Like to watch movies/cartoons - his faves are "Mike the Knight", "Incredibles", "Doc McStuffins", and "Phineus and Ferb"

*Always wants to work with his dad

*Still likes to cook/bake with mom

*Has a very creative imagination ... one day told me about going to the bank and getting invisible money so he could go to the store to buy and invisible phone. So now he is able to call his friends to come play whenever he wants to.

*Is extremely verbal ... his vocabulary trips me out sometimes! 

*is VERY excited to start kindergarten, but knows that "they don't want me until August"! (me trying to explain to him that school doesn't start until August, even though he went for an orientation)

*Can make us all laugh

Love that boy and can't imagine my life without him! Happy Birthday, Bubba!!

And the Award Goes To....

My family was all together this past weekend. The greatest man I know, my grandfather, better known as Papa, has passed away. There will be a whole post just on him to come. However, it brought my whole extended family together. We were missing a couple of the great-grandchildren, and one grandchild, but everyone else was there. So where do you go with 17 grandchildren (plus spouses) and 39 great-grandchildren? The only place to hold us all was the church in Florence. So that's where we assembled for our after-funeral meal. (Thanks to those who cooked...it was delish!!)

For those who know Clayton, he is quite the imaginative little guy. After eating dinner, Clayton decided to take a tour of the building. During his tour, he found the children's primary room. He then wanted to take other's on a tour as well. He was able to convince his Grammie, cousin Erin, and Dad to "take a walk".

Once they arrived to the primary room, he would stand in front of the podium and "welcome all those in attendance". And since he only took one at a time, it was usually just one person he was welcoming. Then he would give an award to the attendee. Grammie got the award for highest jumper. Cousin Erin got the shake shake award. Daddy received the award for highest jumper in the wilderness. They even received a sticker!

An "I am a Child of God" sticker!

So proud of our awardees! And love that Clayton!!



Memorable Mom Moments

I think there is probably a "kodak moment" or a "kids say the darndest things" moment every day in my house. With an almost 5 year old boy, a 2 year old girl, and a newborn, things are anything but dull!!

This morning, between bites of waffle, Maecie and I have the following exchange:
Maecie: Hey, Mom! Old McDonald had a farm.
Me: Oh yeah? Did he say E-I-E-I-O?
Maecie: Yeah, with a moo moo here and a moo moo there.

It was so very matter-of-fact that I felt like we totally had a conversation!

Later, while riding in the car, Clayton and I have our own chat:
Clayton: Mom, I'm afraid of the dark.
Me: Well, since it's still light out (1pm), we don't have to worry about that yet.
Clayton: But I'm scared of the light in my room too.
Me: That could be a problem if you don't like the light or the dark.
Clayton: Yeah, I need a Dream Light (as seen on TV!). Then I won't be scared.
Me: *chuckle* Oh really?!
Clayton: And some Stompeez too!

Gotta love commercials that hit their target audience! And how "grown" of him to come up with reasons as to why he needs these products. His intelligence both suprises and intimidates me...we are in for a scary teenage stage!

And of course, Lucie just wants to be held and fed and put to bed! She doesn't demand much at all right now. But I can tell we are going to have some of our own precious moments soon.

How did I get so lucky to have such great kids?!

Summertime!

It's Summer around here, and to celebrate, we headed to the splash pad to play in the water!

Clayton showing off his skills!

Maecie, the biggest water lover of all!!

Lucie in her swimwear, even though she didn't get wet!

My First Graduate

We are the proud parents of a preschool graduate! And we have the pictures to prove it!!

Clayton in the back, middle, singing a song with his class.

Clayton and his teacher, Mrs. Gibson. She was awesome!!

The "graduate" himself ... and the awesome part is they gave us the cap with tassle. So cute and sweet!

The Happy, Busy Family!

Mother's Day Tea with Clayton

This was probably one of my favorite Mother's Days (so far) because of Clayton's preschool. They do amazing things with the kids for every major holiday and we have enjoyed being a part of their school.

First, the kids sang songs to us ... and they were so cute with hand motions and everything!

Then I got a flower in a flower pot with thumbprint flowers on it (and the flower is still alive!), a paper flower, and a questionnaire about mom. According to Clayton, my favorite food is chocolate chip cookies (guilty!), I clean the house all day, and the activity we do the most together is putting together dinosaur puzzles. It was the sweetest day!

My Best Efforts

Being 35 weeks pregnant, with 2 kids, rearranging the house to make room for baby, leading an after school chorus program and various church activities, leads to an exhausted mom! So needless to say, little things (like this blog!) fall by the wayside. So here is my attempt to catch up for the past month:

Making bread makes me extremely happy these days. Something about fresh-from-the-oven yeasty goodness brings a smile to my face!

Clayton got a new bed ... it's a loft bed so we could have maximum space in his new room! He's quite excited!

The "terrible twos" have reared their ugly head and I'm hoping it doesn't last long! This is what happens when you go on a walk and Maecie wants to hold the dog leash, even though it will result in her falling flat on her face, and you don't give in immediately. She knows how to work that pitiful look!

My Valentine's Day attempt. Tried to show some love and that's about all that I could come up with. We were on a low-key celebration this year. But Clayton thought it was the best! And sometimes, that's all that matters.

When all else fails, give them a laundry basket and see what they come up with! Entertain themselves and let their imagination flow!! Here, we are rowing the boat.

So just 4 weeks left, and I'm ready to go. We don't have a definite name (hoping it comes to us soon!) and I don't have all of my newborn clothes out yet. Nor have I bought diapers. (Pitiful, mommy!) But if she came tomorrow, I would be okay with that.

Perfectly Pleased with Playdough

Oh, the simple things that make the kids smile, not fight, and be creative .... for a few minutes anyway!

Then to Now

It came to me while we were in a public restroom (One of my most hated places, by the way! Does anyone else scream "GERMS!" as soon as they walk in?? Doesn't matter how often they clean those places, I want a shower as soon as we enter one!) and Clayton was at the sink washing his hands. He was putting his hand under the soap dispenser, wondering why there wasn't any soap coming out. Apparently he hasn't been around long enough to see soap dispensers where you actually have to press the button to allow to soap to come out.

Holy cow! What a change in generations! What else will my kid not experience in their life time?

Well, for one thing, they may never hear the dial tone of a home phone. They will never hear the sounds of dial-up internet. Will they even know what a CD really is?

I got a new phone this week ... entered the smartphone world with an iPhone 4S. There are still ton of apps and operations that I don't know how to do. However, within minutes of spotting my new phone, Clayton was able to unlock it, find the Angry Birds icon that his Dad so kindly loaded, and began playing. So long to my phone! He now can earn time on my phone by following directions and completing small chores. (I have also made sure to have some educational games as well.)

It's even more amazing to me that I did not even get a cell phone until my senior year of high school! What other things will my kids' generation not experience? Amazing how technology advances so quickly!

Tea Time!

It was 6:00pm and the kids had finished dinner. All they wanted to do was watch TV. And I did not want them spending all evening in front of our big screen, sitting on the couch. I had at least an hour to "waste" before we start our bedtime routine. So what's a mom to do??

Duh! A Tea Party!!

I set up a small table, pulled out all of Maecie's tea set items, filled a dish with an assortment of cookies, and pulled out the dress up clothes. Maecie had a few scarves, purses, and tutus. But Clayton doesn't necessarily have dress up items. So I grabbed a dress shirt of his and a tie of Patrick's.

I then told the kids we would be having a tea party and the needed to come get dressed. It was easy to get Clayton in his dress up items. But all Maecie would agree to was a tutu. (The 'terrible two's'/Miss Independent stage is in full swing!)

Next, I opened the door to Maecie's room and had the kids take a seat. I spoke in my most proper English accent (with a bit of southern mixed in, mind you) and explained to them that we would have our treats and tea to partake of. We started out pretending and then came the real food.

That was when the kids got really excited! Who knew that water, animal crackers, Scooby Snack graham crackers, and a Hershey Kiss could be that thrilling?!

And apparently, Maecie wanted to dress up in Clayton's clothes, since this is what she

They had a ball, and so did I! It didn't take to much effort, as the end of my pregnancy is creating more exhaustion at the end of the day, and we spent some fun times together. Love my kiddos and their fun-loving attitudes!

Clayton's First School Program

Clayton was so excited about his school program today, that he had many comments and requests to share. Such as, "Will you make me a special sparkly shirt to wear?" and "Don't worry, Mom. I won't cry."

But it wasn't until the story started, that I realized he was to play Joseph in the story of Christmas. He was such a sweet performer; held "Mary's" hand and walked from one side of the staging area to another. Then sat down next to the laundry basket (aka...the baby manger) and smiled. It was perfect!

The kids then stood and sang Christmas songs..."Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Jingle Bells", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"! Too bad my videography skills weren't as good as they should have been and I missed the majority of the songs. I did manage to get the Christmas Story Play!! (I should get points for that! LOL)

Such wonderful memories for Moms, Dads, and the students themselves! Thanks for all the hardwork teachers!

Sibling Love

Can all siblings be this cute?!

Maecie will rarely hold my hand when walking in parking lots or down the street. However, she loves her big brother and will hold his hand. And for now, he likes to hold her hand too! I hope they love each other like this forever!

4 Year Old Friends!

Bodo, Ephraim, and Sam ... these are the names of Clayton's imaginary friends!

Bodo was the first and came from his shirt. Bodo is a spitter, is very small, and sometimes gets stuck in trees. One day we had some friends come over to the house, one of which was a 5 year old girl. The kids were in and out of the house, playing. At some point Bodo got stuck in the tree. The 5 year old girls was so concerned she even came inside to tell her mom she was helping Clayton get his friend out of the tree. However, she was having a hard time finding him!

Ephraim and Sam, more affectionately known as Clayton's brothers, came after pre-school started. At first I thought they were classmates of his. Then I noticed the names hanging on the door outside of the classroom. Unfortunately none of them were named Ephraim or Sam. So I began to ask Clayton who these people were. "They are my brothers mom! We are going camping and need to pack my suitcase. Will you help me?" Of course, I oblige my son and he proceeds to take a blanket and toys outside to the driveway where he plays for a while before returning to the house.

I didn't realize how important these friends were to Clayton until this month. At school, the teachers made a big turkey and the feathers were used to display what the kids were most thankful for. Clayton's response? My brothers! Where some kids have cute, sweet tributes, such as their mom and dad, their favorite foods, etc, my kid has his imaginary friends! Today, his teacher asked if he might actually have brothers. You know, sometimes there are extended family members or adopted siblings and such. However, I had to smile and respond that Clayton just has imaginary friends.

With this kid, there is never a dull moment! And I never know who will be entering our family next!!

Happy Halloween!

Such a Great Age!

At 4 years old, Clayton is so much fun to be with. He has his favorite toys to play with (dinosaurs-the T-rex ones that like to eat everyone else), his favorite TV shows (which for now is Wild Kratts that talks about animals and their environment and such, cute, but cheesy!), and even his favorite foods (which have branched out to include broccoli and green beans! One happy mama here!). Everytime he sees a commercial, he figures out who might best benefit from the product shown, and then proceeds to tell me why that person would want one. So when it's a baby doll, he will say "Maecie would be so happy with that doll mom!". Or if it's an action toy, "Mom, that's so cool! Can you buy me one of those?!". Or my favorites, the latest steam mop, to which he says, "Mom, if you buy that mop, you can really get the house clean!".

There is just never a dull moment! Clayton is also loving school and enjoys doing his homework. I love that he gets excited when he writes his name or when he counts to 20 without missing a number. It is refreshing to this mama's teacher heart!

At almost 18 months old, Maecie follows everyone around and tries to imitate what we do and say. So while I am cleaning, she wants to grab a towel and wipe the floors or counters too. While Clayton is bouncing on his bed, she wants to bounce too. And even better, when we fold our arms to say family or mealtime prayers, she folds her arms too!

As her vocabulary increases, she is sure to tell us when something is "mine" and she doesn't want you to take it away. Or grabbing our faces and honking our noses since she can now say and identify "nose". She loves to dance around when she hears music, and especially loves "pat-a-cake" and "itsy-bitsy spider" since she can do all of the movements.

Yep, I'd say 4 years and 18 months are great ages!! Love those kids of mine...

Clayton's First Day of Preschool!

Today was Clayton's first day of preschool. He was very excited to go and did a great job!! He even sang to Maecie this morning that "Brother's going to schoo-ool and you are noo-oot!".

When I picked him up, he said he had a good day, but was worried I wasn't coming to pick him up! I reassured him that I would always pick him up. And he said he was ready to go back tomorrow.

When we got home, he wanted to make a craft. This is what he came up with:

He told me the tape was necessary to make the picture complete. What a big boy and big imagination!

At preschool, good students receive a sticker at the end of the day. One of Clayton's friends got one, so I asked Clayton if the teacher gave him one today. His response was no. When I asked him why not, he said, "I wasn't being a good listener. There was a caterpillar and I wanted to see it." Apparently all it takes is a caterpillar for my son to stray from the line! LOL....oh to be a fly on the wall!

Beare's Say the Darndest Things Part 2

The other day, Clayton rode to the Auto Parts store with Dad and Papa. They had fun and blah blah blah ... well the next morning Grandma came to pick up the kids for a fun filled day. When I went to put Clayton's carseat in the van, our conversation went as follows:

Clayton: I don't need my seat, Mom. I can just sit on this seat with a seatbelt like a big boy.

Mom: No, you have to sit in a carseat. Those are the rules.

Clayton: But when I ride with my Papa, he lets me sit here without my seat.

Mom: Are you telling off on your Papa??

Clayton: Don't tell my Dad!

Hahaha ... I love that he tells me things and then says, "Don't tell my Dad!" as if he is going to get in trouble! Love that kid!