The Wooten's World

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

St. Patty's Day Food

2011-03-30T05:14:00.001-07:00

Breakfast Dinner

This is one of those fun things about silly holidays to me... I could care less about St. Patricks Day but coming up with lots of green food was fun! Brody wasnt to sure about the green eggs and neither of my kids liked green jello but they both thought green rice was pretty cool (you can make any color rice by adding food coloring to the water before you cook it... who would have known=) On the dinner plate is grapes, green apples, kiwi, celery cucumbers, ranch dressing with green food coloring,avacado, green goldfish (I bought a colored bag of goldfish and picked out the green ones), green jello, green rice and sprite with green food coloring and a lime on the side of the glass (Brody said it was spicy- meaning the carbonation).

2011-03-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

I started blogging for many reasons. One being that I have completely failed at scrapbooking any memories of my childrens lives... in fact, the very thought of it now is just overwhelming. Another was so that people that dont live close to us can see what goes on in our day to day lives... except that these days, my blogging is not so day to day as it is week to week or even month to month...

I also wanted a way to document fun things we do, so that when my kids get older and think all I ever do is make them clean their rooms and do homework, I can show them all the fun things we really do.

But one of the main reasons I started blogging was for myself.... because I happen to know that most of the things I write on this blog, are for me, for my memories, and for all the things I want to hold onto in my kids lives... the things I never want to forget... the precious moments that only happen once in a lifetime.

We just came home from an amazing week long vacation to Florida. Yes, there will be several posts about it and yes, I took a rediculous amount of pictures... but this trip was not about the BIG things for me. It wasnt about watching Reagan be transformed into a princess at the Bippity Boppity Boutique or watching Brody meet his all time hero- Buzz Lightyear... it was about my kids, and the overwhelming feeling of being their mom.

It was about watching them play together and see that they are truly becoming the best of friends. It was about looking at them and wondering where the time has gone... where my babies went but being excited about the future of continuing to watch them grow and develope. It was the moment of sheer emotion when Reagan described her favorite part of the trip as "just being with you" while hugging Stephen and I, and Brody's sweet voice at the dinner table the night we got home saying "your the best mommy ever" even though the only edible thing in our house was ramen noodles and pickles. It was about holding them close to me at night and smelling them, and being completely in awe of the little people that they are becoming. Their are no words to describe the love I have for my kids, but I cant imagine ever forgetting that feeling!

2011-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Dobson-

I have read your book... twice. I feel the need to tell you that you have no idea what your talking about. I read your examples of "extreme cases" of strong willed children and... well... can I just say... why don't you come to my house for a few days... then you will really know what an "extreme case" is. Actually, I don't even know if my Reagan fits into the category of "extreme cases"... she breaks the mold and stands in a world all her own when it comes to strong-willed children. Come to my house and you will truly see what a strong-willed child is... and then maybe you can write a book that I will read and find the least bit useful.

Sincerely-

Reagan's exhausted mommy!

*I feel the need to add here that I can appreciate the fact that Reagan is strong willed - she comes by it honestly and I know one day it will be to her advantage... I just wish I knew how to better deal with it right now =)

Soccer Mom

2011-03-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Well I am officially a "Soccer Mom" minus the mini-van... I will never own a mini-van (there... its written in stone, someone show me this if I ever mention owning a mini-van). I actually hate that term... what does it even mean? Does it mean you have a mini-van and go to soccer all the time, or just any sporting practice all the time, while shuffling around kids and grabbing fast food for dinner because your so busy going from one thing to the next? Does it mean you have all sorts of stuff falling from your car as the doors open up because your car has become your new home ( I have had crap falling out of my car as the doors opened ling before I even had children so maybe thats not accurate).
Anyway, last week Reagan started soccer. It took some convincing once she realized she couldnt wear a tu-tu to play in but I got her a soccer shirt with some bling and pink shin-guards and that seemed to satisfy her. Her team only has 6 kids on it and only 3 play on the field per team at a time. She had fun, which at 4 years old, is all I really expect from this. I think its good to let them try lots of things in the beginning to figure out what they really like.
She turns cartwheels on the field, she celebrates like a crazy woman anytime she kicks it in the goal (which isnt to hard to do since they dont even play with a goalie at this age) and she already thinks she is the best soccer player ever (I would say that mentality come from her daddy) but she is having fun, getting exercise and getting some experience.

I would say that makes being labeled a "soccer-mom" pretty worth it.

Oh and to make it even more exciting (insert sarcastic voice here) I got nominated to be team mom because... well... I stay at home with my kids and dont have real job to go to during the daytime. Yes, that actually came out of Reagans coaches mouth... her coach that happens to be a WOMAN! Seriously? I wanted to take Reagans soccer ball and .... well you get the idea.

A Battle of the Wills

2011-03-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

This is Brody- trying to outlast his mama... little did he know, I wold have sat there all night!

I am not a big fan of making your kids eat EVERYTHING on their plate. I think that teaches them an unhealthy habit of eating just because there is food in front of them. I am however a huge believer in making my kids at least "try" everything on their plate.... that is until I had Brody unload the entire contents of his stomach into his dinner plate after forcing him to try a bite of a green bean. After that I cooled it with making him try things... He has proven, on several occasions, that he has an easy gag reflex. He gags if he cries to hard or coughs to hard so making him eat something I know he wont like (mainly green vegetables) will only result in me cleaning up vomit at the dinner table.

Tonight I made tilapia. Stephen hates fish (actually I am pretty sure he has never tried it) but my kids love it... and so do I. It was a pretty standard dinner... Tilapia, wild rice, fresh green beans, and fruit salad. I wasn't going to make the mistake of making Brody eat a green bean again so he only got fish, rice and fruit salad on his plate. He devoured the fish... I mean he literally ate it in record time and asked for more. He had a few bites of rice and then went on to proclaim his utter disgust for the fruit salad on his plate. (I mean seriously?... this kid just got done eating almost 2 entire fillets of fish and he is going to fight me on fruit salad which consisted of pineapple, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and strawberries all cut up really small kind of like a chunky salsa...please!) So I dug my heels in and told him he had to try one bite before he could get down. I knew he liked the fruit that was in it and that he wouldn't gag it up but he was just being stubborn ( hey- he comes by that stubbornness honestly).

45 minutes later he finally took a bite. Let me just say here that Brody is pretty even tempered... Reagan is a different story, but Brody is pretty mellow most of the time but when this kid throws a tantrum its like a different child overtakes his body and he goes crazy! He fought me tooth and nail tonight, only to take a bite after 45 minutes and say "mmmmm this is yummy" and take 3 more bites. The best comment of the night was when he looked at me and said, with big crocodile tears running down his cheeks, "Mommy I don't want to have Hulk muscles!" (sometimes when I am trying to get him to eat something I will tell him it will make him strong like hulk muscles since he really likes The Hulk right now).

I also need to say here that I am not a big fan of fighting my kids to the death about things... I don't do it often. I believe in choosing my battles and letting go of the rest of it... but I also believe you "Say what you mean and mean what you say". Maybe next time he will remember that.

I'm back... and on track (maybe)

2011-02-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

I always see people updating their facebook status with "Updating the family blog" or "I am starting a new blog"... hell my mother has even started a blog (who would have ever thought). It always makes me a little sad when I see that because I know I have been such a slacker the past year with ours.... and I really wish i hadn't, but alas, life is getting more and more hectic and I don't forsee that ever stopping, in fact I am sure it will only become crazier as my kids get into more things.

So I have two options:

1) I can tediously try and update you on everything that has happened in the past year : Brody turned 2 Reagan turned 4 (even though they are about to turn 3 and 5 soon) Christmas, vacations, football season etc.... you get the idea. The problem with this is that I fear I will spend the next 3 months trying to catch you up which will only put me more behind... see people, this is why you should keep up with your blogs.

2) Just start fresh... start with whats going on now and if I want to highlight something of the past then so be it (it is my blog right?)

I have to say the second option is sounding good. So here we go... The Wootens World Take 2 (or 556 million... however long it takes, I will eventually get it right... or die trying.)

Angels Among Us

2010-09-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy week... I have been packing for a trip for the past few days, Stephen has been working a lot, which leaves me taking care of both kids all day and night by myself... on top of that Brody is on his 3rd round of antibiotics for an ear infection that wont go away, meaning we are preparing to have tubes put back in his ears when we get back in town... so needless to say I have been a bit frazzled today.

Tonight I was getting the kids ready for bed, which is always tricky by myself because they never want to read the same books and both have their own bedtime routine that is usually fine if there is one parent to each child. Tonight Reagan made it very easy for me because she was very busy "writing" in this blank journal that she had found. After I got Brody to bed and went and found her she proceeded to show me the book that she had just written. Every white page had been scribbled on with green marker. I asked her if she would read it to me and that is where the story starts.

As I am sitting there listening to the book it was like one of those cartoons when there is a little angel and devil on each shoulder. (I feel the need to intreject and say that I dont know that really one was an angel and devil but there were definitely two different sides of me present for this book reading). One side of me was a little annoyed that I had to sit there and listen to every single page of this 150 page journal because I had so much to do, the other side of me was saying to stop and enjoy this moment... it wont be long before she doesnt want me to put her to bed anymore. I am so glad that I made the "annoyed me" poof away because what I experienced with Reagan for the next 20 minutes was pure magic.

She had written an entire book about God and Jesus. A few excerts from the book include:
* We love God from everything to everything.
* God is so special and we love him so much
* God made the whole world and all the trees and the sun and he messed up a little when he made bugs but we still love him.
* Jesus is Gods son
* God is so beautiful to us
* We love Jesus so so much
* God is in our hearts forever

You get the idea. It was sweet and innocent and precious but the best was yet to come. About halfway through the book she stopped and looked at me and said,
"I see God."
"You do?" I said
"He talks to me." she goes on to tell me.
"What does he say?" I asked.
And without missing a beat she looked up at me and said, "You are my angel."

And suddenly everything else in the world didn't matter because that moment was perfect.

I believe God talks to Reagan... and I believe he thinks she is his angel, but I also know that she is mine.

***I realize it has been forever since I posted last and I dont know when I will post again but this was one of those moments that I didnt want to forget... so I had to jot it down!

Game Over

2010-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Stephen bought this shirt:

He wears it around the house and to sleep in and I think it's pretty funny but it is really funny when Reagan gives her interpretation on it.

Reagan: "That shirt is when mommy and daddy got married."
Me: "Why does daddy have a sad face?"
Reagan: "Because he isn't the boss anymore because he married mommy."
Me: "Why is mommy smiling?"
Reagan: "Because she is the boss and she tricked daddy into marrying her."

If she only knew....

Big Boy Room

2010-04-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Brody's big boy room. It turned out great and he loves his big boy bed. I built and covered the cornace boards over the windows and my grandma sewed me the black pillow shams and the "G" pillow to match his bed spread. Stephen loves it and so does Brody so thats all that matters!

Snot Shirts

2010-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of the things I gave up when I became a mommy was "looking cute." My tight low rise jeans were replaced with looser higher wasted ones, and my shirts that barely graced the top of my pants had to be thrown out to make room for the longer ones that didnt show my stomach or back everytime I bent over to pick a screaming child off the floor.

Dont get me wrong... I dont look like a slob all the time but with two small kids at home it seems like the amount of time I have to spend on myself is far less than it used to be. I am lucky to take a shower most days, much less dry my hair, put on makeup and god-forbid put on a pair of pants that dont have an elastic waist. I usually look nice for the appropriate things: church, date-night, and school functions of Reagans, but other than that I find that I dot really care what I look like if we are just playing around the house all day.

Every once in a while though, Stephen and I get away for a few days and I remind myself, and more importantly, my husband, that I dont always look like a bum. (Although Stephen swears he likes me best with my hair up, my sweats on, and no make-up on). We went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago for Stephens birthday. It was a much needed trip for both of us and we had so much fun with eachother. Just me and him, doing whatever we wanted, on whatever time table we wanted. We layed out at the pool, walked the strip, shopped, went to a few shows,took as long as we wanted to get ready, and took hours, yes I said HOURS, to eat our meals. The weather was perfect and so was the company.

It's little trips like this that make me realize just how in love I am with Stephen. How pefect we are for eachother and how I cant wait to spend the rest of my life with him, traveling, laughing, and growing together. He is a great father, but he is also an amazing husband. We love our kids beyond measure, but every once in a while, its nice to just get away fom it all and remember the days when every shirt I put on didn't have snot on it.

Not really a dress I could take care of kids in... barely a dress I could move in =)

Because we were by ourselves we didnt really take very many pictures... so here are a few of the ones we did take.

Brody Jammin' Out

2010-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Reagans Wedding Dress

2010-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today THIS came in the mail:

To some of you this may not seem like a big deal... but to those of you who know Reagan, you know that this is the dress she is getting married in (or at least that is what she thinks).

See, a few months back, my sister Megan got engaged and she asked Reagan to be her flower girl. That meant nothing to Reagan until I showed her the dress she would be wearing when Megan got married. That is when Reagan decided that, and I quote "When Meggie gets married, I will get married!"

Sometimes it is to Damian, sometimes Brody, sometimes Daddy but by gosh, when Megan gets married she gets to wear the "most beautiful white dress and get married too" Now if only I can figure out how to convince her that this day will be about Megan and not her.

More importantly... how in the world am I going to keep her out of this dress until August. She has already requested to wear it 3 times and it just arrived an hour ago...we are in for a long few months.

Only time will tell...

2010-04-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Time is a funny thing. It always seems to do the exact opposite of what you want it to. When you want it to go by quickly, it takes forever. When you want it to slow down, it flies by. But I guarantee that if you ask any mom, on any given birthday, of any given child, they will all say the same thing.... "it has gone by so fast."

Thats because for the most part, while we spend so much of our"time" worrying about and planning for other "time" the time we have right in font of us slowly slips away, and right in front of our eyes.... it's gone. And we cant get it back. No matter how hard we try. Events pass, people grow up, lives change and at the end of all of it, you wonder when it all happened.

Today... I am one of those parents. Today, Brody turned 2. And while I can remember his birth like it was yesterday, I have to wonder how this happened so quickly. How in what seems like such a short amount of time, he has grown up. (I realize 2 is not exactly grown up) but nonetheless.... here I am, wondering where all the time has gone.

I cant go back, I cant slow down, or speed up the clock, but what I can do is cherish every moment, every second. Hold on to, take it in, and try as hard as I can to remember it. I am excited to see what the next year will bring with Brody. He is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I am blessed and humbled everyday that he is mine, part of me, part of Stephen, part of something bigger... and only time will tell what that will be.

I love you Brody! Happy Birthday

We are still alive... just really behind... Happy Belated Easter!

2010-04-07T17:43:00.001-07:00

My good friend, and photographer, Heidi had a special easter session with real bunnies and chicks and since the kids never want to smile for pictures as we are rushing out the door for church on Easter sunday I decided to have this done. So here are a few shots from the session.

I know I have been MIA lately and I do plan to catch you all up on whats been going on but for now... Happy Belated Easter.... here are my cuties in their Easter clothes.

The bunnies just sat in the basket... the didnt jump out or anything... Reagan thought they were pretty neat.

The chicks made me a little nervous. They were so tiny and fragile I kept thinking one of them would either end up stepped on or dead by the end of the session.

Here is Reagan working the camera... dont as me where she gets this stuff from =)

This was the best shot we got of the two of them... Brody is not really into taking pictures with Reagan... maybe thats because she is either meaner than spit to him or so sweet to him that she about hugs his head off... either way seems to annoy him.

Such a hndsome little guys dont you think?

Not so sure about the bunnies....

Congrats are in order!

2010-02-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

Megan, my little sister, just got engaged last weekend! He is a great guy and I am so excited for them. Now it's time to plan a wedding =)

Magic Kingdom

2010-02-18T11:50:00.001-08:00

Well I kept thinking that I would get around to uploading a lot more pictures from Magic Kingdom but every time I turn around something else comes up and I am busy with a million things. It doesnt appear that it's letting up any time soon but I will try and blog as much as I can. Here are a few pictures from Magic Kingdom. It was a little colder than I had hoped in the morning but it warmed up as the day went on. We had lunch with the princesses and I will post pictures of that another time. We had a fun time, although I think we were a little bit spoiled by our first trip because the first time we went the kids were so well behaved that it made it seem like they were a little more cranky this time. Neither of them wanted to ride in the stroller so we ended up pushing around our snack-bag all day. The kids lasted longer this time but it was till only until about 4:00. All in all it was a fun day but I think we will wait a while before we go back.

Reagan and Daddy on Dumbo

Brody on Dumbo (well actually it's the the one they have sitting out specifically for pictures but same difference)

This kind of sums up how they felt that day =)

Reagan LOVED Minnie's house. We had to walk through it 3 times. Do you think it could have been all the pink?

All of us with Mickey and Minnie (the lines to see character were so much shorter this time around so it was really nice. We didnt even see Mickey and Minnie at Magic Kingdom this past summe because it was like a 2 hour wait)

Brody on a random play area for kids.

Leaving the park (Reagan was passed out in the stroller)

St. Augustine / Alligator Farm

2010-02-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Stephens grandparents live close to St. Augustine so while we were in Florida we decided to go meet them for lunch one day. After lunch (my kids were being kind of wild so I didn't manage to take any pictures) we stopped at an Alligator Farm. I wasn't really sure what to expect but the kids had a fun time and we practically had the whole park to ourselves. There were mostly alligators, crocodiles and exotic birds and stuff. We got there just in time for a feeding (which was totally disgusting). We stayed for a few hours and then got home just in time for dinner and bedtime. It was great to see Stephens grandparents and cousin and eat at the yummy Colombian restaurant.

When Reagan rounded the corner and saw this sitting there she jumped back pretty far. She thought it was real at first. =)

Brody thought the alligator was pretty cool and we had a hard time getting him away from it.

Stephen, Brody, Paw Paw Ray and Reagan after lunch in St. Augustine. We were going to take a ride on a horse drawn carriage around the town until we realized that Brody wanted to ride the horse and not in the carriage. It was pretty cold that day but Reagan insisted on wearing a dress. I made her change before we went into the gator farm.

T-Rex

2010-02-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

At Downtown Disney there is this really great restraunt called T-Rex. It has all these huge dinosaurs all over it and they move and growl. The whole thing is decorated with like big rocks and caves. If you have ever been to The Rainforest Cafe its a lot like that except for dinosaur oriented. The kids really liked it. Brody was especially enamered with the HUGE dinosaurs.

They had this little area for kids that had big dinosaur bone hidden in this rocky sand and the kids could use a paint brush and pretend to be archeologist's and brush away the sand to find different parts of the bones.

I think this was the kids faorite part... that and they had a Build-A-Dinosaur (its like Build-A-Bear) except with dinosaurs and both the kids built a dinosaur and thought it was pretty cool!

Reagan and Brody outside in the kids play area.

Me and Reagan

Brody and Stephen- Brody wasn't so sure about when the dinosaurs started moving and growling. He really liked touching them as long as they weren't moving.

One of the dinosaurs near our table

Another dinosaur near our table.

Breakfast with Mickey

2010-02-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

I know I know.... these pictures are way past due and I have totally been slacking on the blogging but it has taken so long to get back into the normal daily routine... I have no idea why but nonetheless here is our trip to Florida in several instalments.

Our first day there we had breakfst with Mickey and some of his friends. I have to say that the breakfast was GREAT. It was a buffet and they had things like Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and pretty much any other thing you could imagine at a breakfast buffet. I wish I was more of a breakfast person because I would have eaten a whole lot more! Reagan loved all of it and while Brody was a little reserved when it came to the characters he didnt do nearly as bad as I thought he would.

Our family with Chef Mickey (you would think that with as much as the breakfast cost they could have had a real Mickey to take pictures with...)

Reagan and Pluto

Reagan and Minnie

Donald Duck (Brody is actually running away from Donald in this picture)

Mickey

Goofy (I think Goofy was Brody's favorite seeing as how he got the closest to Goofy without running away)

Oh and remember those oh-so-cute autograph books I made before we left... well I left them at the condo... at least I remebered the camera.

From the lips of Reagan

2010-01-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

At Reagan's school this month they are talking about dads. (They do this every year because they aren't in school during June which is when Fathers Day is). Tomorrow night they are having a big "Donuts for Dad" event at her school where she will sing a song and then go have donuts with Stephen. I think she has made him some art projects and fun things to give him at the thing. Today in Reagan's book-bag they sent home a little questionaire type things her teachers did with each child about their dads. Here is Reagans responses (her answers are in italics and bold.)

My Dad
My dad is: 9 years old.
My dad likes to: mess with his phone
My dad is funny when he: is silly
My dad always says, " football is not boring"

I wonder what this will say when they ask her about mommy???

Not enough to do....

2010-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

As if I dont have enough to do with packing and getting ready for our Disney trip next week (see you didnt even know we were going to Disney did you? That's because I am so behind with all the other thing I am doing lately)... I decided to make (yes make) the autograph books for my kids. Crazy? Yes. But they came out so darn cute!

Growing Up

2010-01-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

This is Brody. (Please ignore the snotty nose)

He is my baby...

except that he is not a baby anymore...

and it makes me sad.

It seems like in the last few months he has gone from a baby to a little boy and I don't know how it all happened so quickly. He is talking (a lot) and really forming this little (but gigantic) personality. He loves to dance (Hakuna-Matata is his current favorite). He still LOVES horses and Gerald (another post to come about this). He likes Handy Manny and animals. He is good at imitating . He can count to ten and knows a few letters. He loves to play Ready. Set. Go. (This is where he takes off running around the room until you come and get him.) He loves to be outside and hates having his diaper changed. He loves going "Bye-Bye" even if he has no idea where we are going.

He is still super attached to his lovie but hasn't asked for his paci since we gave it up. He is HUGE... he is already wearing a 3T in most clothes. He weighs 30 lbs and while I am not sure of his exact height, he is at least a head taller than most of the kids he plays with. He loves Gymboree class and hates fruit (he gets that from his daddy). He already has his two year old molars ( and has had them for a few months now). He still sleep like a champ but to my surprise has not climbed out of his crib yet (no complaints here). He will be starting PRESCHOOL in the fall (I cant believe he will be in school). He is very active.... even when he is watching TV he is running around the room. He loves his daddy but is proving to be a real "mama's boy". Gives great kisses and even better hugs.

Likes brushing his teeth (sometimes we do it 4 times a day). He loves bath time but hates getting dressed afterwards. He is scared of bubbles (in the bathtub), rides at Chuck-E-Cheese (especially ones that have characters in them like Barney or Mickey Mouse) but is not the least bit afraid of real character (like the life sized Chuck-E-Cheese or Chick-Fil-A cow) or regular bubbles in the air. He can hear and see an airplane from a mile away. Obsessed with all things that have buttons (phones, the alarm keypad, the debit/credit card machines at any store, did I mention phones?)

Is finally starting to stand up to Reagan... screams at her when she takes stuff (I have been warning her for a long time that it wont be long before he's bigger than her). Likes to wrestle with daddy but not so much with Reagan. Knows his eyes, mouth, nose and ears and proudly does the song "Head ,Shoulders, Knees and Toes". Likes to color with MARKERS (not crayons). Is starting to tell me when he has to go poop but is terrified of the potty. He loves the box of instruments. Calls out Reagans name in a yell... he cant ever just say it normal it has to be yelled. He terrorizes our dog. He is all smiles all the time and he LOVES unconditionally.

I cant get over how fast he is turning into this little man... I am excited for the future with him, T-ball, football, karate, whatever he wants to do... but for now, just for a little longer, I am going to hold onto my baby... because more than likely, he is my last one.

"Princesses Dont Have Eczema"

2010-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

I realize I am so behind on posting... we have had so much going on and by the time I have time to blog... I am just to tired to do it.

Today while Brody was napping, Reagan and I were playing with her Polly Pocket Princesses (which are a little creepy if you ask me) but she loves them. She decided that they all needed a bath before the ball so we went to great lengths to set up a Polly Pocket sized bathtub with Polly Pocket sized towels and even found a little something that we could pretend was Polly Pocket sized soap. She washed and dried each one carefully.

Let me interject here by saying that while my children got many wonderful things from Stephens side of the family... Eczema was not one of them. I have never had it, nor has anyone else in my family so it has to come from his side. Both Reagan and Brody both have it, therefore at the end of bath time every night they have to be slathered in lotion to help prevent breakouts.

Anyway back to the story at hand. After Reagan had dried them all off I asked if they needed lotion (thinking we would then find a Polly Pocket sized lotion to pretend to put on) but Reagan looked at me very matter-of-factly and said:

"No mommy! Princesses don't have eczema!!!!"

For Uncle Jordan

2010-01-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Apparently watching her uncle dive has inspired her.

Brody - 18 months

2010-01-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

These are long overdue but these are the pictures I had done of Brody at 18 months. With the holidays and my inability to make a decision on the ones I wanted I am just now getting around to posting them. They were taken by my friend and talented photographer Heidi. Check out her site at http://www.hnmphotography.com/

I know I am biased but I cant resist this face... and those eyes are a little piece of heaven looking at me everyday!!!

Christmas for Daddy

2010-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

I try and do things that are creative for Stephen from the kids for christmas. He never really wants anything and if he does he just goes and buys it. Not to mention most of the things he really wants are really big and expensive so they are a little out of my price range. A few years ago I had pictures made of Reagan in her UGA cheerleading uniform for Stephen for Fathers Day so this year I decided to try and get ones of the kids together in their UGA clothes. The ones of them together werent as great but there were a few cute individual ones. He was surprised and I think he really like the ones I had framed for his office.

It was chaos at the mall when I went to have them done... I waited until the last minute and was kicking myself for it because it was a nightmare. The day ended with Brody having 4 cookies for lunch and falling and getting a bloody nose and me having to buy Reagan a $30 toy at the Disney store for being good during the pictures (I had to bribe her) but I guess the end result was worth it =) Oh the things we will do for good pictures.

Overpriced baby shampoo

2010-01-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

There are lots of smells that come with having children. When they are babies it is usually the smells of spit-up, formula, baby powder, poopy diapers, diaper rash creme, and that coveted smell of a fresh clean baby. For my babies it was a certain kind of baby soap that I searched the world over for and once I found it I bought out every bottle they had and then had them order me another case... it was overpriced but it was a smell that I had gotten used to as "my clean babies smell" and so I paid for the overpriced stuff and savored every moment of that "clean smell".

Then they get a little older and they start to smell like strained carrots, prunes, and whatever else they manage to pick up as they are crawling across the floor. I still washed them with the overpriced baby soap and savored every moment of that smell.

Now that they are even older they both have their own smells. Reagan comes home from school smelling all kinds of wonderful (insert sarcastic face here), morning breath, hair gel (for when she will let me actually pull her hair up) body splash (yes my 3 year old likes putting on perfume, although it isnt a regular occurance), sweaty little girl, grown up hair shampoo (because she has so much hair) etc. Brody smells like a littel boy (that should say enough =), his shirts usually smell like whatever his lunch was for the day, poopy diapers, sweaty little boy (and yes that is different than sweaty little girl smell), dirt, paint, etc.

I dont use that baby soap anymore... now we buy whatever is on sale, but sure enough, as I snuggle up close to them at night before bed, and find that certain spot, I breathe in... a long slow breath, I find that smell. Not the smell of the overpriced baby shampoo or that afternoons lunch, or sweaty kid smell, but "their smell". The smell that they have always had since the day they were born, that intoxicating smell that is them. It always has been and always will be their smell. I could hold them forever, breathing that smell, taking it all in, holding on to who they are by that one little smell. They will probably never know I do it, and when they are older if I tell them that I did it, I am sure they will think I am weird, but for now... "that smell" is worth so much more that all the money spent on overpriced baby soap.

4 Generations

2010-01-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

My mom, my daughter, me, and my grandmother

I am so thankful to be able to have this picture. To me it symbolizes the past, present, and future. Two great women who have paved the way for myself and for Reagan.

We are hanging them out to dry

2010-01-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

We are officially a paci-free household! This past Monday I decided it was time to take away Brody's paci (which for me was long over due). He took it like a champ! I am so proud of how easily he gave it up. I threw them all away and told him "no more paci's" and while he has occasionally asked for them it has not been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Way to go Brody!

My kids must have been really good this year

2009-12-31T17:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year. I have pictures out the wazoo to prove it but just haven't had time to getting around to posting them. It started the week before christmas when my mom and family came over to celebrate christmas and then a few days later we went to my dads to celebrate over their... who says christmas is one day (it isnt when you have 3 sets of parents and 7 siblings). Christmas morning was really fun this year because Reagan was SUPER excited about Santa this year. It was magical. As usual my kids had way to many presents but I just cant help myself this time of year... besides they were so good this year =)

Santa's remnants... Reagan insisted on chocolate milk "since all the other kids will just be giving him plain milk" and half eaten carrots from the reindeer. If you look closely you can see "Santa dust" left on the fireplace. It's how you know Santa has been to our house... his magic dust is all over the firplace. (Think red glitter) and Santa always leaves a note.

Reagans big gift from Santa was an easel and lots of art supplies. She was very excited about it. Brody got this awesome Radio Flyer rocking horse... I dont think he needed anything else because once he saw that horse I had to open the rest of his presents.

Brody and his horse... he has been in heaven ever since. It makes noise and plays music.

Reagan was a woman on a mission with opening presents. While she wanted to play with everything she opened she also wanted to take care of the pile of unopened presents. It wasnt until we were all done that I think she really sat back and actually looked at what she got.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

This is her favorite part:

She's been talking about it all month:

It's messy:

It's hard work:

but boy is it FUN!!!!

The End

Christmas Clothes

2009-12-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

I love buying my kids christmas clothes, I guess you could say it's part of some of our christmas traditions. Unfortunately they tend to end up being a one-shot deal because they usually only wear them the Sunday after christmas, anyhow, I love how cute they look in their matching clothes. These pictures are from a few weeks ago because the church we attend doesnt have service the week after christmas.

Reagan- you cant see in this picture but she had black sparkly shoes (think Dorthy shoes but black) and she was quite excited about them. Oh the things you can get away with at 3 years old!

Me and Reagan

Brody was sporting jeans and his little black converse sneakers with his sweater-vest... it was so cute! I didnt want to do black pants because then not only would I or had to buy black pants (which I know he would never wear again) but I would have had to buy black church shoes too (also something I know he would never wear again). He looked like such a little man...

This is about the best family shot we got... my kids arent really into taking pictures these days.

Brody sporting his "phohawk" while I absolutely love this look for him, he doesnt like me to fix it so it just looks crazy all the time. He got a haircut shortly after this picture was taken.

He's warming up to the old guy....

2009-12-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Reagan Christmas Party

2009-12-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Reagan's class party was last Wednesday so I had someone come and watch Brody (thanks Katie) and went to her party. It's always fun to watch her interact with her classmates. They had a book exchange and I got these little Santa antena headbands for Reagan to give all her friends... it was a fun day!

Reagan opening her book.

Mommy and Reagan

They sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Jingle Bells" for all the parents

Some of the kids with their headband Santa things on... they were really cute!

Six Years

2009-12-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

When I was back in college I thought I had it all figured out (what college student doesn't). I was sure I knew what I wanted. I had a direction I was going in and someone I was going with. I had been dating the same guy since my senior year of high school... I thought we were a pretty good match (at the time.... looking back now we were horrible for eachother but hey like I said I knew it all back then) We had similar values, He wanted the same number of kids I did, he wanted to raise them the same way, he was supportive of me being a stay-at-home mom... you know all the usual "questions" you ask someone before you marry them. On paper it looked good. There was just one problem in this little plan.

I was falling in love with someone else.

I was forced to make a choice. One... or the other. I couldnt have both (I didnt want both) I couldnt have a combination of them both (not that I wanted that either) just one of them.... forever. One was very familiar. One was new and exciting. One was predictable and one was not. One of them told me everything I wanted to hear and the other told me everything I needed to hear. Suddenly everything that I had ever thought about love was being questioned. It didnt take me long to realized I was concentrating on all the wrong things. Love is not a list of questions. It is not a "type", it is not a "thing." Love is a feeling. Love is looking into someones eyes and realizing that you can never live another moment without that person... no matter what... and live without that person was something I didnt want to do. Not for another second. And what seemed like a difficult choice at one time became a very easy choice. 3 months later I was engaged and 4 months after that I married that man.

Six years ago today I realized just how crazy I was about Stephen as I looked into his eyes and vowed to be his wife.

And I fall in love with him a little more everyday...

Happy Anniversary baby... I love you so much!

Death of a snowman....

2009-12-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I bought this cute snowman. He is about the size of Reagan. He stood inside by our front door....

that is until Brody got a hold of him this year....

Our poor snowman has been beaten up beyond repair. The only thing he is seeing this christmas is the inside of my trash can.

RIP Mr. Snowman

Cavalia

2009-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Stephen and I went out for an early anniversary celebration and saw Cirque Du Solei's Cavalia. It was an awesome show. Stephen bought these passes that were called Rendez-Vous and we had our own separate entrance with appetizers and horsdevours. We got free drinks and programs. It was kind of luxurious. Stephen only bought the seats because they were the only aisle seats left but I appreciated the extras =) It was a really neat show. The horses were georgeous! I havent been dissapointed by a Cirque show yet and this one was no different!

More than just a box....

2009-12-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

This year at Reagan school they coordinated with Samaritans Purse and did the "Operation Christmas Child" where you fill a wrapped shoe box with things that a child from another country might need/want for Christmas. I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to teach Reagan about children that are less fortunate and the joy that comes from giving.

Since you can pick the age range and sex of the child you want to give to I decided for Reagan to best relate we would buy for a little girl age 2-4. I explained to Reagan that there are children all over the world that don't have a warm house and lots of toys like she does and that we were going to go to Wal-mart and fill up this shoe box for a little girl that was 3 just like her (hey... we will never really know if she was actually 3 or 2 or 4 but for all intents and purposes I thought that would hit home for Reagan.) And hit home it did! She was very involved in everything we picked out telling me things like "I don't think a three year old girl like me would like that mommy." She was telling everyone in Wal-mart that she was buying presents for a little girl that was 3 just like her that didn't have any toys. The most amazing part of the trip... she didnt ask for anything. She was so concerned with finding just the right gifts for this little girl that she didn't even think about herself. Here are some of the things we bought for her.

Hairbrush and hair clips

A princess toothbrush and toothpaste

Chapstick

A purple dress and purple socks

A pair of shorts and a shirt

A baby doll

A princess flashlight

An etch-a-sketch

Crayons and 2 coloring books (one with stickers)

A My little pony

Some bracelets and necklaces

A bag of suckers

A bag or hard candy

We crammed it all in a shoe box and Reagan made a card with a picture of her in it. She was so proud of it. She wanted to show it to everyone that came to our house for the next week. I really think she understood (as much as a 3 year old can) what we were doing and while I know that one little box cant change the world, I do believe that one little box changed a little girl (and I am not talking about the little girl that was receiving it.)

What she doesnt know....

2009-12-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Reagan hates two things more than just about anything....

1. Wedgies

2. Tight shoes

If she only knew that in about 15 years she will actually pay money to wear

high heals and thong panties!!!!

Brody's Favorite Book

2009-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Brody is obsessed with this book. I am not sure what it is but we read it morning, noon, and night. If you say anthing about reading a book he starsts walking around saying "Gerald-Gerald-Gerald" (that is the giraffe's name in the book). We read this book so much that the other night I was reading it to Brody before bed and realized that the words on the page didnt match up with the words I was saying.... I have this whole book memorized- word for word. To Brody's defence it's a really cute book!!!! If you havent read it you really should.

Santa Baby

2009-12-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Reagan: LOVED Santa this year!!!

Brody: Not a big fan!!!!

He was a great looking Santa dont you think?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

UGA vs. Ga Tech

2009-12-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

This year UGA played downtown for the Ga vs. Ga Tech game. Since it ended up being a night game we decided that an all day tailgate was just the ticket. We got downtown around 10:00am and had a blast all day. We got the perfect spot across from this guy that was playing music on these huge speakers so everyone could hear. His music was a nice mix of everything so while we watched games on the TV we set up, we danced, ate BBQ, salsa, and buffalo chicken dip (thanks Megan). I didnt stay for the game, I gave my ticket to Jordan, but that was fine by me since we wouldnt have gotten home until almost 2am. I got to go to the fun part which, for me, is the tailgate! The Dawgs won in a surprising upset so it was a great day and lots of fun hanging out with the "adults" in my family and not having to worry about kids for the day. It's amazing how much you actually get to talk when you dont have kids running all over the place. =)

Go Noles

2009-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

November 20th

Normally we are all about the Bulldogs at our house, but every once in a while, we hang up our bulldog hats and put on the Seminoles ones.... BUT, it's only because I love my family more than anything, including the Georgia Bulldogs, and since my baby brother is a Seminole, I have to cheer for him.

Jordans diving team came up from Florida to dive at Ga Tech so of course we had to go watch him. I scrounged around and was able to find a few FSU things for my kids to wear that would do for the day (I never realized just how difficult it would be to find FSU stuff around here). We made a sign and went down, pom-poms in hand to cheer him on. Reagan was actually really into it, she kept asking where Jordan was and wanted to "see him jump off the big tall board." She didnt really understand why she couldnt put her bathing suit on and jump in but other than that the kids did great. Jordan did really good until his last dive where his foot slipped and he didnt complete his dive... he ended up making finals the next day so he was relatively happy with everything. Regardless, its always good to see him and I think it was fun for him to see Reagan and Brody decked out in their FSU gear and show them off a little.

Thanksgiving Feast

2009-12-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

November 17th

I'm a little Indian on the go (march in place)

Here is my arrow (hold right hand up) here is my bow (hold left hand up)

When I go a hunting hear me shout

YOU BIG FAT TURKEY YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!!!

(the last part is only effective if it's screamed at the top of ones lungs =)

Sung and acted out by Reagan at her Thanksgiving Feast

You cant see it very good in this picture but the feathers on her hat are red and black which she informed me was "for Georgia Go Dawgs football"

Reagans school put on a Thanksgiving performance and afterwards had a big feast. It was so cute to watch her sing the songs and do all the motions, she was really into it and she has been practicing them for weeks at home. The food was less than stellar but it didnt matter... she was so excited to have Stephen, Brody, and I at her school with her. She made table decorations and place settings for all of us. It really was a great morning and was great of her school to go to so much trouble fro the students and their families.

Super Stud Kidney

2009-11-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

Most people dont know this (because I didnt really broadcast it) but when I was 16 weeks pregnant with Brody I had an early ultra-sound that showed several dark spots on his right kidney. I was originally told it was a multi-cystic kidney, which from what little bit I researched about it, can be fatal. I saw a specialist my entire pregnancy, having weekly, sometime bi-weekly ultrasounds to monitor the "spots" on his kidney. I didnt tell very many people because I didnt really want that to be what my pregnancy was about, I just wanted people to be excited to meet Brody, not worried sick like I was for 9 months. I was hopeful, but there was always a part of me that worried... worried that I had done something to cause this problem, worried that my baby was sick and may never have a "normal" life, worried that he might be taken from me to soon.

Then Brody was born and we could get more answers. They wouldnt be doing an ultra-sound through me to get to him anymore (which still blows my mind that they could do that) but they could just do the u/s on him directly which would tell us so much more. At 3 weeks old I took my brand new baby to Scottish Rite to have a gammet of tests run. He has several ultra-sounds, had radioactive dye injected into him for another test and had to be strapped down to a machine for an hour for another. It was awful to watch but well worth it once we got the results.

Brody simply had an underdeveloped right kidney. The black spot on the ultra-sound was just that, a blob, the top part of the kidney that never formed. The cool thing is that when a baby is developing in the womb and something happens like one kidney not fully developing, the other kidney actually compensates for it. So Brody has a "super" kidney on the left side. If he were to lose part of his kidney later in life, the other kidney wouldnt do that, but because it happened while he was developing, the left kidney stepped up to the plate. =)

Since that testing at 3 weeks he has been back 4 more times to have a renal bladder ultra-sound to monitor it and make sure nothing has changed. The most recent one being today. Today I was told that Brody has almost 100% kidney function. The only difference is that our kidneys function at about 50/50. Fifty percent right and fifty percent left. Brody's funstion at 1/3 (right) and 2/3 (left super stud kidney). Regardless the kidneys are doing there job and functioning just as good as anyone elses.

The best news of the day.... we dont have to go back until he is five!!!!

He wasn't really a fan of the visit today... poor little guy.

Visitors

2009-11-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Yes... thats right. We have MICE and I am so beyone freaked out about it that I cant even begin to explain it. It started with one, which Stephen and I double-teamed and got out of the house but I have since seen 2 more (one of which is under a plastic bin in my master bathroom with like 8 books on top of it waiting for the rodent man to come and get it. I have learned that I can do many a thing (bugs, spiders, frogs even lizards) but I CANNOT do mice. I think I have a serious phobia of these things. I have done everything I could today to avoid coming home but alas, I couldnt stay gone forever. The rodent man should be here any minute and I will spend whatever amount of money I have to to get rid of them... its cheaper than moving right? Looks like Reagan might be getting that cat she wanted for christmas after all.

To My Husband

2009-11-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

I have come to the realization that after 6 years of marriage (and having a daughter that is just like me for 3 years).... I can, at times, be very difficult to live with. I am moody and I get upset when things dont go my way (among other things). This is my public apology for being such a crazy woman for the majority of our marriage =) I love you babe!!!!

** To my defense... I have always been this was so he knew what he was getting himself into before he even married me. Not to mention his weird things. I guess you could just say we both have personality.

Christmas Cards

2009-11-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

I know you are few and far between but if you read my blog and would like a christmas card (if you got one last year then you are already on my list) email me at Ambs1112@aol.com There will be no long winded newsletter bragging about all our accomplishments this year, there will probably not even be a handwritten note, but they are cute and you can see cute pictures of the family so let me know!!!!

Paint without splatter

2009-11-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

Reagan: "Mommy when I grow up I am going to be a teacher."
Me: "I think you will be a great teacher. What do you want to teach"
Reagan: "I am going to teach kids how to paint and not splatter."

Many a mothers will be so happy that Reagan taught their children to "paint and not splatter" oneday!

Just call him Linus

2009-11-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2009-11-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous halloween and I have TONS of pictures but I know I have a few family members that are waiting to see pictures of the kids in their costumes... so here are a few to tide them over until I can get to posting about the events of the whole weekend. We spent the weekend in Charlotte because Stephen was gone at the GA/FL game. Thanks mom for having us... it was a blast.

Reagan wins the award for most original costume (I didnt see any other cupcakes that night) and in case you were wondering... she picked that out all by herself. She said she wanted to be a cupcake and so I searched the world over for a cupcake costume... to the tune of $70... but I found one. Brody went for comfort this year (or rather, I knew he wasnt going to wear anything with a hat or hood or anything that was uncomfortable so his costume was actually pajamas from Gymboree).

I was a cowgirl/farmer girl type person. I didnt want to be anything to cool because I was affraid that Reagan would change her mind and want to be what I was being so I went for easy. Reagan loved trick or treating. She would have gone longer except that her bag got full after about an hour and a half. Brody only went to about 5 houses and sat in the wagon the whole time because it was raining at the start of the night. My mom took him home and put him to bed for me... thanks again mom for all your help that weekend.

Brody's 18 Month Stats

2009-11-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

Brody had his 18 month check up a few weeks ago and here are his stats

Weight: 27lbs 3oz 68%

Height: 34inches 90%

He is a happy healthy baby which is great news considering the rocky start he had in life... I knew he was going to be a tough little guy from the day he was born... and could he be any dang cuter!!!!

Reagan's Halloween Party

2009-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

This year I was in charge or the "Fall" party with two other moms in Reagans class. We had some fun activities for the kids to do and I really think the kids had a great time. Per Reagans request we decorated sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles which was messy but the kids loved it. We also made macaroni necklaces with fall colored macaroni. We also did a little pin the leaf on the tree game where each child had a leaf with their name on it.

We had to be a little creative because it couldnt be a "Halloween" party so no pumpkins with faces or anything like that. I understand why they do it but honestly it's a little rediculous if you ask me. I think all the kids got the concept anyhow. It was a great day and I cant wait to help out with more in the future.

Each child got a little pumpkin that I wrote their names on and glued a little bow. They were really cute and I wish I had taken a picture of all of them together.

Reagan was having lunch when I got there.

Reagan and a few of her friends in her class.

The sprinkles.... it was MESSY but the kids had a blast with it. I guess if you want to know what 3 year olds want to do, you ask a 3 year old.

More cookie decorating

It's always fun to go to her school and participate in things. Thanks Erin for watching Brody for me so I could give Reagan my undivided attention.

School Pictures

2009-10-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of school pictures but it always seems like something you are supposed to buy even though you know they will come out cheezy. Reagan did surprisingly well considering the smile she was showing me in the carpool line before school. At least they sent home a note saying what the background would be... because the outfit that I would have put her in, had I not known the background, would have looke horrible. This one, however, looks pretty cute I think!!

Great Ideas

2009-10-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

When we were in the mountains at the Apple Festival a few weekends ago we came across a booth that had pictures of things that looked liked letters. You could pick the letters (they had lots to choose from) you wanted to form a word. It was very unique and so Stephen and I couldnt pass up the opportunity to get our last name done. They framed it right on site and we picked it up before we left the festival. now I just have to find the perfect place for it.

I thought this one was so cute I had to get it.

Why dont I ever think of cool things like this?

Non-Traditional Pumpkins

2009-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Let's face it... I dont know very many kids that like cleaning out pumpkins. And I, as a parent, dont trust my kids with a knife... not even a "safe" knife (is there anything really safe about a 3 year old using a knife? Not in my house.) So this year I decided to skip the pumpkin carving and paint them. I know, I know, it's very un-halloween like of me but I always end up doing all of it anyway (because even though I dont believe him Stephen swears he has never carved a pumpkin) and to be honest with you... I stink at it. My faces always end up crooked and I am way to much of a perfectionist to let it go. So here they are. Our completely uncarved halloween pumpkins. Reagan said I did "such a great job" and that she "loves her "R" pumpkin" so I would guess that she isn't missing the crooked carved faces.

Mine and Stephens
Reagan and Brody's

Weekend Getaway

2009-10-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Stephen surprised me and the kids with a nice weekend getaway to a cabin in Elijay Ga. It was just what our little family needed. We had so much fun!!! We have been so busy lately with football season and different trips we had going on that we decided we need some time for just the 4 of us. No one else to answer to, do whatever we want, whenever, no schedules, no timetables, no one to keep happy but ourselves. It was so peaceful.

Me and Reagan in the hot tub... she liked having her own "little swimming pool"

Brody liked splashing in it.

The first day we went to Burts Pumkin Patch. It's our familt tradition to go there. It was a little cold and muddy so we didnt stay to terribly long but its always fun to see all the huge pumpkins.

Reagan fell in a mud puddle like 15 minutes after we got there and got all muddy. It didnt stop her from picking out some great pumpkins.

I let her paint this white one we got.... she thought it was pretty cool!

We managed to make a decent fire in our fire pit. I think my kids would have just run around outside the entire weekend. I sisnt even take any toys with us and I am glad because they had so much fun just playing in the leaves and with sticks and the fire (yes I let my kids play in the fire... I withdraw my nomination for "Mother of the Year")

The second day we were there we went to the "Apple Festival" that was going on in Ellijay. It was a blast. They had lots of fun stuff for the kids to do including Brody's favorite pony (donkey) rides.

They had two camels there and REagan wanted to ride them instead of the horses. Why anyone in Ellijay GA has camels is beyond me but it was cool yet awkward to see.

Lucky Reagan... they had a bungee thing so of course she had to do that.

Riding the Choo Choo Train

REagan getting her face painted. She thought she was HOT STUFF with a pink butterfly on her face the rest of the day.

Reagan rosting marshmellows in the fire.

We enjoyed our trip so much that Stephen and I are looking into purchasing a cabin up there... we will keep our fingers crossed that something we like comes up.

The things you find at Grandmas house....

2009-10-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

After our trip to Tennessee it was closer to drive to my moms house than it was to our house so I decided to make a detour and go there for a day. Reagan had been asking to see grandma and Damian so it was a nice little visit.

My moms house is great for many reasons but one of the best things about going there is because she has so many hidden treasures. Like this bag of costumes she had tucked away in the attic. These costumes were mine and my siblings when we were kids and its so funny to watch Reagan and Damian put them on and play in the same things we used to.

Reagan looks like a hot mess here... she is wearing this red princess dress (used to be mine), a Bambi hat thing (used to be Megans) all while wearing some sort of sword thing (currently Damians) on her back. Damian is sporting the army man outfit (that used to be Jordans).

Reagan as Peter Pan. The dress didnt last long because she was having a hard time wrestling in it. This was Jordans when he was about 4 I think.

We did a couple of other fun things but I dont have the pictures yet so I will write about it when I get the pictures from Megan. Thanks for having us mom.... it's always fun!!!!

Shady Valley TN

2009-10-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

Two weekends ago Stephen went down to Florida State to hang out with my little brother for the Ga Tech/FSU game. While he was gone the kids and I made the trek to Shady Valley TN with Stephens parents for the Cranberry Festival. Stephens mom was going to have a booth at the festival and his granparents have a mountain house there. It had been a while since we had seen them so it was perfect timing for a visit. We left on Friday morning. The kids did really good in the car (which I was kind of surprised about). We stopped several time on the way there including this little store that has goats living on the rooftop. Reagan thought it was really funny and kept wanting to know how they got up there (there was a ramp at the back of the store for those of you that are just dying to know). Brody was intrigued with a huge bear statue and wouldnt leave its side. Unfortunately I didnt do much picture taking since I was juggling two kiddos by myself.

The first night there was pretty rough... Reagan wouldnt go to sleep and I was convinced that I would leave the next day before bed time so I didnt have to fight that battle again but day 2 was much better. Despite the rain the kids had a lot of fun at the festival. There were inflatable bouncey things and a train ride that Brody rode like 10 times I think. They liked running all over the place and Reagan enjoyed playing with Stephens grandmother. We made homeade bread and ate lots of yummy food. It was a fun trip for all of us!!!

Where have I been???

2009-10-15T16:14:00.001-07:00

For all of you faithful blog readers of mine (you know all two or three of you), I realize you have been hungering for another wonderful post from me but unfortunately Reagan giving up her nap has kind of put a kink in my blogging time. I am going to have to figure out another time to do it so.... don't hold your breath for my next instalment.

FSU Weekend

2009-10-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went with my mom (and no kids) to visit my baby brother at FSU. He is on a diving scholarship there and it happened to be parents weekend and even though I am not his parent, I decided to tag along. It was a fun weekend. I got to see Jordan dive, which I hadnt since high school and A LOT has changes since then... he did great. He looks great and it is so obvious that he is happy there. Everyone was so nice and had nothing but great things to say about him. Of course while we were there we had to fix up his room a little. We got him a dresser, some curtains, a few decorations for his room, you know, all the things a college boy doesn't know he needs in his apartment room. It was a great trip. I am so proud of Jordan and the things he has accomplished and I was so happy that I got to be part of his little life for a weekend.

Jordan playing guitar for us in his room... he is really good... all the girls love it which in turn feeds the ego and the desire to keep playing =)

The second day was a "Breast Cancer Meet" so everyone was wearing these pink shirts. The swimmers even had pink bathing suits and swim caps.

Me and my mom at the meet

Jordan and his diving buddy Landon... they had some CRAZY stories about college life.

Jordan getting ready to dive

This is called the tower and yes, Jordan dives off that top platform.

Grabbing some lunch the day we got there

Mom and Jordan: it was fun to see all the places he likes to eat and hang out at.

Jordan and his friend Landon messing around on the platform... me personally... I wouldnt be messing around that high up =)

Jordan Diving

It's a sad, sad day....

2009-10-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

Reagan has given up her nap

Enough said....

Georgia Football

2009-09-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

For my husband... it's not just a game, it's a way of life.

A few weeks ago I posted about Stephens adventures of tailgating and the massive amount of work that went into going to the Georgia game. This weekend I was able to experience it with him and I have to say... it was really fun.

I have been to Georgia games before... last season we went to almost all of the home games but we didnt do the whole "tailgating" experience. This week Georgia played Arizona State at 7pm. We left the house at 10:00am to get set up. It was raining but apparently Georgia fans are very serious about this stuff and nobody seemed to care... we set up anyway. I was able to meet some of the wives of the guys Stephen works with and it was nice to relax without the kids for the day. It actually stopped raining for most of the day until it was time to walk to the stadium for the game and it was a monsoon!!!! I was soaking wet by the time we got the stadium. It was cold, I was wet, but the game was great, the atmosphere was awesome, we had a blast and the Dawgs won!!!

Before this season started I wasnt really sure I wanted to go to very many games but after this weekend I am really looking forward to more. GO DAWGS!!!!

This picture doesnt do our "setup" justice. We had to put the TV in the back of my Expedition to protect it from the rain but we had a grill and TONS of food. I of course forgot my camera so this was taken with Stephens cell phone.

Fun Fact Friday

2009-09-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to document some of the funny/weird things my kids love to eat. I know every kid has their weird things they like but its always funny to compare.

Reagan love Ramen Noodles. I think it started when I was pregnant with Brody and I was craving them (of all the things to crave) and so she calls the "Mommy Noodles". She also loves garbazo beans which I have always thought was a little strange.

Brody LOVES avacados with lime juice and garlic salt on them. He goes crazy over them. He also loves black beans and chips and salsa. He is in heaven at the mexican restraunt because he gets to eat his chips and salsa and bleck beans. He wont eat the white cheese dip (which is what most kids love I think) but I have to get him his own little bowl of salsa so he can dip his chips.

I am sure there is a laundry list of weird things my kids have liked but these are the current ones... at least they are somewhat healthy right (except the Ramen Noodles).

Fancy Nancy

2009-09-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

If you have a little girl you must get these books. Reagan is IN LOVE with them. They are the cutest most fun books to read. They are all about a little girl that loves being fancy... she loves all things french and uses fancy words like exquisit and ellegant. She loves tutus, boas, and lots of accessories. I actually heard Reagan telling her stuffed animal the other day that "This tea is exquisit" while she was wearing ballet slippers, a crown and a "Fancy Nancy" tutu. We have read them so much that Reagan now reads them to me (and she gets pretty spot on with the story). They are so cute!!!

Rain rain go away....

2009-09-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today it rained....again, for the 8th day in a row. I am so tired of rain I could scream. But today I decided to make the best of it. Stephen told me this morning not to go anywhere because the roads were so bad that our main interstate was SHUT DOWN this morning and roads were flooding all over the place so I decided to have a Rainy Day Party with my kids. What does that entail you ask... whatever you want it to. For us it involved painting (rainbows and sunshines of course), making a big tent in the living room with all our pillows and stuffed animals, making raindrops (blue cupcakes) and decorating them, watching a movie (or two or three) and playing in the rain and looking for frogs. We ended up having a neighbor friend come over and join in the festivities. It was a fun day but for the love of all things could it please stop raining!!!!

Our party banner
Making cupcakes or raindrops as we were calling them. I realized after I told Reagan we could make them that I didnt have any eggs so I had to walk over to the neighbors house, in the rain, to borrow 3 eggs (Thanks Candy).

A little blue food coloring to make our "raindrops"... they actually were a little teal colored but you get the idea.

Our raincloud hanging from the light in our family room. After I hung it up Reagan informed me that rain comes from black clouds not white ones.

Brody eating his blue/green raindrop (or cupcake)

This is Reagan masterpiece. Needless to say she did not eat these but it occupied her and her friend Averi for about 45 minutes.

Reagan ate more sprinles than cupcake I think. At one point Susan and I looked at the girls and they looked like they were doing shots of sprinkles... they both had their heads thrown back with sprinkle bottles in their hands trying to shake out as many as they could into their mouth.

Reagan and her friend Averi decorating their raindrops (cupcakes)

Unfortunately the forecast for the rest of the week is not looking so promising. It's kind of crazy around here. Schools are closed, major highways are shutdown, basements flooding all over the place (not ours thankfully). Stephens phone has been ringing off the hook. His company is out of equipment they have had so many calls today and last I talked to him, it wasnt letting up any. In fact he just called me and told me that he didnt think he would be coming home at all... 3 major interstates are shut down and he doesnt know that he can make it home. This might make for a LONG week.

Look what Brody learned how to do....

2009-09-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is the makings of a full-on temper tantrum. Up until now he has never had one but boy did he surprise me when he did. I was pretty impressed =) This was in the middle of the mall when he didnt get to ride the train right away... and yes, I was one of "those moms" that just let her child pitch a fit in the floor of the mall.

Rainy Weekend

2009-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

My mom and sister came into town this weekend with hopes of going to the Gwinnett County fair. My mom and I had taken Reagan last year and she really enjoyed it but unfortunately it was raining so much we werent able to go. We decided to make the best of the weekend anyway and still managed to do some fun things.

Reagan did one of those bungy jumping things at the mall. I was a little surprised that she had no reservations at all and talked about it for the rest of the day.

Reagan and Damian riding on the train in the mall. Damian wasn't very happy so he didn't want to look at the camera. He fell out of the bed that morning and cracked his head open so that kind of established what kind of day he was having (poor guy).

Me Reagan and Brody on the train.

After we went home and got naps we headed over to my brothers house for a yummy dinner. Then we hung around and let the kids play with eachother. Thanks Ryan and Brindi for having us over. (This is like our 5th attempt at getting a picture of all the grandkids together... its the best we have gotten so far and they arent wearing any clothes.)

Reagan talked about the bungy thing so much that we decided to take her back on Sunday and let her do it again. She had just as much fun the second time around.

Despite the rain it was a fun weekend. It's always fun to see my family and its really neat to see Reagan and Damian becoming better friends. It seems like every time we see eachother they play together better than the time before. Me and Megan are waiting for the day we can just send them out in the yard on their own and play so we can actually talk. =)

Life Lessons

2009-09-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today Reagan learned a hard life-lesson. We had gone to the mall so that Reagan could go to Build-A-Bear and make a bear. I started this new reward program when she started school where she get these little glass beads when she gets a green light at school or helps out around the house. She finally filled up her jar and builing a bear at Build-A-Bear is what she wanted to do. So off I trecked to the mall with both kids in tow (that was probably my first mistake of the day) and decided that while I was there I would make a few stops, nothing major just run in, grab something and get out. Well that is exactly what Reagan did.... except that we didnt pay for her something.
We were in the Disney store picking up one little thing for Brody and the line was going really slow. Reagan was touching everything and I was telling her to put it down. She kept picking up this water bottle thing and I kept telling her we werent buying it. We finally paid and got out of there. Our next stop was to run in and grab a pair of jeans for Brody at Gymboree. I had a coupon that was about to expire and wanted to make sure to use it. While I was looking for the right size I saw Reagan putting stuff from my purse into her bag including my wallet, so I quickly went over there and told her she couldnt play with my wallet, and thats when I saw it. The water bottle thing that she had been eyeing at the Disney store. I immediately asked her if she took it and she said she did. Then I had to sit down in the middle of a busy Gymboree and explain to her we dont take thing we havent paid for. She was upset and wouldn't look at me... she knew she had dome something wrong.
Then we went back to the Disney store and waited in another long line (they really need to get more help at that store) and when it was our turn I walked up, set Reagan on the counter and told her she needed to tell the lady what she did. For some reason I felt like I was fighting back tears as I watched my daughter... for one of the first times ever, do something that was really hard and embarrassing for her. She handed the lady the water bottle and said "I took this" the whole time she wouldnt even look at the lady behind the register (who was a sweet older lady that was obviously very sympathetic to this situation.) Then she said she was sorry and she wouldnt take things without paying for them ever again. The lady thanked her and told her to have a good day and then looked at me as I mouthed "Thank you" to her and she winked at me.
She was a little quiet for a few minutes after that and when we got to the car I told her I loved her and reiterated the idea that we dont take things that we havent paid for. I asked her if she understood and without missing a beat she said "Yes Ma'am" (which she usually only says without being prompted when she is in trouble). I know this is the first of many life lessons she will experience but unfortunately I know it will not be the hardest...

Fun Fact Friday

2009-09-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Reagan: Reagan has become a master at knowing her letters. We worked really hard this summer at recognizing her letters and she knows them all. Now she has become very interested in what everything starts with, especially everyones names. She hasnt quite gotten the sounds for all the letters yet but that is what we are working on now. She is also really wanting to learn to write the letters and is actually starting to get a few. It's really cute because whenever people would ask her name, because she would talk softly and mumble a little bit people always thought she was saying "Megan" so now when people ask her name she says "It's Reagan with an "R."

Brody: Brody's vocabulary has really started to come into its own. Granted they are still words that I can only understand but his most recent one is "Thank You." Whenever he wants something and then I give it to him he says "Thank You"... again, its probably not something anyone else would know was thank you if they heard it but its the same everytime so I know thats what it is. Some of his other favorites are Bye-Bye, Night-Night, Juice, Shoes, Outside, Horse, Dog, Book, Tub, Mommy, and Daddy. He has yet to come up with a word for Reagan. It's so fun when they start talking and can express themselves a little better.

Brody at Gymboree

2009-09-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures I took while we were at Gymboree today. Brody loves it but he definitely does what he wants... there is no convincing him to do the "group activity" if he doesnt like it. Wonder where he gets that from?

Here he is doing his "Yeehaww" that he always does when he gets on a horse.

We are having lots of fun and today our Gymboree moved to a bigger building so there is even more room for him to run around and be crazy. He loves bubble time but doesnt really like the parachute... funny because Reagan didnt really like that either.

Why I Love Reagan

2009-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

I was drawing (and I use the term drawing very loosely) with Reagan this afternoon and she asked me to draw a wolf. Now where she came up with a wolf to begin with is beyond me... I can do cats, dogs, ladybugs, monkeys... not a whole lot more. My sister got all the drawing talent... her little boy's doodle pad is filed with all kinds of creatures. But trying to be a good sport, I make what would be considered a 1st graders attempt at a wolf. It was horrible... it was embarrassing... and without missing a beat Reagan looks at me and says, "Mommy that's the best wolf I ever seen!" Thank you Reagan for loving me despite my handicap in the drawing department. Now if only I can keep her from looking at Damians doodle pad....

Yes- this is my wolf... in all its glory... doesnt get much better than this folks.

ETA: I think I need to add here that pretty much everyone in my family can draw pretty good... except for me... I guess I got the short end of the stick on that one.

Picture Wall

2009-09-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Ever since we finished the playroom I have had a huge wall just screaming for something to put there. It drove me nuts... I knew I wanted to do a picture wall but had been trying to sort through all of my kids pictures and pick certain ones. I have some fabulous pictures of my kids... that we have paid good money for that are all in a box in the basement. So I finally finished it. It's subtle (not to over the top) with pictures everywhere... I really tried to narrow it down to some of my favorites (which was REALLY hard)

Before: Big naked wall screaming for something to cover them.

After

The left side

The right side (the big picture will be our family beach picture and it hasnt come in yet) also- the bottom one of Reagan keeps going crooked so I think I am going to have to put some picture putty in the corner to make it stay.

I am still thinking about doing some of the wall words above... some kind of quote I think but have't had time to come up with a good one and order it. I am pretty happy with how it came out.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

2009-09-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Reagan got this bear for a "Teddy Bear Picnic" at school. (and yes I went and bought a bear especially for the picnic because while we have stuffed animals at our house we didnt have any bears.) It's right up her alley- its a baby bear that when you put a bottle in its mouth it makes a sucking-eating noise. Brody has been dying to get his hands on it so when Reagan went to school the next day he was all over it. It was really cute!

School Update

2009-09-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that Reagan is doing awesome in school. She is thriving and making friends, learning new things everyday, and most importantly, she is behaving (for the most part at least). Her teachers do a stop light system: Green is excellent, yellow is a warning, and red is a timeout. I am not saying we haven't had any yellows but for the most part she comes home with a green light and she has never had a red. I am so happy I made the decision to switch to this new school. I can tell a world of difference and I am so happy that she actually LIKES going to school.

Family Pictures

2009-09-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

I love pictures on the beach... I love little girls in white dresses and little chubby feet with sand on them. Thats why I didnt hesitate to have some made this summer when we were at the beach. I finally got them back and scanned into my computer. I was really surprised at how many turned out good seeing as how during the process my children were total grumps! Because we were trying to get the sunset we didnt even start taking pictures until almost 7pm which is when my kids go to bed so I was really pleased with the outcome.

Train em' early

2009-09-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Before they can even talk.... they know the call... Go Dawgs Sic em' Woof Woof !!!

We are in the thick of it... UGA football season. Stephen left at 9:30 this morning (for a game that stated at 7:00pm mind you) with his truck loaded with all the necessary tailgaiting supplies:

1 50 inch plasma TV

1 Direct TV portable dish receiver

3 coolers loaded drinks

10 bags of chips

36 hot dogs and buns

6 bags of ice

1 UGA canopy tent

10 UGA fold out chairs

1 very large customized UGA cornhole game (its kind of like beanbag game for grown men)

2 folding tables for set-up

1 portable grill complete with 2 propane tanks

and a generator to run it all.... sound like a lot of work? It does to me to but its something Stephen has always dreamed of being able to do. He has been planning it, shopping for it, TALKING about it (nonstop) and finally it was here. The first UGA home game of the season (he has season tickets this year) and last time I talked to him, which was long before the game started.... He was having a blast.... and that makes me happy because Stephen works hard, for us and everything we have, and while he doesn't buy or do much for himself when he does, I know it's stuff he really wants. I love you babe... I am so glad you enjoyed yourself today, just dont wake me up when you get home really late or complain that your "so tired" tomorrow. =)

Fun Fact Friday

2009-09-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I am going to start posting random facts about my kids on Fridays. I realized that while I was documenting a lot of the big things we did some of the small things I forget about and since this blog is mostly for my children I dont want to forget those things.

Reagan: She is very interested in what everything eats. I have no idea where this came from but anytime we see an animal the first thing she asks me is "What does him eat?" It has made me realize that there are a lot of animals that I have no idea what they eat. Thankfully las time we went to the zoo there were those fact sheets about the animals so I figured out what lots of things eat. She is also very interested in where I buy things at. If I come home with a new shirt for her the first thing she says is "Where did you buy that at?" and then she proceeds to tell anyone that likes her shirt "My mommy got it a the Gap".

Brody: Brody is really into horses right now. It kind of started I think at Reagans party but he loves anything that has a horse. He will put it down on the ground and make this funny little noise like the horse is galloping. Whenever he is riding something (it doesnt have to be a horse but anything that you ride on the back of he sticks one arm up in the air and says "Yeeee" I think that is his version of Yehaw. It's really cute.

Pillow Talk

2009-09-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

With the exception of nights I am not at home, I typically handle bed time. REagan adores Stephen but there is something about wanting mommy to put her to bed that makes it difficult for anyone else. Lately, as part of her stall tactics, she decides that bed time is the time when she wants to talk about EVERYTHING. I love our time together at night because that does seem to be when she is most talkative but sometimes I just have to listen for a while and then get up and walk out because I think she might talk all night. It varies from night to night but tonight this was our conversation:

Reagan: "Mommy I am going to get really really big one day and when I get big I can drive a truck, and go to work, and use a knife (that one made me laugh a little) and chew gum and blow a bubble because right now I am to little to chew gum but I can chew it on the airplane, and I can turn on the light on my fan (she means she will be tall enough to pull the fan string to turn her light on) and reach on the top of that thing (pointing to her dresser), and I will go to school a lot a lot, and I can use a glass because I am little now and glass can break so I cant use a glass now except when mommy helps me.....when I get really really big. "

And then without missing a beat she looks at me, strokes my face, and says "I love you too* mommy" and in that moment I realize, I would listen to ANYTHING to hear that at the end.

*For some strange reason Reagan always says "I love you too" instead of just I love you... not sure how that came about but it is still the best

For my mom...

2009-09-10T11:42:00.001-07:00

Does this costume look familiar?

For anyone reading this that isnt my mom... this was her dance costume when she was a little girl... my grandma saved it through all these years. Pretty cool huh?

Video from our Trip

2009-09-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here are two videos from our trip.

The first one is Brody playing with my grandma... they did this silly little game all week long and it is hilarious how Brody is totally copying her with the laughing.

The second is one of Reagan swimming by the end of the week. She got pretty darn good.

Our Trip

2009-09-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Our trip to florida was so much fun. The kids had a blast and it was so fun for them to have that one-on-one time with my grandma, or "Manny" as Reagan calls her. Besides the kids not sleeping very well the rest of the trip was great. Here are LOTS of pictures to show what we did.

Reagan and Brody looking at the planes... Reagan was very excited but a little dissapointed when we didnt have a pink plane. they both did pretty good on the flight... I am just glad it was like a 3 hour flight because I think an hour was there limit.

Reagan wasted no time jumping in the pool. I brought her 4 bathing suits but for some reason she was really attached to this one and its the only one she wore all week.

Reagan and "Manny"

Reagan became a pro in the pool. By the end of the week she was swimming like a fish. It was so fun to watch her learn.

We cant go to Florida without going to the Lowry Park Zoo. My grandma came with us and helped rangle kids. It was nice because we got to do all the things we missed out on when we went earlier this summer and Damian got sick.

Brody really enjoyed it this time.... he loved looking at all the animals.

Feeding the birds

REagan loved this roller coaster the first time we went so she HAD to ride it again but insisted that "Manny" ride it with her, not mommy.

The petting zoo

Feeding the giraffes... they have freakishly long tongues.

It was really neat to be so high up at there level.

Camel ride with Reagan

Camel ride with Brody

Reagan feeding a rhino

Reagan and "Manny" having a tea party

Feeding the seagulls at the beach

The tide was out so the sand was really mushy... Reagan didnt like it so much.

Brody never managed to get a swim suit on before he got in the pool... it was him and a diaper all week.

The last night my grandma pretended to "fall in" when she was playing with Reagan. This is a big deal since in going there my whole life I have probably seen my grandma in that pool 3 times.

All in all it was a great trip with great memories... who knows, maybe this will start being a football season tradition for me and the kids... why should Stephen get to have all the fun right?

Off to Florida

2009-09-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

The kids and I are heading to Florida in the morning. Stephen is going to Tulsa for the Georgia game so I decided that I wasnt going to sit around here all weekend so I booked a flight to my grandma's house in St. Petersburg, FL. I am flying by myself with both the kids so here's praying it goes smoothly. Thankfully its only an hour flight so not to much can happen in an hour right? Reagan is excited to see "Manny" and ride on an airplane. I am looking forward to a long weekend of swimming in the pool, going to the zoo and eating some of my grandma's yummy cooking. It should be lots of fun!!!

Multi-Use Kiddie Pool

2009-08-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I have ever posted a video so I was really just trying it out. I have no idea why it is in black and white but this is what we did today to passsome time on a rainy day. In the summer its a kiddie-pool, and when it starts getting cooler it's a ball pit. Enjoy.

Reagan's First Dentist Appt

2009-08-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

Let me first just say that I was DREADING this day. I had put off making an appointment for a while, especially since brushing her teeth before bed has become somewhat of a battle, but finally had to bite the bullett and do it. Stephens mom watched Brody for me so that I could focus on Reagan not tearing up the entire dentists office- (Thanks Bonnie). Reagan definitely proved me wrong this time. She did so good. There were a few moments that could have gotten ugly but the hygenist was great and told me that they want to make going to the dentist a positive experience so they wouldn't "force" her to do anything. She did ok with the first two sets of X-rays but wouldnt do anymore after that but other than that she let them do everything else. The dentist said everything looked good and to keep doing what we are doing.

Good Job Reagan!

I learned something about Reagan today....

2009-08-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

... apparently she has developed a very serious fear of thunder, so much so, that she woke up from her nap screaming covering her ears... so we improvised a little.

It worked wonders.

Gymboree

2009-08-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Today while Reagan was in school I took Brody to his first Gymboree class. I had done these classes with Reagan when she was about Brody's age and knew I wanted to do them with Brody but its never just the two of us... until now. I figured this would be the perfect time to start since Reagan is in school and and it just me and him. HE LOVED IT!!!! He had a blast. He was climbing all over the place and dancing and really trying to interact with the other kids. Normally Brody's interaction with other kids is with Reagans friends so it was nice to see him try and interact with kids his OWN age. I have to say that while I miss Reagan like crazy while she is at school, it has been really nice to spend this one-on-one time with Brody. I can tell he likes the individualized attention every once in a while. Needless to say we signed up for classes every Thursday... it will be fun!!

2009-08-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tucked away in my moms attic is a small box containing a few of my "favorite" things to wear as a child. I probably will never put them on Reagan because while they were beautiful dresses back when I was a kid... they arent exactly the style of dresses that I care for as an adult. But one thing my mom did save was a red cowgirl costume. I wore it for my 3rd Halloween. At a visit to my moms house she pulled it out. The elastic was shot but other than that it was just like new. We (meaning my mom or grandma, I cant remember which one) fixed the elastic and here we are... more than 25 years later and Reagan is wearing the exact same cowgirl costume. Pretty cool huh?

Me: Halloween 1985
Reagan: 2009

Who wore it best?

2009-08-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

Reagan?

or Brody?
He's going to kill me for this oneday....
(so is his daddy)

Phohawk

2009-08-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

Brody really needs a haircut, but while I am trying to find time to get to the barber he is sporting the phohawk... I think its pretty darn cute!

Blog Facelift

2009-08-26T06:54:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have notice my new and improved blog. I owe it all to a sweet girl named Camille. I was looking through blogs I read from time to time and was quite surprised when I clicked on an old friends family blog and it was SO CUTE. Not that it wasnt cute before (with kiddos like theirs how could it not be cute)... but I set out on a mission. I wanted my blog to be cute too. So thankfully Janelle had put a link on her blog telling anyone that wanted to know who "spiced up her blog" so of course I emailed her. It was super easy and really inexpensive (for anyone that knows me well you know I dont do computers very well so it was well worth the money for me to pay someone to do it... if I had tried this it would have been a disaster.) So for anyone that wants to "spice up their blog" go to the bottom of my sidebar and click on the link to
Camille's sight. She is talented and fast. Thanks again Camille for making my blog pretty =) and thanks David and Janelle for sharing her with everyone!!!! I love my new blog.

A sigh of relief

2009-08-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today after Reagan got home from school and I was feeling really discouraged I decided to email her teachers. I just wanted to let her teacher know that we dont allow that kind of behavior at home and that I was sorry if she was making a horroble first impression. I didnt want them thinking that I let her get away with things like hitting and back talking. I also made the comment that I hated that their first impression of her was this hostile little girl. Then tonight at about 8:30 the heavens opened up and Ms. Mandy called me =)
She assured me that they did not think Reagan was a bad little girl and that she was not the only one having some issues. She told me that Reagan was a sweet little girl and that she interacted well with the other kids... she could tell that Reagan wasnt being mean she just was a little rougher than some of the other kids (which is something I figured but didnt want to sound like the mom that thinks my child never does anything wrong). I talked to her for about 30 minutes and everything she said made me feel so much better.
I am no longer having a bad feeling about how this first week of school went. Obviously I dont want Reagan doing some of the things she did but to know that her teachers aren't dreading having my child walk through the door very morning made me feel a lot better. Thanks Ms. Mandy for assuring that I havent failed as a parent because my child didnt behave perfectly the first week at a new school (seriously what is wrong with me... why do I beat myself up like this....)

Preschool update: Day 3

2009-08-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lets just say that today wasnt any better... in fact I would say it was worse. Today not only did she hit (where is this hostile attitude coming from) she pinched someone and told her teacher "NO" I would say we have our work cut out for us..... god help us all.

Preschool update: Day 2

2009-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well the true Reagan I know and love returned at school yesterday. She hit another girl in her class with a toy. (ETA: I dont love her because she hit another kid I just meant the first day was very out of character for her... she tends to be the troublemaker.) WHY oh WHY does my child insist on being so rough with other children? When I asked her why she hit that little girl her response was "because I wanted to". I dont even know how to respond to that. I know she is just three but I feel like when she does stuff like that its a reflection on me and my parenting. I feel like her teachers are looking at her and thinking about how her mom lets her get away with all kinds of stuff at home and thats not the case. I know she is not the only kid in her class that is having problems (at least I hope she's not) but I always feel like she is. I feel like all the other kids are well behaved and listen perfectly and then there is my wild, free spirited child running amuck all over the classroom. I guess I am just feeling a little defeated with Reagan right now... whenever I find something that I think works, it doesnt work the next time. She is totally me at that age and you know what they say...

pay backs a b!#@%

I would like to take this moment to publically say...

I'm sorry mom and dad =)

Mr. Independent

2009-08-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Brody has become quite independent lately. He is really wanting to do things by himself and becoming more vocal about what he wants. He really like feeding himself with his fork or spoon and wants nothing to do with my help.

The result: A big mess and a very happy Brody.

First Day of School

2009-08-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Reagan first day back at preschool. This year I made the difficult decision to put her in a new school. The school last year was good for her first year but I really felt this new school was going to be a better fit for her, not to mention that they offer private kindergarten, which is something I am seriously considering. It is a little bit farther away but well worth the drive if it lives up to its potential. She eats lunch while she is there as well so with bookbag and lunchbox in tow we left for her first day of school.

I was a little bit nervous because everytime I said something about school she would say "I dont want to go to school" but Stephen and I just kept being positive about it and eventually it wore off on her. By last night she was excited about going to school today. I dropped her off this morning with no tears (which always makes it easier on me). Brody and I came home to a rather quiet house. Brody still takes a morning nap so he went down shortly after we got home and I got all kinds of things done... the whole time Reagan was not far from my mind. Was she being nice to the other kids? Was she being respectful to her teacher? Was she listening well? Was I going to get a note home the first day telling me she was to wild? (that happened last year)

Fast forward 4 hours and I picked her up... in one piece... with a STAR STAMP on her hand for good behavior. She had a huge smile on her face when I saw her and the whole way home she talked about circle time and the letter "S" and coloring a skunk (for the letter "S") playing on the playground, having a cupcake at lunch ( I think it was someone in her classes birthday) and something about going to a classroom upstairs and spinning around (I think that was music class but I am not 100% sure). Tomorrow is show-n-tell (the letter "S") She decided to take Spin-art (you know those things that you put the paper on and it spins around really fast and you drop paint on it ant it splatters... she LOVES that toy.)

All in all it seemed like a good day. Tonight she told me " Mommy I pushed at my old school (which is totally true) but I am a nice girl at my new school" Crazy kid... I know it was just the first day and I am sure she will have her fair share of days that arent good but for today, it couldnt have gone any better.... and the best part, she is excited to go back tomorrow!!!!

Monkey Joes

2009-08-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

We have been going to Monkey Joes since Reagan was really little. She loves jumping on all the inflatables and its a huge open floor plan where she can just run all over the place. Now that Brody is running around he is finally starting to enjoy it too. They both wear themselves out and take great naps after we get home.

Brody enjoyed the video games for the first half of the trip...

no money needed, just buttons to push.
Reagan will go on all the inflatables... even the big huge slides...
she scales them in a matter of seconds.

So much fun!!!!

Brody finally figured out how to manuver in the small inflatable and really started to enjoy himself. He went up and down the slide for like 15 minutes straight.

Georgia Aquarium

2009-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Today we made the drive downtown with my friend Susan and her little girl Averi to the Georgia Aquarium. We had been earlier this year but Reagan wasnt all that interested. This time she really got into it and was all about looking and touching anything and everything. Brody was his usual easy self and hung out in the stroller most of the time. He kept pointing up whenever he would see a big aquarium full of fish and saying ffffshshsh (think fish in baby talk). I think Reagans favorites were the Baluga whales and the Sea otters. We had lots of fun and the kids were worn out when it was over. They didnt even make it home before they zonked out in the car.

Reagan and her little friend Averi
Reagan not looking to sure about the aligator behind her

The baluga whales... Reagan remembered these from Sea World

Jellyfish- and NO this picture isnt upside down all the jellyfish just happen to be that way.

Reagan and Brody in one of the observation rooms where the ceiling above you is all fish tank

Reagan and Averi in an observation bubble... it was kind of freaky because the bubble was a lot deeper than it looked and reagan kept climbimg up it and she looked like she was going to fall in the tank.