Jaykob the English Teacher

We received a compliment the other day from Jaykob's kindergarten teacher.  Appearantly there is a little boy in his class that came in the beginning of the year not able to speak ANY English (he is a cute little asian boy).  Mrs. Clayton told us in a day and age when so many kids (and adults) shun those who are different, Jaykob has embraced Dah Wah and has made it his mission to teach him English.  Jaykob gets so excited when Dah learns a new word!  He even comes home from school with a report of the new words Dah has recently learned.  His teacher's heart and compassion flows over at home with his littlest sister when he tries really hard to teach her new words too!  What a sweet boy!  Can you tell we are proud?!?!?!

Election Time!!!

             

The kids were able to participate in this year's pivotal and historical election.  Although I think it was the promise of a cookie and a sticker that was more appealing than the promise of a brighter tomorrow, but we were proud of them none the less!  
    

Jaykob did tell me the morning after the election when he had learned that the guy he had voted for did not win that "We voted for the wrong guy, Mom.  We should have voted for Oracka Obama."  I did my best to assure him that although "our guy" lost, it is going to be okay because God is in control!  
                       

Too bad I couldn't write a 5 year old in as a write-in candidate for President!  Maybe one day!

Halloween

What a fun Halloween we had!!! We were able to make good use of the Halloween costumes this year, hitting three different opportunities to wear them.

The kids attended the church party Wednesday night; Jayk dressed as a ninja, Addi as "white Cinderella" (The Cinderella bride that marries Prince Charming at the end of the story), and Ella as a ladybug.

Friday night, we met up with friends in a nearby neighborhood for an evening of trick or treating.  Jayk dressed as a ninja (again), but this time wearing the EXACT same costume, Addi became "white Belle" (again, the bride that marries her prince at the end of the story), and Ella dressed as Tinker Bell.  Our precious Tinker Bell pooped out a little early because it got a little colder than Mommy had expected and Tinker could no longer say "Trick or Treat" through the shivering.

Saturday night brought about our annual Youth Fall Harvest Party Extravaganza.  Mom & Dad even got in on the fun of dressing up!  Daddy followed in his son's footsteps and the two were ninjas together for the evening.  Mommy graced everyone with her presence as a pirate (don't ninjas hate pirates in "real" life?) and Ella resumed her ladybug costume (less itchy than Tinker Bell).  But is was Addi's stunning transformation (again wearing the EXACT same costume) to become "white Jasmine" (yes, the bride at the end of the story that marries her prince) that took our breath away!  We love her imagination!!!

Needless to say, we had a great time of it all!  I truly think the Halloween celebrating has been enjoyed mostly by Tony & I (along with our friends The Littles visiting from KS) by nightly "saving" our children from the tooth & tummy aches by consuming the bulk majority of the Halloween candy.  Mmmmmmmmmm!

The First of the Last

I had a moment the other day.  I actually had to swallow around the giant lump swelling up in throat.  No doubt as a mom of three, I have had many unrecognized firsts.  However, this particular evening I was hit smack in the face with my first of the lasts.  Again, this notion should not have been far from my mind after I birthed the last child.  

Never again will I go to the hospital to deliver a baby. 

 As I sold my infant carrier, I missed realizing that I would never again have an infant to put in a carrier.  

As I gave away all the bottles & infant supplies, I should have stopped to savor the moment that that season in my life was over.  

None of the majors hit me until an insignificant moment getting Ella Clair ready for bed one evening.  After a bath (oh the yummy smell of a freshly bathed child-a memory etched into my brain) and a squirmy diaper change (can't say those days will EVER be missed), I dressed Ella in her jammies.  After I had pulled her pants up and stood her up, it hit me: it was the first time I would put the blue Bob & Larry VeggieTale jammies on the last of my three kids.  Jayk & Addi wore those jammies proudly and the moment arrived for it to be my sweet baby's turn.  Truly wondering where the time has gone?  

I am sure that my Mommy-brain will cause many more "firsts of lasts" oversights, but I will try hard to recognize them when the do occur and pause to savor the moment.

Dandelion Days

Jaykob loves his Mommy and one of the ways he shows his love & appreciation for me is the way any man should...through flowers. In fact every flower. His tender compassionate heart sees a beautiful dandelion and off he runs to make sure his Mommy has one for the little vase in her windowsill. I know these days will end, I am just not sure when. Until that time, I will cherish each & every beautiful flower that reaches out from his little hand to mine.

Aye, Matey!

Daddy & Jaykob had the opportunity to attend the Lowe’s free “How-To” clinic one Saturday.  Jaykob was so excited to spend the morning with his Daddy and their mission was to build a Pirate Ship.  It was a bonding day for the two of them as Jaykob took several whacks with the hammer into the starboard side of the ship.  It did not take very long for Jayk’s little arm to run out of juice & Daddy had to take over with the hammer. The two returned home about an hour later with a new pint-sized carpenter’s apron, protective eye wear, a certificate of achievement (for the wanna-be carpenter) but above all else a wee little pirate ship, complete with a Jolly Roger flag.  Like father, like son--my little carpenter duo!

Giddy-Up, Cowgirl!!!

Quickly after we moved here to North Carolina, some of our teen girls rode their horses to our house to show the kids.  All of the kids were quite hesitant to be so close-up to the beautiful beasts.  Fast forward several months and all three kids had the opportunity to have their picture taken on one of these gentle giants at our church’s “Round-Up Sunday” (Sunday School promotion).  I was very uncertain of how each would do remembering their hesitation they showed last time they were so close to the horses.  Appearantly they have selective memory. 

 Ella showed slight hesitation, but Jaykob was  willing to jump right up there to pose for a picture.  Addi was braver still, asking one of the teens to take her for a short ride.  Nearly everyday since she has been asking to ride again! Giddy-up cowgirl!!!

My Big Girl, Addi

My sweet blonde-headed princess girl started her first day of preschool today.  This day played itself up in my mind like a well rehearsed play.  I would get her dressed in her little dress she would have insisted on wearing.  I would walk her past Daddy's office, past the cemetery, down the hill and into the doors all the while answering question after question being fired by a curious three year old and schlepping her baby sister on my hip.  With each step closer to her brand new class, I anticipated feeling her small hand in mine clinging harder and harder until we reached the door.  As the sweet lady standing in front of her ready to greet her & sweep her off to her new adventure called preschool, she would cling to my leg as if it where the boogie man stealing her away from her Mommy.  I anticipated peeling her hands off of me only to unleash the flood gate of tears that I was positive would ensue.  This drama continued in my mind with me walking out of the classroom as my sweetheart collapsed into a heap on the floor as I have seen her do before because Mommy had abandoned her.  I would walk away from the scene a guilty mess, but confident that I was making the right decision in leaving her at preschool and make every attempt to enjoy my morning.   Addi must have been taking bravery lessons from her older brother, Jaykob.  Appearantly I have grossly underestimated my children as of recent!  Nothing remotely close to what I had rehearsed in my mind played out for Addi's first day of preschool.  The one I had thought would go into her new class kicking & screaming gave me nothing more than a quick hug & kiss and was off.  I hung around for a moment anticipating what I thought was going to be the inevitable tears, hoping I would get just one more snuggle & smooch, but all I got was an excited smile as she discovered the dress up clothes.  

I walked away today with my head held high so proud of my big girl but yet with a slight tug in my heart for the day when I was needed & chosen.   Albeit three years old & still very much in need of her Mommy, Addi is growing up.  Yet, Tony & I can rest in the fact that we 

are raising confident children.  A fact we should be and are very proud of!  Happy Preschool Day, Addilyn!!!

The Bad Idea Shirt

After Saturday night bath, Addi wanted to snuggle with some of the teens that were at our house for the evening before she crawled into bed.  Little Miss Independent carefully picked out her own "jammies" and dressed herself for bed.  The jammies she picked out were an unmatching green Strawberry Shortcake tank top that was about seven sizes too big mixed with a pair of blue & red stretch pants (at least a size too small).  As she ran around the living room prior to settling down for some snuggle time, her tank top kept creeping down showing off her "boobies" (which are a fairly new phenomenon in her three year old world).  Mommy & Daddy kept telling her to pull her tank top up because it is not ok for boys to see that part of her body.  She looked up and said, "Mommy, this is a 'Bad Idea Shirt'!"  I can only hope & pray that as my little girl grows, she will continue to protect the precious body God gave her by staying away from "Bad Idea Shirts".

First Day of School!!!

Our first day of school finally arrived!  We awoke bright & early in the morning to a rainy, gray, "overcasty" type of day.  Not the picture-perfect-day I had in mind for my first child's first day of kindergarten.  "Grumpy pants" did not want to get out of bed and was rather put-out that I even thought about waking him for this special day. A glass of juice & three pieces of toast later seemed to take a little of the edge off. 

Out the door we went for our trip to school.  Three minutes later we arrived & most of the grumpy had worn off.  

Hand in hand we dodged rain drops while pride swelled inside like the rising puddles around our ankles.  OUR BIG BOY IS OFF TO SCHOOL!!!  We stopped for some pictures outside under the breezeway before joining the chaos in the hallways.  More pictures ensued after we bobbed & weaved between strollers & backpacks & kids & parents.  Jaykob found his classroom like it was something he had done everyday for a semester.  Mrs. Clayton had placed a special toy on the desk for each child- a baby rabbit attached to his momma, rather fitting for the situation at hand I thought!  After a quick hug and kiss followed by a last minute wave at the door, we bravely exited the classroom.  

The seventy yards down the hall and out the door seemed like a mile.  It was a hallway filled with memories of holding a newborn all snuggly warm & gentle.  A little baby wearily taking his first step & subsequent tumble.  A toddler wanting so badly to reach something off of the 

counter that is slightly out of reach.  A young child squirming just before getting stitches after his tumble off the sit & spin.  A growing boy sweating in the sand box. Where did it all go?  Is he really old enough to be so big?  Where does he get his bravery? As I pondered all of this, I knew in an instant.  From the strong man that our little boy calls "Daddy".  

The rain that met us at the door of the school washed off the tears that had tumbled down &  by the time I had reached the car, I was okay knowing full well that we had raised a confident young boy who was not afraid of a new adventure called Kindergarten.

A Few Days With My Cousins

I was so excited!  My cousins, Caiden (4) & Landon (2) came from Ohio for a visit to our new house in North Carolina in July for a few days and we had so much fun!  We spent a lot of fun time playing outside in the sun and splashing and jumping in our pool.  Caiden found our squirt guns and unleashed the fury on anyone & everyone! We didn't seem to mind too much and we all had our turn.  

Mommy & Daddy & "Aunt" D took us to the Greensboro Natural Science Museum where we each got to see our favorite animals.  Landon loved the "bird-birds", Caiden saw lots of giant dinosaurs, Addi loved the turtles, and I loved ALL the animals.  Addi 

was so excited to go see the animals that she forgot to wear shoes!  Mommy was a little mad, but took her to a store to buy her some crocs.  I got to pet a snake, but Daddy got a little scared & had to leave the room.  I was very brave though.  

We had a lot of fun & really enjoyed their visit.  Mommy liked getting to hang out with "Aunt" D.  I keep bugging Mommy & Daddy about when we can hang out with them again!  We love our cousins!

Playing in the Sun

Pictures from July