Say Cheese!!

I think this one could very well eat her weight in queso! Check out these adorable pink cheeks following our trip to Schliterbahn in Galveston last month and how can you resist that cute little cheese-filled grin?

10 things I'm thinking on the 10th

1. My first born will be starting 1st grade in 14 days. Just two short weeks and she'll be gone ALL DAY LONG. I think I'm really, REALLY gonna miss her. We've been getting all the documents for registration and should have her registered at the school down the road tomorrow. We have gathered all her school supplies and purchased new school clothes. The only thing left is just a good pair of tennis shoes. Does anyone know how to stop a child from growing up?
2. I'm looking forward to doing pre-school with Hailey. I'll probably bring Carter in some. They're never too young to learn, right? It's gonna be so much fun. Hailey's been working on the Starfall website (See my sidebar under sites worth a look-see - I'd put the link up, but I'm just too lazy right now) It's so cute when she asks if she can do her school on my "puter" Santa may have to save up for a couple of netbooks for Christmas this year...
3. We've started discussing boy names. We still can't make up our minds. Seems like the girls' names were so much easier. We're thinking we might have to send out another poll like last time. Funny, but the name (Carter) that we both really liked took the poll by a storm. This time, we've come up with a few new ones and still have some of the ones from last time. Any suggestions we can take into consideration before the poll comes out?
4. I've really missed my blog. I get on and I visit all the updated blogs in my blogroll, but I just never update. I've missed blogging on so many different things. Maybe I can just use WOW Wednesday to post some pictures from recent activities. (Like when the girls ate "Mud Bugs" or Carter's first time to hold his own ice cream cone or his trip to the barber shop with Daddy) It's not like I haven't had anything to blog about. I've just lacked the motivation. It's got to be either the pregnancy......or facebook. (Darn you, facebook!)
5. So, could it be pregnancy brain that is telling me that a minivan might not be too bad? I mean, the doors practically open themselves. And all that storage... Don't get me wrong, I'll always be an SUV girl, but when we put that third row up, I lose most of my storage room. Once the baby (we call him "Walt" - story to come) arrives I'll need that big ol' double stroller for Carter and him in the back and it will NOT fit in the SUV (maybe if I had the Expedition EL or a Suburban) with the third row. Where am I gonna put groceries?
6. Should I just buy a bus?
7. We're gonna have to get a new carseat/stroller/travel system for Walt. The one we used with the other three is not only outdated by safety regulations, but it's falling apart. I practically cried when Hot Rod took the old carseat/carrier out to the trash man. I loved that thing. It was silly, I know, but I loved the pattern. I mean, we could hardly get the seat off the base in the car. Drove Hot Rod crazy sometimes trying to get Carter out of the car. I can't tell you how many times we just unbuckled him from the seat. Oh, and the stroller...What an awesome stroller. It had cup holders and storage up near the handles just perfect for two drinks and keys and cell phone...and the basket at the bottom holds SO MUCH STUFF. One of the best features, you could push and guide it or even fold it with ONE HAND! How will we ever find the perfect replacement...?
8. Okay, now I'm thinking about "Walt" so I guess I should explain. Or have I done that already? (I can't remember.) Anyway, so maybe there is more to the magic of Disney...WALT Disney. Long Story Short (LOL) we had a Disney World trip planned for October - the SAME week that "Walt" is due. Even bought the stinkin' airline tickets. FYI - pregnancy is not covered under the airline ticket insurance. (Glad we didn't waste our money on that.)
9. Speaking of insurance...PPO's are horrible. Co-pays and Co-insurance and deductibles. Covered and non-covered, in-network and out of network...blah, blah, blah...It's sad when I can easily say that the hassle of Cobra Insurance for Carter's birth was waaay less trouble and inconvenience. Getting the PPO to pay what they are supposed to is next to impossible.
10. Okay, just saw the end of The Tonight Show. What is going on? They actually had Lyle Lovett singing something along the lines of "I'll choke my chicken all night long" I miss Leno...

The First Haircut

I'm sure you're expecting to see pictures of my little man, but did you expect that you'd see this...?

Her before pictures:

The first snip:

Showing how much was cut:

All done:

Yes, our little Hailey Bug got her first haircut at 3 1/2 years-old. (Just like her older sister!!) For those of you who know me personally, you remember my girls were born with a full head of hair. And they both had highlights!! (SO...NOT...FAIR!!)

Carter on the other hand, well...he was only 13 months when his hair was cut for the first time.

Carter's before picture (what a mess!!) He looks tired because we had to wake him up to cut his hair:


The first snip:



Making progress:

The after-shot:



The following Friday with his hair all styled up for the rehearsal dinner:

(My sister's wedding post to follow in the next few days)

May 5, my sister, Laurie, came over with her daughter Emma, my Dad and Tanya. While Dad and Tanya kept up with the kiddos, Laurie cut hair. First mine, then Hailey's, and last Carter's. She was one busy haircutting lady. I am so fortunate to have a sister talented enough to trust to cut not only my hair, but my precious babies. She said my kids are very easy when cutting their hair. They sit amazingly still and don't fuss. What a blessing!

Don't my kids look great?!

Why I Love Hailey Bug

One of the many reasons I love my little Hailey Bug has got to be that she listens. She really takes in what Daddy and I say.

She may not always have the appropriate response, but she hears me...and at least that's a start.

Evidence that she is listening was displayed tonight when the following situation ensued:

Maddie finished up her lunch and was headed to the couch where Hailey and I were watching a little TV before we all headed upstairs for a nap when she tripped over a blanket on the floor and landed on the carpet. She didn't get hurt, it was a soft fall. Hailey looked over in Maddie's direction and said in her sweet little three year old voice, "Been walkin' long?"

I'm always teasing the girls with things like this or "How was your trip?" or "See you next fall."

We all had a good laugh, but I'll have to remember...Hailey is listening!!

Strange, but true!

This past Easter was Carter's first Easter. It's odd because we celebrated his one-year birthday two weeks prior.

I remember last year thinking he might be born on Easter. I was really hoping that wouldn't happen because I really wanted to celebrate the day with my girls. I bought them pretty dresses and special matching hair bows that I searched high and low for -- I couldn't wait for Sunday so I could "doll them all up." (Shoot -- That's something I look forward to every Sunday!)

Hot Rod didn't actually believe me at first. It wasn't until I "Googled" the date of last year's Easter that he was convinced. (It just doesn't seem right, but since the date of Easter moves around so much, I guess it happens from time to time.) I saw a picture from Easter last year of a cousin's little girl. There I was in the background - belly big as a blimp!

We had a nice day, despite all the rain.

After church services, we headed to the classroom hallways to hunt eggs.

(Little man just wanted the stuff in the eggs!! - Smart kid...)

We filled our baskets and hunted down the Easter bunny for pictures.

(Just look at Carter eyeing the Easter Bunny's candy basket!)

We had a fabulous devotional and activity to complete with our family provided by SonKids.

Once we got home, we did a quick last minute touch up of the house and then I started cooking my Cherry Surprise - Yum!! Not long after Hot Rod's family started to arrive. We had a great feast and a nice time visiting with family.

And it wasn't too bad being cooped up in the house all afternoon!

Not toys...nope, not my child!

The kids and I were in the livingroom and I had HGTV on the television. I keep that on for a couple of reasons 1) the kids won't watch too much TV 2) most of the programming on this channel is kid-safe. Now, I know that a better idea would be to just turn off the TV, but sometimes I like the background noise. Besides, it drowns the noises outside and helps keep the dog from barking.



Anyway....Maddie looked over at the TV and said, "Mommy, THAT is the floor I want!"



me: "Wood floors?"



Maddie: "Yes!"



Hailey: "But, where would we put the toys?"



me: "Uh, in the gameroom where they are now...?"



First, I'll have to investigate why wood floors means bye-bye toys. Second, I knew Maddie was a lot like me. She even has my excellent taste in flooring choices. Third, maybe she is watching more TV than I thought. Which brings me to the next Maddie story.



Maddie: "Mommy, I saw on TV that there is a blanket that you can stick your arms through and keep warm!"



me: "You mean the Snuggie?!"



Maddie: "YES! Can I get one of those?"



And I wonder...why is my child asking for such bizarre things?

I hate flossing...

I took the girls to the dentist a little over a week ago for their first cleaning and dental exam. I'm a little behind on Maddie, but early for Hailey - that makes up for it, right?

Maddie went first...she is the big sister!

Then, Hailey put on her brave face.

I think I was more nervous than the girls were. I just wasn't sure how the girls would react to having someone scraping their teeth or that they would choke on the taste of the gunk that the dental hygenist uses to polish teeth.

I was pleasantly surprised when one of the girls from the dental office came out and told me how great it was to take x-rays on a child that wasn't a screamer for a change. (She should come to my house, wouldn't she be in for a surprise!!) To be honest, I think Maddie was just so surprised at what was going on, she didn't know how to react.

They were both excited to wear some really funky glasses while they watched an episode of Hannah Montana on the ceiling!!

As you can imagine, Maddie was thrilled!

Hailey asked for Dora, the Explorer, but they didn't have it.

We work really hard to make sure the girls brush their teeth twice a day and it shows!

The best news of all......WE ARE CAVITY-FREE!!!

When their appointments were over, they were given new toothbrushes (purple for Maddie and yellow for Hailey!) and a choice from the treasure box. Maddie picked a ring (which she rarely removes from her finger) and Hailey found a water gun (not sure she understands what she actually picked!) It was a fabulous first visit to the dentist!!

By the way, does anyone know how to reach the Tooth Fairy? I need to let her know she should check into taking out a loan. Maddie has four loose teeth! OH, and two of her "adult" teeth are already coming in AND one of her six-year molars has burst through the surface!!

ON A SIDE NOTE: When he was finishing up with Hailey, the dentist looked at Carter in my arms and commented on how cute my kids were. Then he said, "Are you guys planning on having more or are you done?" (Why do people always ask me that?!)

Then I started wondering if he says that to everyone OR if the kids are ugly, he thinks to himself something more along the lines of: "Your kids are ugly, you should totally stop..."

just wondering...

I Promise it's Still Winter.

There's an old saying I'm sure gets used many places (especially in Texas): "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes...!"



Well, over the past few weeks, it's been back and forth between hot and cold temps. By the time we get comfortable with the "perfect" weather, a cold snap blows thru (usually following a good rain) giving Carter and Mommy a case of the sniffles, runny noses and so on...



Today was one of the better days. In my opinion, it was about perfect --- 70 degrees, partly cloudy, slightly windy. The pictures speak for themselves...


Yes, as a matter of fact, we did stay in our jammies all day.

I think this one looks like the kids are all fighting over who gets to climb the slide first. LOL!!

The girls enjoyed the see-saw (a.k.a teeter totter)

The trampoline (I finally found something positive to the net being "broken" - Never before have I gotten good jump action pictures - But, I'm still upset with the yard guys, don't they do that for a living? Shouldn't they know how to move a trampoline without pulling it apart?)

Carter had plenty of toys to keep him occupied.

The puppy (okay, he's 8, but he's still little like a puppy) relaxed under my chair. Not too different from where he'd be if we were inside.

And Mommy? Well, I started on a new book.

I finally caved. After hearing about it EVERYWHERE, blogland, facebook, friends, family, television, I bought THE book. It's been sitting on the shelf in the study since sometime before Christmas and I decided I could take it no longer. I had to see what the fuss was about.

I get it.

I am NOT kidding!!! WE...HAD...SNOW!

I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but...it snowed yesterday. Kind of makes "Dreaming of a White Christmas" more attainable.

The kids were all down for a nap when the flurries started to fall. Oh, to have video of this crazy Momma running around like a wild woman trying to dress three kids (and herself) warm enough to brave the outdoors before the snow stopped falling! I'm sure that would make a much better post.


Here are a few pictures - you know, for proof!


This is the snow falling in front of our house:





Snowflakes keep falling on my head...






















Carter even had a few flakes on top of his little cap!

It really showed on the top of the stroller

Here are the girls running around with the neighbor kids. If you look closely, you'll see a few neighbors in front of the other houses in the cul-de-sac.



We had so much fun!

Thank you, GOD, for snow!!!

Side note: I called Hot Rod to tell him about it...he was in a meeting. About 2 minutes later, he called me back, "Who would have thought that YOU could break up one of MY meetings!" Apparently, they were all eavesdropping on our conversation and decided to take a break to go outside to enjoy the snow. You're welcome, Honey!

10 things I'm thinking on the 10th

1. I've been in a state of blahs lately. I haven't felt like doing anything. In fact, for a week now, I've had to force myself to do the smallest things. I don't know what it is, but I think it's fading. I've started to get my "oomph" back. I'm blaming it on the weather...and being sick.

2. Speaking of the weather, what is with this ridiculous Houston weather? I mean, I've lived here my entire life and I still cannot get used to it. I know what to expect. It happens every year. Besides, where do you think the following quote came from: "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it'll change" Yep, Houston, Texas! It is hard to get into the Christmas spirit when the weather is 75 degrees. (That was yesterday...today's a whole nother story -- COLD!) YAY, break out the hot cocoa.

3. I love the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha that comes out this time of year! My hubby is such a sweet man, he figured out how to take a simple hot chocolate drink and make it minty. Being the awesome man that he is, he made it for me to help get me out of my "funk"...at least, that's what I'm telling myself.

4. With the birth of each child, we wondered how in the world we could possibly love another child so much. How in the world would there be enough love to go around? Now that the children are "one up" on us, we can't imagine life without any of them. It seems that you find room in your heart to love each one of them for who they are.

5. Maddie, at 5 (almost 6) years old is a second "mom" to her younger brother and sister. She is very helpful to Mommy and Daddy - especially when it comes to her siblings. She loves to care for Carter and entertain him. When it comes to Hailey, she couldn't have a more perfect playmate. All girls should have a sister. (I should know, I have 3!) She's doing well in Kindergarten and is proud of herself when she successfully reads her papers for school.

6. Hailey, now 3 years old is my cuddler. I have to soak it all in while Daddy is at work or traveling because she is a major Daddy's girl. (Drives me crazy! If it were up to me, they'd all snuggle up to me on the couch every night.) She can pick up on things quickly when she has the desire. Just a few days ago, she said, "I dropped my baby and I catched it." Daddy corrected her that is should be caught. The very next day, she was playing and said, "I catched--I caught it." So proud! You won't find better manners than this little one.

7. Carter, a whopping 8 months old...not that you'd know that to look at him. He's always looked older for his age. It's funny to hear people say, "He looks like a little man! He doesn't look like a baby anymore." (Truth be told, he never looked like a baby...okay, maybe when he first came home and for the first month) He's a strong little boy. He continually amazes me with his physical abilities. I keep waiting for him to just stand up and walk over to me, but he is still just crawling - and FAST! Unfortunately (for everyone else - not me), he is a Momma's boy. Drives most people crazy. If I am anywhere in the room, he wants to be held by me. I don't mind. I'm afraid one day, he won't want his crazy Mom around. So, for now, I'll just soak it up!

8. "As Seen on TV" - this just cracks me up! Who comes up with these crazy things that they sell on television. And don't even get me started on the bearded guy that pushes them all. He ALmost makes me believe in the amazing power of whatever product he is peddling. I can hear him now: Just look at the (grass, chocolate, red wine, you name it) stains lift right out of this bright white shirt - it looks just like new! OR This putty can hold a two-ton truck being towed. OR Just watch how it melts away hard water, lime, rust, and mildew from this old tub. IF ONLY...

9. Someone should write songs for Independence Day that make everyone feel the way that Christmas songs make you feel during the Christmas season. "Line the rockets in a row, fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! Light a match and watch it glow, fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!" and "City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in red, white and blue. In the air there are fireworks glowing" and let's not leave out "Sparklers, sparklers, hot dogs all the way. Picnics by the bright moonlight it's Independence Day!" (Don't blame me for the shotty lyrics...I'm a singer, not a song writer!)

10. It's been a while since we've gone to the movies...until recently. We took all three kids to see Madagascar 2 - SO GOOD!! Now, I am dying to go see movie after movie. I can't wait to drag Hot Rod out to see Four Christmases. I don't know about any of you, but it looks hilarious to me.

I know it was wrong...and I'd do it again!

Riding in the car with my kids can get a little crazy.

We were on our way to meet Daddy at work last night to eat dinner and do a little shopping when this conversation began...


Maddie: Mommy, Hailey said Toot-toot. (It's something that I don't like them to say. It is not said to be funny, but unkind or rather disgusting.)


Hailey: I did not!


Me: Girls! Hailey, don't say that. Maddie, stop tattling.


Me, again: You know who knows whether you did it or not - for sure?

----------------GOD!

----------------and Santa Claus!


Hailey: Sorry, Sissy!


I know it was wrong, but it worked, so I'd do it again! Don't judge me...

The Hands of a Two-Year-Old

This is a two-year-old:

These are the hands of a two-year-old:

Lotion left within the reach of two-year-old hands becomes this:

A camera in the hands of a two-year-old produces something like this:

Markers, scissors and glue held by two-year-old hands compose masterpieces such as this:

Sometimes, the hands of my precious two-year old come together like this:

Or even like this:

And in the kitchen, like this:

Tomorrow these little hands turn three and I just can't wait to see what their future holds...

My little Hailey-Bug, I love you and I hope your birthday is just as fantastic as you!