LOVE THOSE MOMENTS...

Pigeon Forge: after swimming, after Brandon was in bed, after eating popcorn...before putt-putt with my girl.

Great night...

Boo wanted a "silly" face :0)

PIGEON FORGE

While in Pigeon Forge (TN) weekend before last, we spent a day at Dollywood with YiaYia and Popo.  Pigeon Forge itself is a fun town; there's quite a bit to do...but a day at Dollywood should be done at least once.  They had several rides that Bailey enjoyed and a few tempting roller coasters for Tom (however I steered him the other way as three back surgeries is enough).  While I'm not sure if we'll spend the money to go to Dollywood next time we visit the area, I can tell you that their Bald Eagle exhibit is awesome.  Being from Washington state, I am fortunate in that I've had the opportunity to watch these beautiful birds up close during their migration but for those of you who have not had that chance, the exhibit really shouldn't be missed.

Dollywood taking a piece of Disney with the "Dumbo" ride...

She's trying to play it cool but...not her favorite ride.

Hmm...these fingers are good!

Figuring out how to stick his fingers IN his ears :0)

How a mama duck tucks 13 (yes 13!) baby ducks in for a nap...

THE GRADUATE...

Last night, our sweet girl graduated from Kindergarten.  For the past three years, Bailey has been apart of the preschool program at First Baptist Church of Mableton (FBCM).  I cannot begin to tell you just how much we loved it there.  Each teacher was wonderful. Bailey learned a lot, not just about her ABC's and 123's...but more importantly, about Jesus.  This last year was no exception.  Her teacher, Mrs. Lana, was such a blessing. When Boo was in nursery school (her first year), I would often bring my laptop and work in their "cafe" area.  I loved it as it allowed me to be close to Bailey and peak in from time to time (I could see through a window where she could not see me); this was important to me those first few months that she was in school (note that SHE did absolutely fine...it was Mommy who had the tough time).  I would be working and Mrs. Lana would walk by with her students; even then I loved her.  She was always so kind with her kids, but you could also tell that she made sure that rules were understood.  I prayed then, that she would still be there when Bailey got to Kindergarten.

The ceremony was a killer.  Each year I've cried when the graduating class walked across the stage (sad, I know) and this year (as you can imagine) I was a mess.  Tried hard not to sob, but couldn't do much about the tears.  There she was, the little baby that I had begged God for, the little baby whose tiny sweet lips I would kiss, whose little hand (still) fits into mine, whose favorite thing to do is to spend time with me...there she was walking across the stage.  Man, it was tough.  I know that this is only kindergarten, but I could see the future and it's coming so fast.  I can see her asking to use the phone to call friends, I can see her wanting to wear make-up and learning to drive a car, I can see her graduating from high school and then college...and I can see her walking down the isle.  So, I cried.  I finally got it together, and then they sang the schools "goodbye" song (it's a song where the students sing about the fun they've had at FBCM and that it's now time for them to move-on)....yep, lost it again. Of course, it didn't help that a friend from church whose son was in Bailey's class (he's the blond boy singing next to Bailey below) was sobbing behind me....:0)

Extra special part of this evening, was that my parents were able to visit.  Bailey adores her YiaYia and Popo.  Her relationship with them is so special and that is such a blessing considering that they live in Washington state and don't get to see her often.  Another blessing is that Brandon seems to be following her in that...he too adores them.

Congratulations baby girl.  We are so, so incredibly proud of you and truly could not love you more.

Teacher, Mrs. Lana.  We LOVE her.

Director of the school, Mrs. Becky.  She is wonderful.

Unfortunately, Boo's face was pretty well hidden here (she's at the top)

Singing the school's "goodbye" song.  Killed me.

 

YiaYia and Popo

Special gift from YiaYia and Popo

Our big girl...

With her school friend, Avery.

First day at FBCM (August 2010) ...my sweet baby girl!

School picture

Hopefully you can double click on this one...
I LOVE Bailey's expression :0)

18 MONTHS...

Brandon turned 18 months on Sunday; my folks are in town and we were in Pigeon Forge, TN for a quick weekend trip.  While there, our little man took his first trip to the pool (okay..."technically" not his first trip as I did dunk him once last year...but this was the first trip where he really knew what water was :0).  Now, let me clarify and say that Brandon loves to play in his bathtub but...so did Boo however, she HATED her first pool experience.  Brandon?  LOVED it.  He loved, loved the pool.  No fear what-so-ever.  We're definitely signing this little man up for swim lessons :0)

Happy year and a half sweet boy.  You can slow down anytime now...time is going much too quickly for this mama and you are growing much, much too fast.

FIREMAN...NURSE...AND A MOMMY...

I can remember my preschool.  Not everything about it, but bits and pieces.  I remember that we had a play area that looked like a house and there was a live rabbit in a cage (he may have only been there for one day...tough to say :0).  I remember that we had nap time and you had to lay down; if you lay there quietly or actually fell asleep, then the teacher would put a sticker on your hand.  I remember blue smiley face stickers. I remember playing outside with friends and I remember the teacher asking us what we wanted to be when we grew up.  The boys all said they wanted to a be a fireman, the girls followed the first girl (I'm guessing) and said they wanted to be a nurse....except for me.  I remember, I said that I wanted to be "a mommy".

I am blessed....

Blessed...but not lucky when it comes to getting my little man to
actual look at the camera (when the timer is on).  I tried this
photo a few weeks back...3x .  As you can see, he wanted no part of it :0)

PAINTED FIREPLACE...

After living in our home for almost 10 years, I finally decided that I couldn't take the ugly brick fireplace in our living room anymore...so I painted it.  I knew that painting a brick fireplace would be time consuming but goodness, this took quite a while!  Even after priming it, the paint still soaked in pretty easy and there were so many nooks and crannies that I went through two (cheap) paint brushes filling everything in.  While I was at it, I also painted the walls, ceiling and part of the wood trim (which required two tubs of caulk because the wood trim was hung improperly and the previous owners were VERY messy painters).   This job also called for several late nights/early mornings so that my "little helpers", weren't tempted to "help" :0)

We don't get a lot of light in this particular room and my hope was that the paint would brighten things up.   Take a look at the pictures below, I think you'll agree... success!

Part of me would like to paint the remaining wood trim and wood doors but gotta tell ya... for the time and energy it would require, I'm just not that patient!!  Plus, the other part of me likes the wood beams as they are.  The room feels brighter, but still cozy :0)

I had already removed the white curtains then thought...
"I should take a 'before' picture"  :0)

Trim and fireplace primed (thank God for repeats of 7th Heaven...
I think I listened to 6 or 7 episodes while doing this room!)

Walls were a light yellow and ceiling a deep yellow...now the walls
are a soft cream/antique white and the ceilings a bright white.

May be hard to tell in this photo, but the fireplace is now a very
light beige/coffee.

BYE BYE DADA...

When Tom goes to work, if Brandon's awake he loves to watch him leave.  He'll run to the window after saying goodbye to him in the house and stand up on his little tip-toes and reach to put his chin up on the windowsill.  It's so SUPER cute!  Love it!  As daddy is driving away, often times he'll reach his sweet chubby little hand up and wave while saying "bye bye dada".  Melts me.  Then I'll pick him up and we'll pray over daddy's day and he'll strain his little head (and eyes) to watch Tom's car for as long as he can see it. Gotta love this little man's heart... It's a heart that he gets from his big sister as sissy does the same thing. This particular day she was already at school but when she's home, she'll stand at the window, wave to Tom and watch him drive off.  Then, if I don't start praying fast enough for her, she'll say "aren't you going to pray??".  Yes baby girl. For daddy, for you, for brother....all day long :0)

RITE OF PASSAGE...

At Bailey's school, the kindergartners have a neat tradition...at the end of the school year, right before graduation, they're given the opportunity to put their hand prints up on the wall.  It's an awesome tradition...going on for so long that the first class to do it, is now in college! 

Boo was brave and crawled right up on the scaffold, chose her hand color and held still while her hands were painted and then pressed up on the wall.  She did great and Mommy managed to hold back the tears.  Can't say I'll have the same luck in a few weeks when she dons the cap and gown and walks across the stage....ah, tearing up already!

Super proud of you big girl!

 

DRIVING...

A couple of weeks back I was shopping at Publix and thought I'd give Brandon his first try at "driving" :0)  He LOVED using the special car buggy!  Boo insisted on getting in too, which was both cute and funny as her long legs barely fit in the cart :0)

I took these pics with my cell phone.  The middle pic may be hard to see, but if you look closely I took it because Brandon had one hand on the wheel and the other hand was holding onto his sissy's leg which I thought was sooo cute!  The last pic shows our little man not wanting to get out of the buggy.  I had to take Bailey back to the car, get her (and the groceries) out of the cart and then take the cart to the cart area before I tried to take Brandon out of the buggy...even then, he was less than thrilled to go.  I think he would have been fine had I walked away and left him "driving" the cart :0)

Last night, Bailey was at church so I ran to Publix for a quick trip; we got lucky (they only have one cart like this) and got the car buggy.  Our little man was hilarious!  He was driving both steering wheels, waving to people and saying "hi" and then, every once in a while, he would reach back and grab some cheerios from me :0)  Heck, who needs Disney this year?!