Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas Fun


The Bean's house after the collapse of the roof

Bubs house (all work done by Mama)


The Bean's house before the collapse of the roof



Bubs playing happily












The one shot of Bubs at the table


Our friends over at The Robertson Reporter invited us over a couple of weeks b/f Christmas to make gingerbread (or in our case, graham cracker) houses. The Bean had a ton of fun, and she actually didn't eat any candy while making the houses. She only started asking for candy after we ate lunch. For those of you who know about the Bean's obsession w/ candy, that's pretty shocking. :) Bubs was not at all interested in making the houses or eating the candy. He sat at the table for all of about 30 seconds before spending the remaining 2 hours at the train table in the playroom. Hey, he was playing quietly for 2 hours, so I was happy! We had a great time playing with our friends and had a couple of masterpieces to take home. (The masterpieces were eaten by the end of that week.)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas!


We are not sending out a Christmas card this year, but we want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! May the joy of Christ fill your hearts this week. I've been listening to the Steven Curtis Chapman Christmas CD a lot this month, and there's a line from "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" that has really resonated w/ me this season..."O come thou Dayspring, come and cheer." How blessed we are that we can hope in Christ. When I think about the Old Testament saints that hoped FOR Christ before His advent, I am so thankful that we KNOW that Christ was born a baby, lived a perfect life and died for our sins on the cross so that we could be forgiven. We have more than God's promise to send a Saviour...we have the Saviour Himself. What rest & cheer there is in that knowledge. So, that's my little Christmas thought for this season. And now to sum up (I stole this from my friend Amy...)...


Christmas...A Promise Kept.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

18 (uhhh...19) months!!




I can't believe Bubs is already 18 (uhhh...almost 19) months! He was just a few days over one year when we moved in our new house, and we've been so busy getting settled that it feels like I've missed the last 6 months watching him change and grow! He's starting to act more like a little boy now instead of a baby. He is walking up and down the stairs almost all by himself now (he can walk up all by himself, but he's a little more cautious about going down the stairs...he likes to hold Mama's hand when he goes downstairs...probably has something to do w/ bad memories of falling down the basement stairs when the Bean tried to "help" him walk down the stairs). Gone are the days of the highchair or booster seat. He'll have none of it. Only a big boy chair for Bubs. He is still the better eater of the two, usually out-eating the Bean. Although sometimes he stuffs his mouth so full that he can't finish chewing it all. Eventually he'll get tired of chewing and just spit it out and start over on another bite. He'll do this whether you cut something up or not. :) He is saying several words pretty clearly now...Mama, Dada, Na-na (what he calls the Bean), ball, up, no-no, tar (car), woof-woof, and bye-bye. He will attempt a few other words and names, but they are not very recognizable. He is super busy and from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed, he is running around everywhere and into everything. You literally have to watch him all the time, or calamity will occur. (Maybe that's a boy thing? The Bean has always played so quietly by herself.) He has swished his hands and various items in toilet water many times, knocked over many drinks/food, climbed up on tables, counters, and anywhere else he can reach, played with Vaseline, DVD's, Mama's jewelry, and miscellaneous and sundry other no-no things, and broken one of our kitchen drawers and one of my closet shelves. He is very stubborn and does not mind getting spankings. He'd much rather sneak around and try to get away with something and just risk getting a spanking. And he's tough as nails. He rarely cries when he falls down. He'll wrestle with Daddy and tackle Daddy and loves it. But he's also so loving and affectionate. He freely gives kisses and hugs (even to random people...the nursery workers at church have told me he's quite affectionate toward the other kids in his nursery room sometimes).

He dropped his morning nap around 14 or 15 months, so we're down to one nap, which is a nice schedule to have. He loves being outside and does not like being corralled, whether it's a stroller, shopping cart, or highchair. He wants to be wild and free (just like his hair, incidentally). He has really gotten into books in the last couple of months, and he is always bringing books to me and plopping down on my lap, which is really fun, and about the only time he's still unless he's sleeping. :) His favorite toys are still anything with wheels. He's starting to be a little helper sometimes, cleaning up some of his messes and taking things to the trash for Mommy. He has 8 teeth in the front now (4 top and 4 bottom) and his 4 one-year molars. And he weathers the whole teething thing like a champ. I never know he's getting a new tooth until I can see it or feel it. He loves his Da-da. He gets so excited when Daddy comes home. As soon as he hears the garage door open, his face will light up and he'll say "Da-da!" and run as fast as he can toward the basement. And he loves his sister too. If he's up, then he thinks "Na-na" should be up too. The first thing he does in the morning is run to her room. (This is unfortunate since he always wakes up first.)


It will be exciting to see what kind of man Bubs becomes. We pray that the Lord will grab hold of his heart at an early age, and that the Lord will use Bubs' tenacity and passion for His glory. We love you, Baby Bubs!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Thanksgiving







Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone! We had a great Thanksgiving day w/ my extended family and then spent the weekend at my parent's house to watch the big game. We had Thanksgiving lunch at my uncle's house, and Bubs and the Bean had a great time playing w/ their cousins. The meal was delicious (as always...I've never had a Thanksgiving meal I didn't like). We had the traditional holiday spread - turkey and ham, dressing, green bean casserole, homemade mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, a few vegetables, and for the big finish, sweet potato pie, butterscotch apple cake, and this delicious cookie dough cheesecake dessert that my sister-in-law makes. Can one meal get any better??? We have so many things to be thankful for. (I know...I ended that sentence in a preposition.) I was too busy eating and socializing to take many pictures, but here are a few...









Monday, November 9, 2009

Coupon high!!

I am on a coupon high right now and wanted to post my grocery victory. Maybe nobody cares but me, but I am pretty excited about it!! I have been trying to use coupons in conjuction w/ sales at Publix now for 2 weeks, and today I spent $101.66, and saved $125.80!! Saved more than I spent!! How fun is that?? And all stuff I'll use...not random weird stuff! The deal of the day: free Tylenol! Actually I made a penny on the Tylenol, to be exact. It was on sale for $3.99, there was a $3 off Publix coupon, and I had a $1 off manufacturer's coupon. Nice! I've been using www.southernsavers.com to map my shopping plan, if any of you want to try it. It's kind of addicting!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Need a Stocking Stuffer?

Here's a good deal I ran across on one of the feeds I subscribe to...a Veggietales DVD delivered to your door for $2.99!! There are 3 different DVD's to choose from. Just subscribe to their email newsletter, and and they'll send you a free DVD. You just pay for shipping and handling. The link below is to the al.com feed I subscribe to. I used that link b/c if you live in my area, it's full of great deals. Happy Shopping!
http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom/2009/11/veggie_tales_by_big_idea_get_a.html

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!




The Bean's hair was PERFECT for an Indian costume!




I thought RR really pulled off the cowboy look!




We had a blast tonight at a friends b'day/family costume party! Those of you who know RR well know that he is not too keen on dressing up in costume. But he was a total trooper and decided to participate anyway. His only caveat was that we not spend a lot of money and try to use what we had. So I started off with RR and I's outfits...and came up w/ cowboys. Jeans and a plaid shirt for the basic look...and being in the deep South, we could probably borrow boots and a hat (which is exactly what we did). For the kids to coordinate, I decided on Indians, since I had some scrap brown suede fabric. After buying some fringe and a few embellishments, and doing a little sewing, we had two little Indian costumes! The Bean was SO excited about dressing up in her Indian costume. Bubs liked his too, except for his headband, and he cried every time I tried to put it on him. We were even runners-up in the costume contest at the party. (There was some tough competition there!) And we all had so much fun at the party! The Bean and Bubs played so hard they didn't even eat dinner (though the Bean made time for a chocolate chip cookie and a juice box), and we all went trick-or-treating afterward. Bubs picked up on the whole go-up-to-the-stranger's-door-and-you-get-candy thing fairly quickly, so between he and the Bean, we brought home a sizable bag of candy. Happy Halloween everyone!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Is it really Fall??


"Whew!! That's cold!"
(*Note that he is holding it by the popsicle itself and not the stick. He held it that way the whole time!)

Today the Bean asked for a popsicle. Is it really Fall? Bubs had to join in too and have his first ever popsicle. Seriously folks, it's 80 degrees outside! And it's practically November!

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Pumpkin Patch




Chillin' with her good friend, Jackson...


Running around...his favorite thing to do!


Searching for the right pumpkin...



We went to the Pumpkin Patch for the first time ever this past weekend, and we had a blast! We tried most of the activities there, including the hayride and pumpkin of course, the inflatable park, the pony ride, and the "Twactor Twain". We went with a couple of other families from our Sunday School class, and I think we all had a great time even though it was quite chilly outside. I think Bubs favorite thing was either the hayride or running around outside. The Twactor Twain was a little bumpy for his tastes, I think. The Bean like the inflatable park the best. It was such a fun family day...hopefully we'll get to do this every year!

He's gettin' so big!!


All done, Mom!!










Where did my baby go?? Bubs is 17 months now, and he wants to be a big kid like his sister. If the Bean colors, he wants to color. If the Bean gets to sit in a big girl chair, then Bubs wants nothing to do with his booster seat! If the Bean doesn't wear a bib, then Bubs doesn't want one either...you get the picture. His latest thing is to sing the "Hot Dog" song. If any of you watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse then you know the song. We've only watched it a few times, but man, that Hot Dog song is catchy!! So we like to sing it. Basically Bubs just sings "dot dog dot dog dot dog" over and over...quite heartily, might I add. He is climbing on everything and getting up and down the stairs quite well. Here are a few pics of Bubs trying to be a big kid like his sister, along with just some generally cute pics...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Backpacks





Bubs LOVES to wear his backpack. If I ever put it down for a minute, he grabs it and comes running over for me to put it in him. The Bean has two backpacks now since she got a new one for her b'day, and today Bubs wanted to wear all 3 backpacks. I'm surprised he wasn't falling over! It's fine w/ me that he likes to wear it...less for me to carry!!

Monday, October 5, 2009

What happens when your husband gets the kids ready for church...

The other outfit RR offered to the Bean...very tempting! Cute and comfy!
The outfit Bubs was supposed to wear to church...

What the Bean chose to wear to church...exactly what I'd laid out for her! Good girl!





What Bubs end up wearing to church...his jammies shirt, cargo khaki shorts, and his Teva sandals.

I just recently rejoined the praise team at our church after a 3 year hiatus of having babies, being pregnant, nursing, etc. When we sing we have to be at church early, which leaves RR w/ the responsibility of getting the kiddos ready for church. This past Sunday was my first Sunday back on the praise team, so it was RR's first time (that I can remember) to get both the kids ready to go anywhere really, much less in church clothes and all. Of course I wanted to make it as easy as possible on him, so I laid out their clothes, shoes, socks, hairbow, combs, diaper bags, the whole 9 yards, the night before. So I got up and left Sunday morning, and RR arrived about mid-way through the early service. He had been planning on coming to SS and the late service, so I was really impressed! I actually turned to him and asked, "Are the kids here or did you leave them at home?!?!" After the service, he told me the "story" of the morning. He had taken one look at the outfit I'd laid out for Bubs (a button-up shirt and smocked overalls; shoes and socks were optional) and decided it was too complicated. I think RR used the phrase "like 100 buttons" to describe the outfit (there are 9 buttons, just for the record). So he just left Bub's jammies shirt (yes, jammies) on him and added the first thing he saw in Bubs drawer that matched...khaki cargo shorts. And to complete the outfit, Bub's Teva sandals. When RR brought Bubs into the Bean's room, the Bean said, "Daddy, why is Bubs in his day clothes and not his church clothes?" So as not to leave her out, RR gave the Bean a choice between the church clothes I'd laid out for her and "day clothes." And the Bean chose her church clothes - that's my girl! So she looked pretty good, except for a couple of small things. RR decided her hair was way too tangled to try to comb (it WAS very tangled), and instead of her church shoes, he put on her regular socks and Keds (not that big a deal). Also, he pulled her socks all the way up to her knees (in his defense, this is the way Bubs usually wears his church socks). But by the time they got to church, the Bean had folded her socks "the way Mama does." For breakfast, the Bean had chips (yes, chips), and Bubs had animal crackers and 1/2 a granola bar. Both of them ate their breakfast at the church. Once they got to the church, RR dropped Bubs off first. And then he couldn't find the Bean's room (again in his defense, they've just promoted to new rooms about a month ago). He finally had to go ask somebody at the nursery desk where the Bean's room was! Anyway, to make a long story short, RR did things a little differently than I might have, but the kids were both clothed and fed and present. And we were both dying laughing about the whole thing. Not bad for his first time!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Anybody want a free baby gift??


Sorry this is sideways...I was too lazy to change it!




This is so random, but I have a baby gift that I need to give away. Most of you know that I have an embroidery machine for monogramming & applique. Well, I did an adorable baby gift for a friend the other day and was SURE that the name she had picked started with an E. And I was wrong. :) It was an M. So, I have a baby gift with an E on it, and I want it to go to a good home. :) I know, you say, "Just wait - somebody will come along w/ a baby girl w/ an E name, and then you can use the gift." This may be true, but I am impatient and would rather just give it away! So my loss may be your gain. If nobody knows anyone who needs it, then I'll probably sell it on Ebay or Craigslist. To avoid confusion, the pics on this post show the M gift, but it's the E gift that I'm giving away. It's the exact same gift, except with an E instead of an M, and on the outside of the flower I used pink thread instead of brown. The gift includes a onesie, bib w/ velcro closure, and sippy cup w/ pink top and monogrammed fabric insert (which you can change out). The onesie is a 3-6 months, but in my opinion those run a little small, so I was planning on it fitting like a 0-3 months size. The fabric used for the applique is a pink, brown, and white gingham tri-check. Let me know if you can use it, and it's yours!!

Friday, September 18, 2009

First Day of "School"


Not that you'll zoom in on this one, but Bubs has a distressed "I-see-Mama-and-she's-not-picking-me-up" kind of look on his face.

Both Bubs and the Bean are in both Mother's Day Out this year, which is SO nice! They are both doing one day a week, and they both love it. Bubs cried a little on his first day, and as you can see from the pic, I tried to go back and take a "first day" pic very inconspicuously. It didn't work. The Bean had no problems leaving Mama as usual. Mama has no problem leaving the Bean and Bubs either. :) The Bean's class is learning Psalm 100 this year, and so far she's got "Make a joyful noise" down pat! They learn; they have fun; I'm happy; they're happy. Ahhh...I love Mother's Day Out!!

Veggie Tales
















Ha ha - so the title is kind of a joke, since this is a post about veggies. A Tale about Veggies...get it? (I think I've had too much coffee this morning...forgive the dumb joke!!) We don't eat broccoli much at our house b/c RR doesn't like it. But he has given me the green light (no pun intended - ha,ha) to serve broccoli every now and then so that the kids will eat it. (I like it too, just for the record.) So I made chicken and rice the other night and steamed some broccoli to go along w/ it. No cheese sauce, just plain steamed broccoli with a little salt and lemon pepper seasoning. When I told the Bean what we were having for dinner, she immediately said, "I don't like broccoli." I said, "Have you ever tried it?" (Which she had, but it had been a while.) So she tried it. And boy did she like it!! She kept on asking for more and more and more. I had made one large bunch of broccoli, thinking that I needed to go ahead and use it up b/f it went bad, but never thinking that we'd actually eat it all. But we did! The Bean only ate about two bites of her chicken and rice (a kid favorite, right?) and ate probably 1/3 to 1/2 of that large bunch of broccoli, and Bubs ate his weight in it as well! His little mouth was covered in bits of broccoli after dinner was over. So maybe I'll make broccoli a more regular part of our menu from now on!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Pics from my nephew's b'day party







Last weekend we went to my nephew's b'day party...he's only 2 weeks younger than the Bean! He had a train theme...we played at a park in their hometown that has a train, so all the kids got to ride the train and play at the park too. We had hot dogs and a train cake, and fun was had by all! Bubs had a really good time. He basically stomped around in the mud for 2 hours. Fun times! We love you, Evan! Happy Birthday!!