Playing Catch Up....December Edition

There's a lot been going on around here as we prepare for Christmas.

We set up our new Nativity Scene, and a certain young girl has rearranged a few times....

We call this "Joseph forgets Jesus and Mary and is hitting on the angel."

 And "group huddle around Jesus."

"A Few Extra Visitors to the Manger"

The girls fixed up daddy's hair with pretty bows :)

Bailey helped me bake some holiday goodies. Her official job was "bowl cleaner."

She also decided to wrap some presents for kids whose "mama's don't haves any money."  A really sweet idea....except that she used her little sister's toys for the gifts.

Dain and I got dressed up AND made it out of the house without the kids.  I think our favorite part was the uninterrupted nights sleep and the quiet breakfast that followed....

Thanks to my mom and dad for making our night out possible!!

Miss Shay has been a bit under the weather, but you're never too sick to make a fashion statement in boots and a diaper.

Above all, we believe it's going to be a magical Christmas!

Family Photos

This was our first "real" family photo since 2006 :) 

Ya, go ahead and do the math on that one.....Kale was 10 months old......we were a family of three.....and our house was significantly quieter.  Despite having the odds against us (a toddler in need of a nap, a spirited middle child, and a six-year-old who wanted to be home watching the Chiefs), the photographer managed to get several great shots.  God bless her and her patience with us :)

I'm holding my favorite photo back....but don't worry, Christmas cards are just a month away, so you'll get to see our real glamour shot then ;)

 

*All photos courtesy of AG Photography of Lawrence

'Tis the Season To Be......Scary!

(Which means the season to be merry is just around the corner...yea!)

Here's the highlights from our Halloween....

1. Pumpkin carving.  I'd show you a picture of my sophisticated jack-o-lantern faces, but I don't want to make anyone feel bad.  Just kidding.  As previously noted in past Halloween blog posts, I'm a terrible pumpkin carver :)

2.  Getting ready to leave the house.  This year we had a princess, another princess (light-up Cinderella to be exact), and Justin Bieber. 

3.  Trick or Treating.  The kids got a lot of candy, and Dain and I have already cleaned out all of the Heath bars, Milk Duds, and Snickers we could find ;)

And just for fun.....a few of my favorite Halloween photos from years past:

Seeds of Happiness

One of my colleagues posted the following quote on facebook the other night:

“You have both seeds of happiness and unhappiness in you, planted by your parents, your ancestors, or your friends.  When seeds of happiness manifest themselves, you feel quite happy. But when seeds of sorrow, anger, and hatred manifest, you feel very unhappy. The quality of our life depends on what seeds we water in our consciousness…”Every time we walk with calm and ease, or we smile and release the tension in us, we are planting seeds that will strengthen our happiness. With each happy step, we plant a happy seed."
- Thich Nhat Hanh -

I'm so grateful for my sweet little girl, who reminds me to slow down, smile, and laugh....to be a seed of happiness.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

I'm not sure if you can tell, but it was so dusty--we were all covered with a layer of grime before we left.  On the bright side, it makes us all appear a little more tan than we really are ;)

Miss Shay was happy as could be perched on top of Dain's shoulders.  Our major achievement following the trip to pumpkin patch has been teaching her to rub her (slightly round) belly and say "pump-in." 

After MUCH deliberation and MANY suggestions from others, Bailey picked a very small, whitish/green one that she calls her "cucumber pumpkin."  Kale's response was, "You can't even carve it!" But really, that's such a Bailey thing to pick a totally random pumpkin, and it makes me smile every time I pull up to the house.

Random Facts

• Bailey's favorite songs to sing these days are "Moves Like Jagger," "Oh, Can You Count the Puppies That Play in the Grass," and "Mean" by Taylor Swift.  We're trying to diversify our children's music exposure ;)

• Shay also loves singing but it's a bit like playing "name-that-tune." However, if you listen really closely you can generally tell what song she is belting out. 
• I have both girls on video singing the above mentioned songs....but it takes a gazillion years to get those things to upload, so you'll have to keep waiting to see 'em :)

• Kale won his game last weekend, and even though he wasn't feeling 100% he managed to eek out two touchdowns. 
• I also finally managed to get him on video scoring, but you know my patience level with uploading those things........
• Later that night he asked us why some kids get to take breaks and sit on the sidelines for a while, but he never does.  We told him to take it as a complement that they need him on the field.  He said, "Well, it's still not very fair."
• Four out of five of us are on antibiotics for strep throat.  I have a a really fancy-dancy hand drawn chart to help us keep us on track, but I'm in the market for a free personal assistant to take over the job if there are any takers.....

• The other night I went to lay down on my bed and felt a crunch....I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached under my pillow and found it was only  a pair of pom-poms.
• A while back Kale admitted that when we pray at church, he likes to ask God to send him a baby brother.  I told him that the man upstairs knows we're out of room for car seats, so he'd better start praying for something else.

• Earlier this month my brother brought some of his Baker players to visit my classroom.  After a little "lesson," he told my students they could ask the players questions.  The first kid asked, "What is 1000 divided by 65?"  The second asked, "Can you tell which is my lazy eye and which is my good eye?"  That pretty much sums up my third graders.
• Bailey decided on her Halloween costume and wasted no time calling Grandma Ballard to place her order (the girl has quickly figured out that when you have a big request it's best to go straight to a grandma): Anyhow, she requested butterfly princess costume with sparkly shoes that make you fly when you push a button.  I'm pretty sure Grandma's got the dress and wings, but I think she's still trying to work out the details on the shoes :)

Flag Football

There is an episode of the Cosby Show where Rudy (the youngest daughter) goes out for the football team (against her mother's wishes) and ends up dominating the first games, thus turning her mom into a crazed, my-kid's-the best, psycho person. 

Friends, I fear that I may be that woman.......:)

Like any other mom, I want my children to have fun....to try new things (especially new hard things)....and above all to be happy even if they are the most uncoordinated kid on the team.  But let's be honest.  When your kid runs the length of the field to score a touchdown on his first possession in his first football game.....it's kind of exciting.  And you can't help but think, "That's MY baby!!!"

The game (according to the scoreboard) did not turn out so well for the Cardinals.....there were some near fist-fights with the other team on the line, several fumbled balls and moments of total confusion, and you didn't hear this from me, but #28 may have been crying during the last three plays because some "mean guys on the other team grabbed him and threw him on his face" (poor kid). That being said, they managed to score 12 points against a more experienced team, Kale stiff-armed a kid on a long run that nearly resulted in a third touchdown, had many, many stops on defense (flag pulls, I guess) and you could see that all the work the team had put in during practices had paid off because those sweet boys hustled all over that field 'til the final whistle blew.

And even though the score didn't end in our favor, I think it's safe to say that I'm going to be one of those uber-proud sports moms....(you're not really surprised, are you?).

Go Cardinals!!

Goodbye Summer

The school year starting has been a little bitter sweet.  Even when I was a kid I was one of those people who loved heading back to school.  That being said, I'm already missing the slow mornings in pj's, relaxing at the pool with Kale, and laid back days filled with board games, tea parties, and cartoons.  Maybe I should start a countdown to winter break?! :)

One last look at our summer.....

Kale fishing with Grandpa and Dad.  Miss Bailey has a pink rod with matching sunglasses she's all ready to try out.

Cheering on the Royals

Shay celebrating the fact that her hair can (kinda) fit into a little ponytail!

Hanging out on (and below) the swing set.

We finally made it to Baltimore to visit Nate and Briana!

Our first time to see the sites in D.C.

At dinner to celebrate Nate's birthday

And just like that, the school year is in full swing.....

First Grade

Sporting his flag football gear

Happiness Is.......

 Stealing grandpa's spot on the couch and waiting for his "attack".......

 Making a "bed" that fills the whole living room......

Flying Superman style on daddy's arms.......

Sharing snacks with your cousin........

Cuddling with Mom.......

Enjoying summer with your family :)