11th Anniversary

Philip and I celebrated our 11th anniversary on November 28th. We were in Texarkana for the post-Thanksgiving weekend, so we took advantage of free babysitting by going to a couple of movies. Friday night we saw The Blind Side which was sooo very good! (as a sidenote so I'll remember this years down the road, I have to "journal" that when we got back to Philip's parents house around 11:00, Zane was awake and sitting in Papa's lap watching TV. I think he woke up and didn't know where he was and then mommy didn't come to the rescue so he got pretty upset!)

Back to the anniversary celebration...Saturday night we went out to eat, then to a few stores and finally to another movie, Old Dogs. In between one of the stores and the theatre, we spotted this nice ride... I was hoping Philip had rented it for our special evening, but decided that was probably out of the question once I noticed the flat tires!

We took this picture using the timer on my camera. Its not a very good picture of either one of us, but I'll be glad I have it when we're old! (and when we're old, I'll probably look back at it and think we looked REALLY good!)

Thanksgiving Goodness

Philip worked nights during Thanksgiving so we stayed home this year rather than traveling to one of our parents houses. I was kind of excited that it would just be the 6 of us together and that I would be preparing the whole meal by myself. It seems that we've always either gone somewhere for Thanksgiving or had my parents come and visit us (in which case my mom fixes the majority of the meal).

About 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I asked Philip, Eli and Emma Kate what they'd like to have for Thanksgiving dinner. Eli LOVES Thanksgiving dinner so his list was looooong. I had to finally cut him off. Other than whether to have turkey or ham, the menu making was pretty simple. Here is what we decided on:

• ham
• corn
• mashed potatoes
• dutch green beans
• deviled eggs
• rolls
• milk cake
• banana pudding

Thursday morning I started off by making the desserts. I had the banana pudding all ready to start layering in a glass bowl when I realized I hadn't seen my trifle since we moved here. Philip was home from work by this time, but he was asleep, so going to the attic to look for it wasn't really an option (couldn't leave Zane and Zander in the house without adult supervision...cause who knows how long I could've stayed in the attic looking for that bowl). So I started looking in the kitchen cabinets to see what I could find. Nothing. Next I looked in the living room. Do you see anything that I could've used?

Look at the top center of the above picture. A hurricane glass. After a good ole washing out with hot water and soap, it was ready. I think it turned out very well if I do say so myself....

Of course not a single member of my family commented on its beautiful presentation. Should've just kept it in the white plastic bowl that I used to mix it.

One of my kids favorite things to do is scrape up the leftovers in the bowl of whatever dessert I'm making. Zane and Zander got to get in on the action for the first time....

They liked it.

Until it was all gone.

While I was cooking, the kids played so well. Eli and Emma Kate got out a weaving loom kit she has and made a creation.

Zane and Zander played peek-a-boo by standing on either side of this door and looking through the glass at each other....

Philip woke up in the early afternoon and finally around 4:30, all the food was ready....

As is tradtion, we each said one thing that we are most thankful for this year. Those things are:

• Emma Kate "money to buy clothes to wear and food to eat"
• Eli "parents that take care of me"
• Philip "having a job"
• Me "that all 6 of us are so healthy"

The food all turned out to be so yummy but we had way too much! An 8lb. half-ham is about 7lbs too much for our family of 6!!

Overall, it was a great day enjoyed by everyone.... including one little boy who LOVED the deviled eggs. (he ate three!)

Headbands and Hats

I have mentioned before that Zaney likes to pilfer. Drawers and cabinets are his favorites! In my bathroom, there is a drawer of hair stuff for Emma Kate....rollers for gymnastics meets, headbands, etc... She hardly ever wears any of the headbands because they hurt her head. So I have no idea how he even knows what a headband is for. But he does....

He wanted Zander to wear one too, so he brought this pink one for him. You can tell that Zander has no idea what he's supposed to do with it....


I showed Zander where it went and it made Zaney so happy that they both had one on. Zander doesn't seem quite as excited....

The other title of this post is about hats. I bought the little boys some of those cute hats with a pom-pon on the top and a velcro strap under the chin. I was thinking the velcro strap would be needed so they wouldn't be able to take them off. Well that has turned out to certainly not be a problem for Zander. HE LOVES THAT HAT!! Yesterday he kept it on the entire time at Emma Kate's gymnastics meet and today he is wearing it around the house....

Those big cheeks and big brown eyes all tucked up in that hat just makes me want to kiss him all over his cute face!

When I went to buy them, the store didn't have 2 in the same size (which seems to happen more often than not), so I had to get one hat in the next size up. I've been putting Zander in the bigger hat since he seems to have a bigger head. Sometimes it falls down over his eyes as is the case in the picture below. Once again, I can't keep from smiling as I look at him and he's lifting his chin up to try and see with the hat in his eyes....

Mock Meet

Gymnastics meet season is quickly approaching! From the first of December through the end of March, she will be competing 2 or 3 weekends each month. In order to prepare for those meets, her gym held a mock meet today. Real gymnastics judges were brought in to give the girls and their coaches an idea as to what areas the girls need to work on.

Emma Kate was SO excited last night! At 6:45 she asked if she could go to bed yet, because the sooner she went to bed the sooner she could get up and go to Mock Meet.

Because USGA guidelines require a girl to be 7 years old to compete at Level 5, Emma Kate has to compete as a Level 4 until her birthday (which is in January). She competed at Level 4 last year after her birthday (because a girl has to be 6yrs old to compete at Level 4).

She was very comfortable with her floor, vault and beam routines. And just like last year, still struggled with bars. The picture shows a piece of paper I found where she had written her scores down after we got home. Those are the correct scores she got on each event. Last year she hardly ever paid attention to her scores, so its kinda funny that she is already so focused on them this year.

I love the positive affirmation she gave herself by writing "great Job! Emma Kate."

Let the Decorating begin

Since we are going to be gone the weekend after Thanksgiving, we have started a very slow process of decorating for Christmas. The plan was for me to decorate an hour or so each night after Zane and Zander went to bed. My kind, loving, sweet, accomodating husband (can you tell he wasn't happy about the early decorations?) got down two of our trees and set them up for me. Here is the big tree that I'm trying in a new location this year (the breakfast room....so yes that is a chandelier you see to the left of the tree!)

Zane and Zander woke up the next morning and I showed them the trees all lit up (still with no decorations though). They quickly learned to say "tree."

I guess Zane thought the big tree would look better with something on it. Here is what I found in it later in the day....

Pointing to show me what he did!....

I know this one is blurry but he was so happy to show me his decorations....

Last night after Zane and Zander went to bed, me and the other 2 kiddos decorated the much smaller tree. I am using it this year as a "family tree." Putting all the kids ornaments on it. I let Eli and Emma Kate put ALL the ornaments on wherever they wanted. My only rule was that all the breakables had to be out-of-reach for 4 little 18month old hands!

Here is the almost-finished product. I have to find something for the top of the tree and also try to keep it from leaning. (see i could've made you think it was the camera's angle that makes the tree look like its leaning. But unfortunately its not.) ....

I was very curious to see what Zane and Zander would do to the ornaments when they woke up this morning and discovered them. Surprisingly they haven't tried to take one thing off yet.

However, little decorator Zaney was back at it this afternoon. This time putting cups and spoons on the tree....

Here's a close-up. The spoon is in the right corner behind the cup....

I do have a 6paneled gate to put around the big tree if needed to keep out the prying hands. We'll see what they do to it after I get it decorated!

School Pictures and More

You may remember that I posted a couple of weeks ago about picture day at school. Eli had some red sores under his nose and we're in the process of growing out Emma Kate's bangs....so I just wasn't sure how they'd turn out.

We got the pictures back this week and they weren't bad at all! For fun I've included their school picture from last year.

Eli's face is thinning out and getting longer....

2nd Grade 3rd gradeI can't believe the difference a year has made for Emma Kate. She almost looks like a different child....

Kindergarten 1st Grade

On a different topic, today was haircut day for Zane. I can't remember if this was haircut#5 or #6. (guess I should look back at previous blog posts to see.) He was loooooong overdue. His hair was over his ears, down his neck. Mrs. Trudi (who cuts his hair) even made a comment about the mullett he had going on! He did so so GREAT for her though! He smiled most of the time she was cutting his hair. I didn't take any pictures during the actual process but did get before and after....

And because I don't want to leave Zander boy out. His hair is growing and curling like crazy but Momma sees no need to cut it yet.....

18 months

Zane and Zander are now 18 months old... A few things they currently like to do are:

sit on the bathroom counter with Emma Kate in the mornings when I'm fixing her hair...

brush their teeth while I'm brushing my teeth....



and read a good book....

Monday Memories

A few things I want to remember....

~my sunglasses have been missing since last Sunday or Monday. I had searched both cars, my purse, every possible place I could think of and just couldn't find them. Saturday morning I was talking to someone in the driveway. Zane and Zander were outside playing with balls (which is where we spend A LOT of our time!). Zane walked into the garage to get another ball and came back out with my sunglasses in his hand.
Where were they? How did he find them? I have NO IDEA the answers to either of those questions. My best guess is the one who found them may have been the one who "hid" them to begin with!

~Zander is now tall enough to reach the clock/radio/sound machine that sits on a table beside our bed. I have caught him, more than once, pushing the buttons to make the time change. Apparently he knows how to do more than just change the time. This morning at 4:50am our alarm went off!! I don't know how he did it.
Philip was able to go back to sleep, but not me. I was trying to find the positive in the situation. Like this is a good opportunity to go running, but that didn't work. I just kept laying there flopping back and forth trying to go to sleep. Finally I gave up. Got out of bed and moved that clock to a higher place where toddler hands can't reach!

~Emma Kate and I went on a little store outing Saturday night. We enjoyed walking around looking at all the Christmas decorations. As we were getting in the car to leave,

she said,"Oh darn. I forgot to be good this year."

I said "what?"

She said "you know, for Christmas."

I said, "oh, you don't think you've been very good?"

She said, "well at least I still have 47 days left."

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Zane and Zander were Thing 1 and Thing 2 for Halloween.

When we lived in Florida, we visited SeussLand at Universal Studios when Eli and Emma Kate were 4 and 2 years old. At that time, we bought them Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts. I had saved those (thinking I might someday have twins....NOT!!!), so the boys were able to wear them. With my mother-in-laws help, we made them blue wigs. The costumes were so easy to put together and drew LOTS of attention.

Unfortunately, the picture taking didn't go over as well. Thing 2 was unhappy most of the whole evening. (nothing to do with the costume, but not really sure what was wrong with him)
These are the 2 best pictures I have of them together....

Eli wanted to dress up as Cat in the Hat to go along with Thing 1 and Thing 2. You can see that Thing 2 was busy with the Blackberry during this picture....

Thing 1 was happy the entire night. He's so sweet and easygoing....

Thing 2's face in the picture below says it all.... (notice he still has the Blackberry in his hand. The Blackberry and me holding him were the only ways I could keep him from crying)


We trick-or-treated at quite a few houses before heading back to our house to hand out goodies. Thing 2 finally got happy when we were sitting outside watching everyone go by. Still yet though, another failed picture. This time Thing 1 is looking away. (I'm sure he was smiling though.)

"Lose Your 1st Tooth Month"

Eli lost his first tooth in November of his Kindergarten year. Emma Kate is in 1st grade and has been waiting patiently (and sometimes not patiently) to lose a tooth. It finally happened yesterday on November 1st! So I told them that November must be "Lose Your 1st Tooth Month" in our house. (Philip tried to tell them that he lost his 1st tooth in November too. They didn't believe him!)

We had noticed it being wiggly for a couple of weeks. Yesterday morning she came to me while I was in the shower (there is not a single area in the house where I can be alone), and asked me to feel it. It was pretty wiggly. I told her to keep wiggling it the rest of the day and I would check on it before bed. (In case you don't know, I get a secret little thrill out of pulling my children's teeth. Heck, for that matter, I just like pulling teeth. Doesn't even have to be my own kids. I pulled my friend Lori's daughters 1st tooth last week while we were in the car!)

Anyway, back to Emma Kate....yesterday afternoon we were playing outside. She said she was cold and wanted to go inside to change. When she came back outside she said, "Mom I just pulled my tooth." I couldn't believe it. No tears. No drama. Just very matter of fact as if this happens all the time. This is definitely different than it was with Eli's teeth.

She put it under her pillow last night. This morning she was so excited to show me a $2 bill.

The tooth fairy usually leaves Eli $2 for his teeth as well, so she wasn't surprised about that. However, she was surprised to see purple sparkly glitter all over the money....

Emma Kate thought that was so neat! She liked it so much that she got out her glitter stuff and tried to make it even more sparkly!

No rest for the weary

One of my sweet baby boys has been exceptionally cranky the last 3 days. I am all he wants. No one else will do. Add to that he has had diarrhea for 8 days straight. I'm just worn out.

Tonight after we got the little ones in bed, I went to my own bed and crashed. Lights out. Just laying in the dark. I wasn't going to sleep but I probably looked sort of like this picture I found online.... I was thinking what I could do different so as not to be spread so thin. I feel like there just isn't enough of me to go around for all 5 members in my house that need me. As well as all the daily "stuff" that has to be done. Picking up, dirty dishes, never-ending laundry. I was also praying. Asking God for help. I need it.

Right smack dab in the middle of those thoughts, Eli came running naked into my room, turned on the light, took one look at me and said, "Mom, why are you laying down?"

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh because he was amazed that I would even consider laying down. Cry because I had been found and my few minutes of quiet solitude was over.

Costume Chameleons

Eli and Emma Kate could not decide what they wanted to be this year for Halloween. That is very frustrating for me. I always try to have their costumes in August.

Emma Kate actually decided last year after Halloween that she wanted to be Tinker Bell. In January she was still set on that, so when Philip and I traveled to Miama for the Gators National Championship, we stopped by Disney and bought her all the Tinker Bell stuff she would need.

Our first opportunity to dress up this year was on Wednesday before Halloween. Our cousin Cole was having a costume party at the Library. Emma Kate did wear the Tinker Bell costume that day. I wish I had known that would be the ONLY time she wore it. I would've gotten more pictures. This is all I have. She is running around playing a game. And had already taken off her Tinker bell wings and headpiece by this time.... Next opportunity to dress up was on Halloween night. She once again changed her mind. This time she was a gymnast. Eli went with his original thought of Cat in the Hat. (the baby boys were Thing 1 and Thing 2. I'll be posting those pictures later)

Today was the last chance to once again change their minds. Our neighborhood had a fall block party. This time Emma Kate went as Ariel from the Little Mermaid (which is what she was last year), and Eli went as Tim Tebow....

Just for fun I am throwing in a picture of me in my costume. In case you can't read the sign, it says "Octo Mom. Because having 2 at one time just wasn't enough."