Kids Say...

So many funny things, so little time to write them down...

Nolan around mid-December as we pull into Target for at least the 3rd time that week: "Awww, man! Target again?!? Why do moms always take their kids to stores all of the time?"

Me: "Well, buddy, there's a lot of shopping and running around to do this time of year."

Nolan: "When I grow up to be a dad, I'm never going to bring my kids to a whole bunch of stores."

I quietly think to myself, "And that's the reason moms have to go to all of the stores."

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Nolan is sitting up in his chair while I am kneeling down tying his shoes. He puts his hand on the back of my head and rubs my hair. I look up and he has the saddest face and says, "I'm going to miss you when you die."

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Nolan has been blessed/cursed with curly hair. I love it, but in my effort to grow it out, he is becoming a little irritated. He asked me the other day if I would cut his curls off and make his hair look like Daddy's. I said we would soon, but asked if I could flat-iron it first just to see what it looked like. When we came downstairs Landry said, "Nolan! You look just like Justin Bieber!" Nolan starts singing "Baby, baby, baby, ohhhhhhh..." Landry raises her eyebrows and says, "But you sure don't sing like him." :)

We've expanded our home by 4 feet!

You may have heard the big news - We have a puppy! We got her on November 3rd. She is a boxer and her name is Georgia Belle. She is the sweetest little thing and is beyond cute. Our kids absolutely adore her. A day hasn't gone by that Nolan hasn't said, "Thank you sooooo much for letting us have that puppy. I love her." He tells her all of the time that we aren't taking her back to the pet store (even though we didn't get her from a pet store). Landry has been smitten with her from day one. I have really been shocked at how dedicated she has been to caring for Georgia. We've had her for 3 weeks and Landry is still just crazy about her. My favorite thing is watching them swing together. Georgia is just about too big to fit on Landry's lap, but Landry still tries!

Mallory is not Georgia's biggest fan... yet. I came home yesterday and they were cuddled up on Mallory's bed together. That is a major improvement. I think Mal might like her a little, she just doesn't want us to know. :) Corinne likes Georgia, but Georgia has realized that Corinne is the smallest and is the easiest to chew on. So, being the typical third child, Corinne has learned the best way to defend herself. When Georgia runs us to her and clamps down on her clothing, Rin puts one hand on each side of Georgia's face and picks her up by the head. Funny enough, Georgia instantly lets go and stays clear of Corinne the rest of the time we are outside.

Here are the pictures. We got her at 7 weeks and 2 days. She was 7 lbs. She has doubled in size, but still has to wear a big padded collar to keep her from getting through our fence. She doesn't love the collar, but she's getting used to it. Brian's nurse made it for us (she rocks!), and we didn't pick the fabric. You will soon see why we call her our little flamer.

The Flip-Side of Frustration

I really dread telling you that I've been wrapped up in monotony. I have stood at the washer several times in the past month thinking, "There has to be more purpose in my life than to wash clothes... fold clothes... dust... mop... mess up the kitchen cooking a meal then clean it up again." This kept going through my mind. Over an over again. I truly started to fall into a little bit of a funk. I was drowning in laundry. And, when you are drowning in anything, everything else that falls on top of you can easily weigh you down.

Several of my Facebook friends had the November status updates of "What I'm thankful for today..." I did not. Mine may have read a little like this: November 8th - Today I'm thankful that my 2-year-old only threw-up twice today and we made it to the sink both times. November 9th - Our new puppy only peed on the hardwoods today and spared the carpet. November 10th - My 6-year-old only had three breakdowns about things that shouldn't concern her... In other words, I wouldn't have shared a whole lot that I was "truly" thankful for. This nagging feeling of negativity was eating away at me. I did a lot of eye-rolling and groaning about a lot of things. Did you know that we aren't created to behave like this? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Hmmm... I was definitely NOT doing this... but I could. I could prepare a meal like I was preparing it for our Saviour. I could pre-treat stains like I was preparing a garment worthy to be worn by Jesus. I could change the way I approached my daily activities and see what there is to be thankful for in them.

November 8th - I'm thankful that I have not only a 2-year-old, but a 4 and a 6-year-old, too.

November 9th - I'm thankful that we took on the responsibility of a puppy so our children could experience the unconditional love of man's best friend.

November 10th - I'm thankful that I have a passionate 6-year-old that reminds me that someone is always watching me. Therefore, I need to be accountable and lead by example.

Just wanted to share that with you. I have to run for now. I have some laundry to tend to.

Disney, Take Two

We survived our second trip to Disney. I was ridiculously excited for this trip. We actually stayed off-property in a 1700 square-foot condo. Each child got to fall asleep in a separate room. Brian and I got to stay up later than the kids. We even watched a movie on the couch one night! This is COMPLETELY different from our last trip. We stayed in a room smaller than your average Motel 6. We all had to go to bed at the same time. After the kids finally fell asleep, we would sneak to the (tiny) bathroom to plan our next day. Now, I must mention that we were at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got to sit on our balcony every morning and evening and hang with the giraffes and lots of other animals that look like they were created in a mad scientist's lab. We were actually torn between staying at our hotel and venturing out to one of the Disney parks. So, I won't complain about the size of the room too much. BUT, for a mom and dad who have found very little time to spend together, it was really nice to relax on a couch in a big living room rather than a plastic toilet lid in a little bathroom.

We made it to the parks before opening 6 out of the 7 days we were there. The one day we got there late was due to the fact that we didn't get in bed until 1am because we attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party. We were certainly worn out from day one, but some things just energize you in a way that you can't get anywhere else. Here are of few of the "magical" moments we found at Walt Disney World.

• The first day we went to the parks, we were handed a special parking pass for that day. We got to park right at the entrance to the Animal Kingdom. It was unbelievable! The only problem? Well, we kept thinking it was going to happen again. It didn't. But, it sure was funny to hear ourselves turn on the charm when we rode through the gates. We would even discuss before and after our exchange with the attendant what we would say/should have said to secure that elusive "Dream Parking". It provided a lot of laughs for the adults in our van. :)
• The kids laughing, playing, tickling... It's amazing how much they appreciate each other when they don't have their friends around.
• Watching Corinne see the characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She was waving frantically then looked at me with these big, beautiful eyes that spoke three words - That. Was. Awesome!
• The kids reaching their limit, breaking down, and me still being able to look at my husband and smile because we both know how blessed we are.
• Gigantic Plaza ice cream sundaes. One was big enough to feed five, but we had to get two for good measure.
• Landry being picked as THE girl to go accept the rose from the Beast at the end of the show. That girl has nerves of steel!
• Nolan being picked-out at the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor. After he saw that he was projected up on the big screen, he straightened his police officer hat (he was dressed up for Halloween) and stood up straight. When his exchange with the monster was done, he quietly leans into me and says, "That was fun being me." I think every mom can appreciate how good that feels to hear your kid say that.

The magical moments were plentiful. The not-so-magical ones were, too. There are lots of pictures I took and even more that I missed. Guess that means we'll just have to go back. :)

1st grade

Landry has officially started the 1st grade. Thankfully she has declared "I love school!" That's a first for her, and has since been retracted, but at least I did hear those words come out of her mouth at some point. She has decided that school wouldn't be so bad if she could only sleep until 7am, instead of 6:30. I haven't mentioned to her that she often gets up before 7am when she doesn't have school. Why bother? She wouldn't believe me. She has officially entered the "I already know everything I need to know" zone. After all, she is 6 1/2. She has some serious life experience under her belt.

Landry's teacher is Ms. Gordon. We have heard wonderful things about her. She even had an article written about her praising her skills as an educator. Of course, this makes me smile and breathe a sigh of relief. Landry loved her Kindergarten teacher so much that I wasn't sure if she would be able to move on.

Landry had a half day on Thursday, getting out at 11am. I sent her a snack with a note saying how much we loved her and hoped her first day went great. When I picked her up, she had a huge smile on her face and said, "I got that note! And, I saw those M&M's you put in my Goldfish!" I loved it. Those are the little things I've looked forward to doing since before she was even born.

This is Landry's first time being in school for a "full" day. She gets out at 2:30, which means we eat lunch without her. Friday was her first full day, and we all felt her absence at lunch. Brian was off and we went to eat at our favorite BBQ place after we picked Nolan up at 11:45. We pulled out of the school and Nolan and Rin both became very vocal about us forgetting their sister. Nolan said, "We still need to get Landry!" Corinne was quietly reassuring herself with "Sissy's coming." When we got a table at the restaurant, I started setting it up for a party of five. It was a really strange and unenjoyable experience. When we got back in the car, Nolan said, "Can we go pick Landry up now?" I told him I would come back and get her in a little bit. He wasn't thrilled, but I think he was pretty certain that I was telling him the truth.

2:30 finally came. Landry got in the car and said "I love school!" She buckled herself in and I asked her how her first full day went. She said it was good, but "I missed my brother." Well, if you have children then you know that my heart warmed up a little with that statement. I told her how much Nolan and Corinne missed her. She walked in the door and gave Nolan a hug. They got along so well all afternoon. What's that old saying about absence?...

Overall, I think we are off to a great year. I'm baffled at what to pack for lunch everyday, but I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time Rin gets to this point. Schedules have become more packed an hectic, but for some reason I just love it. I feel the sadness of how fast time passes and how quickly children grow, but I have also seen enough loss to know that I should be immensely grateful for the fact that my children have the joy of experiencing these moments. So incredibly thankful for each breath I get to share with them. So thankful that I have a first grader. So thankful that I live in an age where technology allows me to document my feelings for my family in blogs, pictures and videos.

And while I've spent many hours pondering the fact that someone else spends more awake time with my child than I do, I have been given the gift of being aware that I need to make my precious few hours count even more. Not in teaching fundamentals of academics, but in cuddling, laughing, talking, and thanking our Creator.

Corinne is 2!!!

I'm way behind on this post, but we are officially done with the "1's" in this house. Corinne turned 2 on July 14th. She's a super-spunky, fun-loving chickadee with a major attitude. She plays rough and won't put up with anything. She can also flip a switch and be the sweetest little cuddle bug ever. Nolan likes to call her "Sweetle Bug". I agree. She has the best cheeks (and I'm talking about both sets). She likes to run around in the buff, which is the only way she will use the potty. If you put a pair of panties on her, she's going to stand there and pee in them the second the elastic hits her waist. So, I guess you would say she's partially potty-trained. Works for me because I'm happy not to have one more little one needing to use every public restroom quite yet. I don't think I would EVER get any shopping done!

We had Rin's party at the pool again this year. I couldn't think of what to put on her cake so I asked Landry what she thought. And, with a look of complete common sense on her face, she said "How about a pool?" Hmmmm.... why didn't I think of that? So I goggled some cakes and you are seeing the result. Nolan gave me direction on where to put each bear. He requested that I put him on the diving board. I did. Then he scrunched his nose up and said, "Where's my Daddy to catch me?" As you may have noticed, the little bear out at the end of the diving board is Brian. :) (Although I told him he was the bear in the black Speedo.)

Corinne is our first child to actually enjoy opening presents at the ripe old age of two. Her favorites were, well.... EVERYTHING! She got two baby dolls, two animals who move and make sounds, a backpack, and some clothes. From us she got a sleeping bag, water toys, and Nemo fruit chewies (she adores them). Landry and Nolan have enjoyed her loot as much as she has. In fact, they are pretty sure that everything she received is to be shared among them equally. Ah, the joy of siblings.

In short, I would just have to say again how very thankful I am that God gave us Corinne. She was one of the biggest surprises of my life and I can't imagine what life would be like without her. She's precious in every way and I praise God for her daily. We love you little girl!

Mackey and Me

You may not know this, but I grew up with the world's greatest dog. His name was Rexanne McKenzie. The "anne" part of Rexanne was supposed to be dropped once he started lifting his leg to pee. But, you know how names go. It was just too catchy so it never really did completely go away. Rex lived to be almost 16. He was more human than K-9. He would get a disgusted looked on his face when you shooed him off of the couch. He monopolized the space in front of the fireplace on cold winter nights. If you were going to sit on the floor, then he was going to sit on your lap. Rex was free, which means he cost a LOT of money in the long run. He even had a metal plate on his hip that made us pamper him even more in the winter when he would get the shivers from being outside for only a few minutes. He was tough and very territorial. A pit-pull mix, he had every reason to not turn out to be a great dog for kids. On the contrary, he was my best friend from day one. I can't tell you how much I loved/love this dog. I still dream about him, and he died many years ago. When I went off to college, he stayed with my parents. Throughout college, I became dead-set on getting a dog. But, since apartments require lots of extra money when you have pets, and I had very little money, it was obvious that a dog would have to wait. Brian would give me stuffed animal dogs for each holiday. When I graduated from college, his gift to me was Puppy Chow. It wouldn't be long before I brought home my own puppy...

A friend of mine from college had great news! His family had an extra lab pup. He was a chocolate-yellow lab mix. We loaded up in my friend's truck with nothing other than a cardboard box and headed to Statesboro to pick up my new guy. I knew his name would be Max, but couldn't foresee that he would more frequently be called MacMac or Mackey. For some reason, I was quite convinced he would be brown. I think I had read that chocolate was dominant over yellow, or maybe I just made that up. Either way, I had pictured a fat little chocolate fur ball riding home in my lap that night. Guess what? He wasn't chocolate. He was almost WHITE! Even better, he was white with gorgeous, chocolate-lab, greenish eyes. He was the prettiest dog I have ever seen. And he was mine!

Max grew up fast and got into EVERYTHING. He was your typical puppy, but with some serious belly issues. Thank goodness he was so irresistibly cute, or he wouldn't have lived very long. He was all dog. He enjoyed being outside, he ate dog food, he rolled in cow manure, he could sniff-out a lake from miles away, you name it. He was more K-9 than human. He hated being in trouble. He loved belly-rubs and peanut butter.

Age was hard on Max. When he was about 7, he developed severe skin and food allergies. Unfortunately, we didn't know that was what it was until he was almost 11. It was heart-breaking to see him go from wanting to be pet, to being able to only pet his face without him going crazy. Brian and I watched Marley and Me and barely kept it together. The movie paralleled our lives in an incredible way, especially the fact that the couple in the movie was dealing with an aging yellow lab who was dearly loved by the family. On May 7th, I came home and had a message on my machine. Apparently, someone let our dogs out. Max was suffering from laryngeal paralysis, which made it hard for him to breathe, especially in the heat. While he was out running around, he laid down in our neighbor's yard and died. Our neighbor called and left a message with the news. Obviously, it was a terrible way for me and the kids to hear about it. Thankfully, we had some caring neighbors that brought Max back to us, wrapped up in a blanket. We got to love on him and say our goodbyes. At that moment, I was so thankful that my kids will one day say, "You may not know this, but I grew up with the world's greatest dog."