Quick thinker

It never seizes to amaze me with what Ella can come up with :)  The other day, we were getting ready to go somewhere and she didn't want to go. 

I started getting frustrated and quickly said, "Well, we are all leaving, so you can just stay here." 

Ella:  So who will stay with me?

Me:  No one.

(Obviously this has worked in the past, which is why I said this. When she would realize she would be by herself, she wouldn't want to stay and she would quickly get ready to go).

Ella:  So, I get to stay by myself?
Me:  Yes
Ella:  Wow, then I can do whatever I want!
 
She beat me on that one!

I want a bag

Well, as the week went, MC started having a few accidents.  One day on the way home from school, I told her that if she started going poot-poot in the potty that she could have some M&Ms.  Ella quickly told her that she could 5.  Mary Catherine quickly responded with "I want the whole bag!"

So, we'll see...

Mary Catherine

My little girl is...well...just getting big!!  We have been trying to potty train for a little while now...I say "we", but I really mean day-care.  Back before Christmas, Ms Dallas told me one day that she thought MC was ready for panties.  I wasn't convinced, but decided to try it.  We bought her some new panties and sent her on to school.   After 2 weeks of going thru 3 changes of clothes a day, I decided to just send her to school in pull-ups.  She just wasn't ready.

Yesterday, she told me she wanted to wear panties to school.  She didn't want to where her "ah-ah" panties (her monkey panties, because ya know, "ah ah" is what a monkey says) - she wanted to wear her Ariel panties.  She told me that she wouldn't tee-tee or poot-poot on her panties.  Nonetheless, I packed 3 more pairs and 3 changes of clothes - just in case.

Well, I got to school and guess what?!  She was still in the same clothes that she wore to school that morning.  She was so excited..."I went poot poot in the potty!!"  And she did - twice at school and then twice more at home.  So, I sent her to school with panties on again this morning and guess what?!  Another whole day with no accidents.  She went #2 in the potty again today!!

I am so proud of her and it is just so wonderful to see her beam from ear to ear with shear excitement.  Growing is just bitter sweet for a mommy.  It is so wonderful to see your child hit new milestones, but at the same time, as a smile crosses my face, a tear is in my eye at the same time.

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Pre-Disney

A couple of months ago, we decided that we wanted to take Ella to Disney World.  It was rather a spur of the moment decision, but also a well thought out decision - contradictory, I know.   I really wanted to take her while it is still "magical" to her, wanted to go when the crowd levels were down, and wanted to go when we could get good prices.  Plus, since she didn't get to start 5K this year, it is the last perfect time to go during the school year.  Clint agreed - as long as she agreed that the princesses were real.  So, I asked her, "Ella, are princesses real?"  She responded, "Well, Mom.  In the movies, they are just pretend, but at Disney World...they are REAL!!"  So, from the there, the trip was booked.

The catch...she didn't know we booked it.  We have successfully kept it a secret from her.  I got some paperwork in the mail, including a map of Disney, and of course, she saw it and questioned.  She dropped it after a few minutes of asking, but a couple of days later, she was cutting up my map!!  Silly girl.

Clint and I told all the kiddos that we were heading to Mimi and PaPa's house on Friday - and that is what we did.  We loaded both cars and took off mid-afternoon.  We had dinner at Mimi's house.  Aunt Katie, Uncle JD, Pearce and Anna Elise were there too.  We visited for awhile and then about 9:30, we told Ella that we had a surprise - we were going to a hotel.  You would have thought she won the lottery or something.  She turned and looked at Mimi and said, "I am going to a hotel.". 

Look at that smile...and she doesn't even know what the BIG surprise is!!

So, off we went.  We drove to Gainesville last night and are on our way to Disney now - she still doesn't know.  We told her that we hadn't gotten the letter yet to tell her what the surprise is...so let's see how it turns out.

Wesley's 1st birthday

Wesley turned 1!!  We no longer have any infants in our house  - he is officially a toddler!  I still can't believe it.  This year has completely flown by.  It is amazing to think about all of the changes we have had since this little fellow has blessed our lives.  One year ago, we held our baby boy for the very first time. 

He is just the apple of my eye.  Words can't even express.  He has changed so much over the past month or so.  The day he turned 11 months old, he decided to start walking.  He was slow going for a week or so, but he is picking up pace.  He would rather walk than he would crawl, so he gets lots of practice.  He has two teeth on the bottom and the 4 up top are coming in.  He weighs just over 24 lbs.

The girls absolutely love him, too.  He gets lots of kisses from him - especially from Mary Catherine (no surprise there, right?))  :)  It is so fun to watch the kids play together.  Sometimes, I will hear Ella reading him a book.  He and Mary Catherine have been seen playing along side of him.  The other day, Mary Catherine even walked up to him and say "See Essy, book.  Can you say book?"

He eats just about anything these days - except mashed potatoes.  He still has a few jar foods here and there, but for the most part, he will eat table food.  Still taking some bottles, but I guess we will be stopping that pretty soon.  He will have to learn to hold his cup though!  I noticed a month or so ago (when we started giving him more bottles at home), that he just wouldn't hold his bottle.  I remember the girls holding theirs by this age, but I didn't think more about it.  Although he has been "using" a sippy cup at dinner for long time (rather playing), we have been encouraging him to use it more and more lately.  Since then, I have noticed that if he really wants something to drink, he points at it, I put it to his mouth, and he drinks.  But, he won't hold his own cup.  Coincidence? I think not.  Clint says I spoil him :)

We had a great birthday.  Not as big and elaborate as Ella's, not as dressed up as Mary Catherine's, but sometimes, simple is just perfect.  Mimi, PaPa, Aunt Katie, Pearce, and Anna Elise all came up to help celebrate.  After they got here on Saturday, we attempted to take all of the kids to Sears to get their pictures made.  They all looked so cute all dressed up, and at the end of the day, I guess we got an okay picture.  Defiitely an adventure.  It was a rough night a sleeping, or lack there of to say the least.  Poor Anna Elise wasn't too sure about Wesley's bed and ended up sleeping with Katie in the bonus room. Wesley wasn't too sure about the pack and play and I wasn't too sure about hearing him sleep and listening to Clint sleep.  After some yummy pumpkin muffins (Thanks Katie!) on Sunday morning, the kids were ready to play.  They had them a good ole time - which is what it is all about.  Anna Elise and Wesley napped most of the morning.  After lunch, we had cake - and boy was that messy.  Wesley wasn't too sure what to think about the cake.  He just sat there and analyzed it a few minutes.  He painted himself with all colors of the cake and then was done.  He didn't really eat too much.  Ella thinks we should give him the cake back tomorrow so he can finish it.  After a good bath, he opened presents.  Felt a little like Christmas around here with the the presents and laughter...and then the "Mine!  No, Mine!"  lol

After everyone headed back home, the house took a nap.  Poor Wesley didn't take a long one, but MC and Ella did.  Hopefully he will get a good night's rest. 

After the cake was taken away, he is definitely wearing more icing than he ate!

Kyle Ray

On October 6, I returned home from a conference in CA to totally unexpected news - Kyle had been in a serious car accident and had been airlifted to Jackson.  I talked to my Aunt Cheryl when I got home that night, and things didn't look good.  After about 20 minutes, I got in touch with my brother.  As soon as he answered the phone, he told me the worst news I think I have heard - Kyle had passed.  I screamed and broke down and then we just sobbed together on the phone.

The next few days were a complete blurr.  We packed the kids up and headed to MS.  We went to see Jody, Angela and Zac on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday afternoon.  The service was on Monday - there were so many people there, it was unbelievable.  It was an amazing service - the preacher did a great job. 

The comfort we have to get thru this is knowing that he is in heaven with God.  And even though that provides a level of comfort, I am still sad and hearbroken.  During that first week, I would cry and then be okay.  And then out of no where, I would just start sobbing.  And then I would be okay.  It was the most emotional thing I think I have experienced.

It is amazing that even as the days pass, how much he will pop into my head.  I can't count the number of times that I have been driving to work, or laying in bed, Kyle will pop into my mind and I will just cry.  During those first few days, I asked Clint, "I am sure Heaven is pretty amazing, but as sad as we all are, do you think Kyle is looking down, seeing us and is sad just a little bit b/c he misses his mom?"  Clint responded, "I think he is looking down and saying - if you only knew how wonderful and joyous it is up here."

I miss him.  It is easy as that.  I struggle becaue there are no words that I can say or nothing I can do to provide comfort to Jody and Angela.  My heart breaks for them.  My daily prayer is that even though we may never understand, that they will find peace and comfort knowing that he is with the Lord.  It is better to have known Kyle for the time he was here, than to have never known him at all!