These are a few of my favorite things....

These are a few of my favorite things about motherhood.... -naptime...everyday... -Laiken says "mommy I don't just love you one times, I love you alot of times" -Jack takes his finger out of his nose, kisses me goodnight, and then puts his finger in his mouth -we make it through a full day of running boring errands and no one has a melt down -3 AM when Jack comes to snuggle in our bed -running to the bathroom at 8:45 in the morning only to discover your sweet baby boy has locked and shut all of the bathroom doors in the house and the doorknobs have to be removed before you can "go" -the 10th and even the 20th time the babies get back out of the bed for water, "I have to tell you something", or "Laiken is waking me up!" -walking into a room and seeing all 3 kids playing something together, with no arguing or fighting. Or all 3 laying on the loveseat together watching tv. -playing tball with the kids in the backyard when it is 40 degrees outside, even if its only for about 30 minutes b/c we haven't been outside in so many days. -Jack jumping up and saying "thank you for buying this for me" to our neighbor who just brought the kids presents -the way a kiss stops tears and makes them smile -all of the "I love you's", hugs, kisses, snuggles. And that was just a small portion of last week! Happy Monday All!

Catch Up!

Laiken and Jack on Thanksgiving Day. Poor Max...He is not always sure about Jack, but Jack loves him so much!

Jack is ready for his baby sister/brother to arrive. He has been playing with Laiken's baby dolls even more than usual lately. Tonight his daddy asked him, "Jack are you going to be sweet to the new baby." Jack said, " If Mama's baby bites me, I am going to smack it in the mouth." (sweet, right?) Daddy said, "Jack, you will be in big trouble if you do that to the baby." Jack said, "The baby will be in big trouble if she bites me!"

Baby Walker 25 weeks and 5 days. Braxton Hicks have been frequent and uncomfortable. I can't sleep at night. I am so ready to have this baby and meet the newest member of our family, but at the same time I do not want to meet the baby before at least 38 weeks. I hope everything goes well. I have been through labor 2 times already, so I know what to expect and it scares me to death! :) I am not ready to have contractions, IV's, and epidural.....and definitely am not looking forward to driving to Memphis to deliver. But I love to feel the baby kicking which he/she does alot! This pregnancy has been harder, but the rewards will be priceless!

Happy 30th to me!!

Highlights from my Big Day!!!

My wonderful husband and adorable kiddos got me a Fossil watch for my birthday present! I love it. It is beautiful, and was a a surprise (which we are usually not capable of pulling off for each other).

My sister came over around 8 AM to bring me a second surprise... 3 balloons and cupcakes! One of the balloons sang "wild thing", which I heard allllllllllll day courtesy of Jack and Laiken. It was from all of my sisters and brothers. Very thoughtful. Lisa said they almost put 30 balloons in the yard. So thanks for going with the singing balloon and cupcakes instead!

Mom came over later to bring me a cookie cake and birthday cards! Then she stayed for a few hours and helped me rearrange my bedroom and closet! Which was an amazing surprise! I have so much more space now. It was a humongous help!

Later when Trey came home we had supper and cake/cupcakes. They sang Happy Birthday to me, and Jack sang it about 15 or 20 more times while we ate cupcakes. It was too cute. He loves a birthday no matter whose it is. I can't wait for his in December.

And for the perfect ending to a perfect day...Trey found some music channels and danced with kids in the living room all evening. Everyone was so happy and laughing so loud. It was definitely priceless!

Friday, Friday, Friday, YAY!!!!

This weekend was our first time to recycle. I know that sounds crazy that I have never done that before, but with all of the chaos and craziness having 3 kids brings, I have never beeen inclined to take on an extra task like recycling. But thanks to the City of Southaven for making it more convenient for us to do our part to help the environment...we are now part of the recycling bandwagon! I am so happy that it is Friday, Nov 5th, finally. That means we are one day closer to Sat, Nov 6th. I have planned a big Open House at my sister, Lisa's house. I invited a few friends with at home businesses also. We are selling Little Belles and Bows hairbows, Scentsy, Creative Memories, Pampered Chef, Beauticontrol, and Sweet Jeans. I have been EXTREMELY busy with party planning, making bows, preparing to sell bows, not to mention my "everyday busy" with the kids and household duties. And dont forget my constant duty of trying to please everyone in the world all at once! Busy life! But so thankful for it! And at this time I am so thankful for all of the times I don't have heartburn, b/c at this very moment I am experiencing raging, yet random, heartburn. I have not eaten anything since breakfast, but for some reason there is a fire in my chest! Fun, fun, fun! I am so ready for March and for this little bundle of joy to be here! Happy Friday everyone!!!

A Random Conversation With Jack

J-"Mama, I need more ogurt! (yogurt) Fill up my bowl!" Me-"We don't have anymore yogurt. We need to buy some today." Jack goes to the fridge..."Mama, this is ogurt!" Me-"No Jack, that is sour cream." J-"No its not. Its not sour green." Me-"Yes, Jack it is sour CREAM. You can't eat that." J-" No, MAMA, its not sour green, its sour red. It's red, mama." (the writing on the container was red). J-"Oh, I have to poop!" And he runs off to the bathroom. Love my Jack!

Halloween Fun!

Carving Jack O' Lanterns with Lisa, Jason, Blayne, Savana, and Leigh.

Jack is loving the pumpkin guts! Heck, he loves anything messy.

Leigh's werewolf pumpkin. This is the one I carved! A big thanks to Leigh for getting the guts out, because I hate that part!

Hard to see all of them, but first is Jack's, pirate skull and crossbones, next is Dylan's scary sculls (he carved all be himself), Leigh's werewolf, Blayne's scary face, Trey's bat, Laiken's kitten in a boot, and Jason's/Savana's spooky letters (with all of the initials of each family member).

Our pumpkins on our front porch. The only picture missing is the one of Savana with pumpkin guts. She hated them. A picture would not have done it justice, a video would have been perfect. When Jason handed them to her, she jumped up and down and screamed and squealed. It was definitely priceless! What an awesome night! I can't wait for trick or treating this weekend with my blue fairy, pirate, and giant hot dog!

TGIF!

This week I am so thankful for Little Belles and Bows, my hairbow making business. I love what I do. Business has really picked up since I have moved to Southaven. I am expecting it to get better and better as the year closes, and to be exceptionally good in the following year. Some customers have requested AL "roll tide" bows, which prompted a search for the perfect ribbon. Well, I found it, along with almost any other team you could think of. New bows are always exciting to me. And I am thankful for Riverkings Hockey games. I am looking forward to making memories with my kids at some of the games this year. And of course, bonding with my fav sis Leigh!!

I am so thankful for the restaurant "On The Border". On an impulse we went there to eat last night. The food was amazing. The white cheese dip was to die for. The kids started out rocky, maybe they were just really hungry, but they settled down fast when the chips and dip came out. They were completely pleasant the rest of the meal. It was a nice evening, perfect ending for the crazy day I had.

And I have to throw in that Trey is very thankful for new work boots. His boots blew out at work and had holes in the soles. Isn't that a kenny chesney song? Well, he didn't get a vacation like the song says, he got new boots and was sent back to work this morning. Haha. Don't feel bad for him though, he is like a girl when it comes to shoes. He loves new shoes. I am sure he has more pairs of shoes than I do.

Today Direct TV is coming to install our satellite. So next Friday, I am pretty sure I will be thankful for the sprout channel, disney channel, or nick Jr. For all those parents who don't believe in tv, I feel sorry for them. I need an hour or two in my day where the kids actually sit still for a minute. :)

Have a happy Friday!

Neighbors....

I went to the Riverkings opening game this past Saturday with Leigh. It was like old times when we had season tickets. I loved it! We danced, we laughed, we yelled, and we ate BBQ nachos! And I am pretty sure Baby Walker is a big fan of hockey b/c he/she moved the whole game! :)

Speaking of Baby Walker, I am going to be 20 weeks pregnant this Friday. Halfway, so its all downhill from here, right? HaHa, wouldn't that be nice.

We have been in the new house for a few weeks. I have met most of my neighbors. In the house to my right, lives a couple with a new baby and their brother. She is a nurse and he was recently laid off so he is a stay at home daddy. ( a reflection of today's economy) They are very nice people. In the house to the left, a couple with no kids. The husband has a race car on 22's....so he is instantly a friend to Trey. They even bonded last night over carburetors, cams, and rims! lol His wife is really sweet. They both always speak to us and talk to the kids too. Across the street is a lady with her daughters. She has a girl in the 4th grade at the same school as Dylan and she was very helpful with the bus, trash pick times, and mail times. And finally, across the street and to the left is a sweet older lady who seems to live alone. She watches her grandson on the weekends. And bless her heart, I know every neighborhood has one, but she is "busy". If you need to know about anything or anyone in the neighbor hood, she is your go to gal. At our first meeting the other night, she walked over to introduce herself and basically everyone else. I was informed about who fusses over property lines, why the neighbor's brother lives with him, and who keeps their yard up and who doesn't. But she really is a sweet lady, last night she brought the kids Disney Halloween pumpkins and bags for trick or treating, and gave us pumpkin lights to hang up outside. Its a nice neighborhood, maybe we will get to stay awhile and enjoy it!

TGIF!

Okay, I know that I do not have an actual job, so it may be unfair when I say Thank Goodness Its Friday! But it is common knowledge that the weekends are more fun, whether you are a stay at home mom or a 9-5'er. So hello weekend it is so nice to see you. And the best part...no alarm clocks (other than the kids getting up first). I am going to start a new regular Friday post on my blog dedicated to the things I am thankful for. Life can get so busy and routine that we often don't take time to appreciate the things we are lucky to have in our lives. Since this is the first "things I am Thankful for" post, I will start with the obvious. I am so thankful for my family. I have a very loving, wonderful husband. Trey works hard for us every day to give us everything we want and need. I appreciate all of the sacrifices he makes to provide for our family. He never complains about the long hours, hard work, heat, or travel that comes with his job. (Well, he did complain a little about the snow and -40 degree temperature in Wyoming, but who wouldn't.) He is a great husband and a wonderful daddy! He is my best friend and I look forward to a lifetime of making memories with him.

Among all of the craziness and chaos, I am very thankful for my children. They are the reason for everything I do in my life. I try hard to be a good example, and I know that I am not perfect all the time. And Lord knows my little angels are not perfect all of the time either, but they are mine. And they are close enough to perfect for me!!!!

And this Little One here...although completely unexpected and with the absolute fear brought on by the thought of his/her arrival into my already chaotic life.... I am very thankful for this baby too! So many women right now in this world are wishing and hoping for the opportunity to have a child and are unable to. This baby was conceived in love and will be raised with the love of our family. A baby is a true gift from God.

And a few smaller things to be thankful for:

1. The garbage man, who picks up across the street before getting to my side of the street. In case I forget to put it out Friday morning, I have about 2 minutes warning that he is coming to rush my garbage can to the side of the road.

2. The firemen, who came by Tuesday to test the fire hydrant in front of our house. The kids were completely amazed to watch two firemen open the hydrant and let gallons of water explode onto the road like a rushing river. And for the driver, who noticed his excited spectators and flashed the firetruck lights and blasted the sirens just for them. He was the hero of the day.

3.And finally, for the month of October/Halloween. It gave me an excuse to buy a $10.00 bag of chocolate from Sam's!

Happy Friday to All!!!

We have moved....AGAIN!

We have moved again. Instead of moving somewhere unfamiliar, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to move back home. We are in Southaven, MS. Everyone is adjusting wonderfully to this move because we are so excited to be able to spend more time with my family. I have to say that I completely enjoy seeing my Mom and my sisters everyday. I am excited about the opportunity to reconnect with people I should have stayed in contact with over the years. The kids love having their cousins close by. Poor Trey is the only one who is not entirely happy. He is working at Valero in Memphis. The job is very unorganized and poorly supervised. He is hoping it will get better, but is not very confident it will. He will probably be transferred to Texas soon. He wanted us to move here so I could have help from family when baby #4 arrives in March. I understand and agree, but I hate for him to leave. We have signed a year lease, so at least I have stability for one year. After that, who knows where we will move next. I didn't have any pictures to post about our move, although Trey did take a cute pic of our Uhaul with a trailer and his truck and my durango with a dolly and the Acura. We had a convoy getting here with all of our stuff plus our vehicles. :) I will try to post that picture later. So the "kids in Daddy's work boots" picture was just a bonus.

A visit to preschool

Laiken was the line leader on Wednesday. I was invited to come to her class and read a book to the children. Jack and I came to her classroom at 11:00. We read a book, passed out stickers, and joined Laiken for lunch in the cafeteria. I read a book about a garbage truck. It was a really silly book about a stinky garbage truck. The kids loved it! They were so loud and so animated for every page. When it was time for stickers, I was completely swarmed by 4 and 5 yr olds like I was passing out hundred dollar bills to grown ups. It was chaotic to say the least. Next we were lined up to go to lunch in the cafeteria. Jack was beaming with excitement when he carried his lunch tray from the lunchline to the table. Laiken was so sweet. She was so proud to have us eat lunch with her. The kids had a blast playing with Jack at lunch. It was really loud. There was alot of shouting and it was quite difficult to keep Jack in his seat (which led to wandering preschoolers too). After lunch the kids went outside to play for about 10 minutes. The teacher invited me and Jack to join them. He took off for the playground with the kids just like he was part of the class. When playtime was over he lined up in line with the kids. He was a pro at preschool. Laiken was very sweet. At first she asked me not to leave, but then when they lined up she waved and screamed bye to me. I was glad she did not get upset when we left. It is easier to leave her there when I know she is happy. And she is very happy at her school. Later at home, me and Jack were getting ready for a nap and he was still talking about his day at preschool. The last thing he said before falling asleep,, "The kids at Nanny's school are soooo big." It was definitely a fun day. Preschool was certainly interesting and not for the weak. Whatever they pay preschool teachers and assistants...it is not enough!!!!

Aren't they the cutest kids?

I have learned to make puppy bows. Yes, Max is a boy, but he just looks so darn cute with a bow. This picture expresses his enthusiasm about bows.

Laiken went to a two day cheer camp with the Pauls Valley Varsity Cheerleaders and performed at half time at the first football game. It was adorable and she has been cheering non stop since then.

Jack, oh my precious Jack. He has learned a new word. It has four letters and starts with "s" and ends with a "t". Needless to say, we are working really hard on erasing that word from Jack's vocabulary (and mine too)!!! On a softer note, whenever I talk to Jack about the new baby coming, he raises my shirt over my stomach and kisses my belly.

I emailed about 10 pictures to my mom this past week, and she brought it to my attention that none of the pics were of Dylan. He is not involved in any sports or extra activities. He does not do anything crazy/silly/adorable like Jack. The older kids really do get forgotten when it comes to pictures. I vow to take more pics of Dylan, and also more random pics of the kids (not just when something important is happening). Dylan is doing really well in school. He is finishing more of his work on time and staying in his seat more. He has adjusted to the move better than we could have expected. He does not communicate much with his mom, despite the fact he has his own cell phone, but he surprisingly seems ok with that too. Everything seems to be going well with him.

Everything is fine with me and the baby. I will be 15 weeks this Friday. Time sure does fly by. Trey is working 7 days a week for the next few weeks and this job should be wrapping up by the first of October. We are still not sure what is in store for us next or where we will be moving, but I believe everything happens for a reason. We will be happy wherever we go, as long as we are together.

How Sweet It Is....

I had a meeting with Dylan's teacher this afternoon. He is having trouble completing assignments and getting out of his seat a little too much. I wanted to talk with his teacher to see if there were any other issues with him and to let her know we would be working with him at home to help with these issues as well. I expected to only hear negative comments and little tolerance for "trouble making" kids. I was soooo surprised and sooooo pleased to hear her only say positive things about Dylan. He really is an amazing kid. He is a helpful, sweet, and loving child. But like any kid, he does have his trouble areas. School in general seems to be one for him. We have been talking with him each night about what is expected and what we know he is capable of. Yesterday was the worst day so far since school has started. By some miracle, Trey and I were both able to handle the situation in a positive way. We spoke with him calmly and placed the responsibility of his actions on himself. He determines whether or not he will have a good day. AND IT WORKED!! His teacher told me today how he tried hard to keep up and finish his assignments, he stayed in his seat, and did not talk excessively today. She said it was the best day he has had so far. She went on to say how sweet and helpful he is. She agreed with me in saying that she thinks he can handle his own behavior and she will do whatever it takes to help him have a great school year. Teachers are really special people. I was really proud of Dylan today. It was a great feeling to hear her say so many wonderful things about him and to know, as parents, that we are having a positive impact on his life. My favorite part was when she told me how hard he tried today to improve in the areas we talked about with him the night before. I wanted him to know how proud I was so I did something that I rarely ever do...I stopped by the local bakery "How Sweet It Is" and bought the kids each a cupcake. (I was sure to let him know that I will not be buying cupcakes for every single good day at school) But that it really means alot to me that he was able to work really hard and have a good day at school. Even without the cupcake, I think he understood how rewarding it is to make good decisions for himself. We will continue to work on this daily I am sure, but at least it seems we are moving in the right direction.

The babies aren't babies anymore...

Laiken started preschool last week. I thought I would have a really hard time with this milestone because she has spent everyday since birth with me. She was so excited about going that I decided I could not be upset about this exciting new adventure for her. She is my Little Miss Independent. Laiken loves preschool. She is happy when I drop her off and happy when I pick her up. She tells me about her day in detail. She talks about everything she did and all of the children she interacted with. She is proud to have so many friends. I am proud that she is able to remember the names of books the teacher reads, games she played, and every other small detail of her day. When she is describing her friends, she always names them by name first. Next, she will describe their hair, what they wore that day, and always adds whether or not they wore glasses. I love hearing about her day.

Today she walked in the living room, playing "teacher", and we had this conversation...

L-Who can read? Raise your hand.

Me-(raised my hand)

L-Do we talk when the teacher is talking?

Me-No.

L-Good answer. Do we talk when the teacher is reading?

Me-No.

L-Good answer. Do we mess with the lights while the teacher is reading?

Me-No (with a giggle)

L-Good answer. Do we talk when we are in line?

Me-No.

L-Good answer.

And honestly, this went on and on for about 30 min. Her voice was very stern and serious. And I was seriously cracking up.

Laiken also started ballet classes 3 weeks ago. We have had 3 classes and are on our 3rd pair of tights. My little princess absolutely adores dancing. She is the only little girl in class who cannot take her eyes off of the mirror. She makes my heart smile.

Jack is having a hard time with preschool. He wants to go with Laiken so bad. I think he is sad without her. I bought him a Thomas train and tracks on Laiken's first day of school to ease his separation anxiety. It worked for a few days. Today Trey came home from work around lunch time due to rain, and the three of us went to a catfish house for lunch. It was really special to spend time with just the three of us. With 3 kids it is rare to have one on one time with any of them, so when ever the opportunity arrives, it is definitely special.

It's the little things in life that matter most.

Bananas are one of those things that if I buy a few, the kids eat them all in two days. If I buy more than just a few, nobody wants to eat them. This week no one wanted bananas and I had at least 16 in the fruit basket. So I decided to try my mom's recipe for homemade banana pudding. It was around 4 o'clock and I was standing at the stove stirring pudding. The kids were playing with a loud, annoying dirtbike toy and Trey was listening to country music videos on the tv, very loudly as well. I called to him to please turn it down and please move the kids to the back bedroom. I was tired and a little grumpy. With a little less noise and chaos, I finished the banana pudding and placed it in the fridge. Travis Tritt's "Drift Off To Dream" came on tv. I asked Trey to turn it up. I love that song and haven't heard it in awhile. At that moment, there was silence from the kids in the room, or maybe I tuned them out. :) Trey took my hand, put his arm around my waist, and we danced in the kitchen. He sang the song to me and it reminded me of our first dance on our wedding day. Laiken was watching and screamed to Jack and Dylan, "Come quick, mommy and daddy are dancing like they are married!" And we danced while the kids laughed at us. It's times like this that matter the most in my life.

Motherhood....and the unexpected.

Potty training Jack has been a challenge. What part of raising Jack has not been???) He is definitely the one who keeps me on my toes and entertained. Potty training him has been no exception. Let me start by saying that the reason I started training him so early is because since the day he became aware of the business going on down below....he would inform me that he had a dirty diaper by reaching back into it and actually showing me a handful. He would say, "OH GOSH!!! I POOP!" And then try to hand me proof. After a few months of this potty training began. Pull ups were first. When he would have a dirty pull up, he would attempt to take it off and clean up himself. But he would always become overwhelmed by the mess and stop half way and scream for me. I can distinguish between Jack's "I am hurt" cry, his "sleepy" cry, "she took my toy" cry, and his "Oh My Gosh, I am covered in poop" cry. So pull ups did not work, they were overpriced diapers that he was happy to go potty in. I moved to big boy race car undies. He still tried to clean up his own messes and usually ended up with a bigger mess, but at least contained in the bathroom now. A few days ago I heard a distressed scream from the bathroom and Jack had some how moved the lid off of the tank of the toilet. It had fallen in the toilet and wedged itself in perfectly to flood the bathroom. It took me and Laiken 30 min and every towel in the entire apartment to absorb the water. Jack loved it. Potty training Jack has led to frequent nudity in public, including at a public pool. At the pool, he walked to the end of the diving board, pulled his trunks to his ankles and peed off the diving board into the pool. It looked like a rainbow! He was so proud, and I was too embarrassed for words. Luckily we weren't kicked out. Yesterday Laiken and Jack had a tea party in the living room with all of their dishes. When the party was over and dishes were scattered across the floor, Jack walked up to a tiny metal pan, pulled down his pants, and peed into it. Of course we were not alone, my neighbor and her 7 year old daughter were over here too. Potty training has been an interesting journey so far and I am sure it is not over yet, but maybe we are through the worst of it?? Something is telling me we are not.

2010 Stratford Peach Festival

These are some of the bows I made to sell at the Peach Festival.

The 2010 Stratford Peach Festival was my first festival selling my hair bows. It was a great success. I sold about half of what I made, and met a lot of new people. I was told by several people that my bows were amazing and my prices reasonable. Trey was off work that day and spent the whole day with me. It was very encouraging for him to invest his time too and to be so supportive. (that or he was hanging aroung to find the Peach Habinero BBQ Sandwiches he kept hearing people talk about) Either way it was nice to spend the day with him. The kids found a small patch of dirt next to my tables and played in the dirt ALL day long. I went through an entire pack of baby wipes (I hate dirt!) But I know they had a blast. It was a great day for all of us.

Laiken's 4th Birthday

Wow, I seriously cannot believe my baby girl is 4 yrs old. I guess time really does fly by as you get older. It seems like just yesterday when we brought her home from the hospital. Now she is about to start preschool. I truly feel blessed to have such a remarkable little girl for my daughter. She lights up my life. She is truly blessed as well, to have the best grandparents and aunt in the world. Maw Maw, Paw Paw, and Aunt Leigh drove all the way out to Oklahoma to spend her birthday with her. She was so happy to see them. The party was wonderful. We decorated cupcakes, had face painting, broke open a pinata, and had delicious purple Tinkerbell cake. It was a treat to watch Laiken open presents. She was so excited and so thankful for each one. She is an amazing kid.

We had a great visit with Mom, Dad, and Leigh. Unfortunately the 4th of July fireworks rained out across the state and we were all disappointed with that. Sunday we drove to the Arbuckle Mountains. We saw Turner Falls and a few national state parks. Mom got her magnet from OK and Dad got his shot glass (they collect them from every state they visit). Well, now they can check Oklahoma off that list because I am not sure they will be back to visit. On the way home, Daddy told Mom, "Besides Trey, Lacy, and the kids...Oklahoma just does not have much to offer me." Dont worry Daddy, I feel the exact same way. I am glad this is a short job, I am ready for the next one.

She is older than she looks...

Laiken will be turning 4 years old on July 6th. She is old enough to begin attending a preschool. I have started talking to her about school to see if she is ready to start. She has always been with me since she was born. Aside from the two nights she stayed with Aunt Lisa when Jack was born, the one night she spent with MawMaw, a few times hanging out with Gran Gran, and the two times she stayed at Delainey's house all day to play, she has spent all of her time with me and Jack. I love my kids and I spend all of my time with them. I rarely go anywhere my kids cannot go, so why not take them with me. Jack is happy this way. He gets upset when I leave and is so excited when I return. My little man still needs me. Laiken, on the other hand, loves when I am not there. It makes her feel grown up and independent. She is in love with the idea of going to school. She has been talking about it nonstop since I mentioned it to her. She talks about the friends she will make, the things they will do at school, and mostly she talks about me and Jack not being there at school with her. I just smile and nod my head. I am glad she is ready because I am not. Yesterday she told me that she will ride the bus to school. That is where I drew the line. No. She is too young to ride a school bus. She was mad and told me that she will run out to the bus fast and it will take her to school. Ha! We'll see. Now that we have talked so much about her going to school, I am getting a little excited. I can't wait to take her school shopping for supplies, new clothes, and a monogrammed backpack. I just cannot imagine what me and Jack will do all day without our Laiken.

Happy Father's Day!

I bought Trey a grill cover with the Ole Miss logo on it. To sum up our Father's Day Weekend... Sat: Trey's present did not come in the mail on time, maybe today it will? He bought a 2008 Dodge Durango for me. We took the kids to pizza hut and to a water park. Trey went to the dirt track races with friends from work. Sun: The kids made Father's day cards for Trey. We all went to the carwash and watched Trey wash the new truck. Trey polished the wheels and grill with chrome cleaner. Trey grilled ribs and sausage, and he made pasta salad. The kids played outside with the neighbor's little girl most of the day. It was the best Father's Day I have ever had! (I mean the best one Trey has ever had!)

Welcome to Oklahoma!

It has been a big change moving from just outside of Baton Rouge, LA to Pauls Valley, OK. But it may prove to be a good change. We are adjusting to the differences of the big city back to a small town.

Updates on everyone...

Dylan is staying the summer with his mom (mostly his grandmothers), and seems to be having a great summer. We bought him the cell phone he has been begging to have for the past two years. He is 9 years old, and we definitely thought he was too young to have one. But having your child 10 hours away, in an environment you are not 100% comfortable with...can change your perspective on things. The only problem now is he seems to busy with his new "girlfriend" to text us very much anymore. Who knew that type of issue would start this early?? :)

Jack is officially potty trained (aside from the occasional accident). We no longer buy pull ups and he is even dry when he gets up from naps and bedtime. When we first moved here, every once in a while Jack would say, "I want to go home." It was so sad and broke my heart. I would just tell him, "We are home. We are here at home with Daddy." When running errands or going somewhere, on the way home Laiken would always ask, "Are we going home now?" Laiken is referring to our home here in OK, she just always needs to be informed where we are going and what we are doing, for her approval I guess. (She thinks she is in charge!) When she would ask me, "Are we going home now?" Jack would reply, "No, Nanny, No go home. Home is gone, gone!" Oh that was so sad to me. He did not understand the move. But he has adjusted and doesn't say either now. He seems to be fine. Maybe we should tell him we are moving again in 3 to 4 months.

Laiken is going to be 4 in July. She acts like she is going on 10. She is so smart. She figures it all out and has an opinion on everything. She was playing with the neighbor's little girl and kept telling her that she could play with her, but she could not be her friend. She has friends already. After playing with Penelope a few more times, she now tells her she can be her friend. Saturday I am taking Laiken to sign up for Ballet lessons. She is so excited. Any thing girly is ok with Laiken. I made the mistake of letting her watch "Toddlers and Tiaras" with me one afternoon. Her new obsession is "beauty patches" (beauty pageants). We are now on the hunt for a beauty pageant close to pauls valley. She will only be allowed to do the kind that appreciate natural beauty, nothing like the high glitz ones we saw on tv.

Trey was made a foreman on this job. He has been given 14 or so men to supervise. Trey is competitive and a perfectionist. Every day he writes a few guys up. He is even trying to run a few off the job, so he won't have to deal with him. Yesterday, he had a guy random drug tested because he suspected drug use on the job. Needless to say, the company loves him. Trey is definitely a "company man", but it really comes down to his expectations. He expects the best out of people. He is a perfectionist because it has to be done right every time and he expects that much from everyone around him.

Before moving to Pauls Valley, my hairbow business, Little Belles and Bows, was really starting to take off. I was finding new customers all the time, and keeping a small profit in my account. It was going great. I expected to have the same results here. The only problem is they hardly even wear bows here. I have only seen a few since moving here and none of the stores sell them. But after investigating and talking to a few store owners...I found that there is a market for them here. People do want them, there are just no real retail for them, yet. By the end of July, I hope to have my bows in two stores and to have my own store on http://www.littlebellesandbows.etsy.com/. This move could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Wish me luck!

Love/Hate Relationship

I love Laiken and Jack's love/hate relationship. They fight as much as they play. One minute I am complimenting them on how sweet they are to each other, and the next they are both screaming and clutching the same toy. On this past Wednesday I took Laiken over to play with Trey's cousin's daughter Delainey. I had to bribe Jack with a trip to Chik Fil A because he LOVES to play at her house too. There was a small struggle to get him to leave without a meltdown, but I reminded him where we were going and he was ok. The entire way to Chik Fil A he talked about "Nanny". (That is what he calls Laiken. I have no idea why. He has always called her that, and now that he is old enough to pronounce her name, he still says it. I will ask him to say "Laiken". He looks me square in the eyes and perfectly pronounces "Nanny". Ok, so I quit trying, and I call her that too sometimes.) He says "Where is Nanny?" I tell him she is at Delainey's house. He says "Go get her mommy. Go get Nanny." And he says, "Nanny wants to play." (meaning with us at Chick Fil A). He said the same things all the way there. He asked me a few times while we ate our chicken minis. Finally, it was time to play. As luck would have it, there were no other kids in the play area playing. He kept running in and out, in and out, until finally a few other kids came in and he was fine. When we got in the car to leave he said, "Mommy, go get Nanny." They are in constant competition with each other. They race to the door and to pick up or get something I asked the other one to get for me. They always have to be first and get the last bite or drink. Why can't they fight over useful things like who can eat the neatest, pick up toys the fastest, or even use the potty the most! (Jack is still potty training, but making tremendous progress!) But they still have moments, when I am not prying them apart, that melt my heart. They snuggle when they sleep by each other. Jack pulled two bananas out of the bag at the pool today and ran over to Laiken to share one with her. "Look Nanny, It's your banana! Want one?" Today at the pool they would count and jump in together. And at naptime, we all three slept in my bed. Laiken and Jack kissed each other before falling asleep. It drives me nuts when they are fighting, but it is priceless when they are sweet. I hope they grow up as best friends.

Baton Rouge Zoo Continued....

Jack holding a leaf to feed the giraffe. And a picture of Jack running full speed back to the giraffe to try to feed him!

Jack fed a giraffe at the zoo this past Saturday! He grabbed a leaf and ran up to where the giraffe was by the fence. After several failed attempts to feed the giraffe, I coaxed him away to play at the playground. After getting halfway to the playground, he noticed a twig with leaves on it laying on the ground. He picked it up and ran back to the giraffe full speed. A man picked him up and brought him face to face with the giraffe and Jack fed him the branch! And with my "sloth- like reflexes" I managed to snap a pic of the giraffe's mouth just seconds after my 2 year old fed him! What luck! Despite not getting a picture, it was an amazing moment! Jack is fearless!

Baton Rouge Zoo

The playground were both kids had a blast, but were forced to retreat after Laiken was bit by another child. I was outraged, but so was his mom. She scolded him and removed him from the playground, made me feel better (but not Laiken).

Jack fell asleep waiting for the train ride.

Laiken was ready to ride the train and did not feel like posing for any more pictures.

More about Laiken....

I love my little Laiken so so very much. We take a nap together everyday. She has to sleep with me or she will not go to sleep. She knows how to play and keep herself busy so she never falls asleep. When she sleeps with me, I tell her to "be still" and "shhhh" about 50 times, and she eventually falls asleep. She is so smart and has a very vivid imagination. She remembers everything that ever happens to her, everything that is said to her, and even everything she hears. It is wild. Today at naptime I was so so extremely tired. She asked me to tell her a story. That is the first time she has ever requested a story. I asked her to tell me one. She actually started her story with once upon a time. It was about princesses, pink dresses, wicked witches, red apples, princes, breaking spells....and the list goes on. After a very dramatic, long epic princess adventure, she ends with Happily Ever After! I love Laiken so much. She makes my heart smile! I love Jack that much too, but his stories aren't sugar and spice and everything nice. His are more of the snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails variety. I chased him for 2 hours tonight at the baseball game (which our team won mostly with forced runs, lol). He was even chased off of the field in the middle of the game. He spent a total of prob 20 min (in 2 min increments) in time out. Threw rocks, threw a water bottle, blew raspberries, and kicked over the time out chair (not all at the same time, throughout the evening). Towards the end of the game, I asked the lady next to me what inning it was. She laughed and said, "It's almost over honey, It will get better as he gets older." She must not know my husband. They say your kids will be 3 times worse than you were as a child. So why am I being punished?? But like I said I love my Jack just as much as my angel Laiken. Jack just uses up more of the unconditional part than Laiken.

Laiken

My little princess is really growing up. This morning she insisted on wearing her Easter dress. She explained to me in length that she would have to wear the short sleeve sweater that goes with it because it is cold outside. (80 degrees today is the high) She said she will need the little sweater to cover her shoulders so she can stay warm. The entire conversation was so animated and serious. After she put the sweater on, she asked me to button it. She can handle the snap buttons on her pants, but not the type of button you push through the hole. I showed her how to do the first one. She did the next three. She did it by herself, just like that, after only watching me do one. She is so amazing to me! There are so many other things she does that show me she is a little girl and not a toddler anymore. She sat in the chair at the movies Tuesday. Which may not sound like much, but it was the first time she has ever done that. On top of sitting by herself, it was a 3-D movie, and she wore the glasses for the whole movie. When we use a public restroom, she goes in a stall by herself. At our favorite restaurant, Chik-fil-A, the toy in the kids meal can be turned in for an ice-cream. After we finish eating, Laiken always takes the toys to the counter and exchanges them for ice-cream. They will ask her cup or cone, and she decides. She speaks loudly and clearly with confidence so they can hear her. She carries her and Jack's ice-cream back to the table. I have recently started making hair bows for Laiken. She told me the other day that she will make bows with me when she grows up. She is such a sweetheart. I recently got a new tattoo. It is a pink awareness ribbon for Breast Cancer. It has special meaning for me. A close friend of Trey's family here is battling breast cancer. Laiken made this comment after seeing it..."I will get a tattoo when I am older. Not now because I am still little. I know it will hurt, but not too much. When I am older, I will get a mermaid or a princess on my arm, maybe, because I like those things. But just when I get older not now. I am small now." Her exact words! (For those alarmed by her wanting a tattoo...I had 4 before I had Laiken, so they are a part of our everyday lives.) I am sure my kids will get them. I am sure I am not finished getting them. I love tattoos. And I don't mind if my kids do too. One time Laiken found a highlighter and colored her entire body. I mean literally, toes to shoulders, with the pink highlighter. She came to show me and said they were her tattoos! Too funny. I hope she doesn't take it that far, but I will still love her no matter what! (Mom, I know you are dying as you read this!!!! I love you so much! Forgive me for corrupting your grandkids!) P.S. MOM- Do you remember the first time you saw my very first tattoo?? "Please tell me that is not real!" Makes me laugh every time I think about it! Love ya!

Daddy's Boots!