Walker

Walker was gone to Aunt April's house and came back with this creation. " I make Mommy happy?" and when I told him he was getting to go to Hastings Garden for playgroup he said " you make me happy too, mommy" Other "Walker-isms"..."What are you doing , mommy?" "I'm playing with your hair" "It's not toy hair-it's my hair" Asking me/paul/nana/april/poppa "What are you doin?" even though it's evident what we are doing...eating, driving a car ...so now we say "i'm flying an airplane, eating worms, shopping for groceries" and he'll grin and say "i'm playing in the dirt" and this goes back and forth either at the table while we are eating or driving. He is always asking "What are you doing?" and "Are you happy?"...over and over so we started asking him the same and his response is "Stop bothering me" or "Are you messin' with me?" Mother's Day was nice...sweet home made cards from all the kids , clean house , and time to shop.

End of the Year Activites

Wow~ we have been slammed with end of the year activites. I had alot of school volunteering projects to finish. I was able to do both publishing book/parties for Coleman and Olivia's class. It is a "big deal" I have found out for the kids/parents/memories but no one likes to sign up to do the work so since I have 4 kids the odds were I needed to figure out how to do publishing. Nikki (Jack's mom) helped calm me down when the first few (our boys ) books had the pages falling out. I didn't want people to ask "Who in the heck was in charge of publishing this year? These are horrible" B/c of course, I hate to lead....but I was with women who didn't like to be in charge either so still not sure how I became in charge but it went amazingly well for both classess andpages didn't fall out. Although, I did go home and hot glue 6 books that had some loose pages. The school had bought a new binding machine and the school bought a laminator like mine b/c our front art work turned out so well using it and I heard using the iron was horrible. Both parties went well with no complaints (at least to my face ) and no major typos...but I guess they could volunteer next year- ha. Glad to have the knowledge and next year will be a breeze. Paying my dues and I appreciate my mom and I'm glad I get to be involved and do projects like this. Coleman's book was "ABC all about Me" book and Olivia was "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up"

MY BOYS

Walker

Walker got a haircut at the end of April. He did great although i made the mistake of telling him one day when he said he couldn't walk b/c his legs were hurting did he want me to cut his legs off....well it stuck with him and he is always asking if the doctor is going to cut his ear off...or cut Coleman's throat off...b/c of a sore throat so he was worried it was going to hurt to cut his hair even though I have trimmed it at home. He tells everyone "me can no like you...me like my nana"...this includes strangers, his wonderful mother, his teachers so we are working on loving more than one person and not saying things to hurt peoples feelings. He told me "whatever" this week when he couldn't find his clothes on the couch and when I showed them to him he mumbled "whatever" and I said " what did you say?" and started singing "i'm so sorry...I'm so sorry". He's a little obsessed with my mom..takes the phone out of the room to talk and wants me to stay in the other room. When she comes to visit, he asks her the whole time "you staying at my house..you not going home" and when she does leave he cries and pleads "please , don't leave me nana. I want to go with you. I love you nana" I told my mom if you didn't know him you'd think he lived in an abused home but ususally 30 min. later he is ok and I'm his #1 as along as Nana isn't there...but she is always there in our discussions and only mentions her 30x a day..but i'm glad he loves her that much and that she is able to put up with his obsession. Coleman was like this but they lived in AR so she kept him for 2 weeks and he didnt' want to come home when he was around 3 so no telling how bad it would be if she had lived in GA when he was little. Olivia was always a mommy's girl..although she loved nana/poppa's she was noton the obsession level.

Easter-2009

So in most ways I'm not a planner but a procrastinator....so Easter..I kinda threw together. I had planned Easter crafts and baking in my head but never made it past the inner workings of my quirky brain so.........just decorated a little, resurrection eggs, and did egg coloring/dye but the kids didn't seem to mind or know what they were missing. Walker was up late the night before working his charm so the Easter bunny was late and only hid 4 eggs outside ( just enough so that the kids could see he had come but was going to hide the rest of the eggs in the yard once we got home from church ;). Unfort, my kids are eagle eyes..and they looked out the windows and wondered why the Easter bunny only hid 4 eggs..so I said well those are the ones you can see probably. Church was great until 5 min. before service we get a call from a friend in the nursery that Caleb has pink eye...we have a very efficient system in getting all 4 kids to church..esp. on Easter morning..surely we didn't overlook pink eye. So, I go back and see Caleb's very pink..starting to weep eye...our friend said "when i saw him I said that's a Wendl kid...he's the 4th. They just wet his hair down and throw him in the car"....sad but very close to the truth. So Caleb and I hung out in the foyer with all the other late people and tried to pretend he didn't have pink eye while keeping him away from all the other kids. My mom/dad, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and neighbor were over for the Easter egg hunt, lunch, and then we sat on the deck and visited all afternoon. Note to self...let my mom make the choc./coconut cake next year....jeez. I'm stealing this from Jen..I'm glad my family is here to share in life/daily events and not just to babysit. The kids all found the egg with their name on it..including Walker by himself..he was so tickled with the eggs/candy/money. Coleman told my mom on the phone with Zoey in the room " the Easter bunny came while we were in the front yard and hid alot of eggs..and then he told Zoey to leave the room and whispered to my mom....I know it's my mom and dad hiding the eggs.---my heart was sad :( but sweet for him not to ruin the fun for the little ones. Olivia thinks a rabbit isn't smart enough to hide egg/do baskets but that it's a real person dressed as a bunny doing it. The resurrection eggs were good...the kids listened, opened the eggs, answered the questions, and we tried to explain without sounding like "drink the kool-aid" parents of God's love for us and what Easter was about....we'll see. It was a fab. day.

Spring Break-2009

So we usually don't go anywhere for spring break b/c Paul is busy with tulip photo shoots but he had 3 days off so the kids (esp Olivia) always want to stay in a hotel...I guess b/c we hardly ever do...it's usually easier to rent a cabin or house to fit our needs (which after this trip only confirms that thought). We went to the No. Georgia Mtns. (helen) and the kids only criteria was it have an indoor pool. They were so excited and enjoyed every aspect of hotel life. We got 2 rooms ( 1 bedroom/and a living room). I let them jump on the beds/ back and forth. They stayed up late , watched alot of tv, and ate junk food-life was good in their little world. They loved the breakfast and making their own waffles but most of all loved the pool...they swam 2-3x a day. They loved the hike...well Walker didn't. He called my mom on the hike and told her "Walker can no like the woods. We are lost in the woods. Please come get me Nana" but he ended up being a trooper. The older kids told everyone about our 'vacation' and we were staying in a hotel with a pool. Now, I had fun b/c they had fun BUT Caleb didn't adjust well to his room and cried the first nite so of course we couldn't let him cry for long and the 2nd nite he went to bed fine but then was awake from midnight -4a.m....crying, playing on the floor, laughing...it was insane! Hotel life is not for me...i disinfected everything but we met several nice people but overall crowds annoy me :D. We were exhausted that morning..and I missed my coffee...kids were tired and ready to go home...but some good memories

Fire Station with Walker

Walker and I went to visit the fire station with our playgroup friends. I almost backed out because there was a terrible storm-pouring rain. But, Walker insisted we go see the firetrucks. Caleb fell asleep so I was able to leave him home with Paul/Stuart. Walker had a great time..asking endless questions about the truck and what everything was for. The firemen were very patient and kind but probably glad to see all the 2/3 yr olds go. Walker wanted them to drive the truck so he could ride in it. Later we followed a garbage truck (baa-bage truck)-as it picked up dumpsters and he was thrilled and so tickled. He bought a 2nd garbage truck with his birthday money- the 1st is green so he picked a blue garbage truck that picks up dumpsters.

end of March

Kids are making mud pies, volanoes, cookies- they come in caked with mud but have been creative so that's great. Caleb is pointing his finger back at you when you say "no, no"--and laughing. He is cutting all 4 front top teeth...with the 2 incisors ifurther out..looks like a vampire but oh the diapers. He still likes to throw his sippy cup off the his tray and starts throwing his food when he is done. Likes our food vs. toddler food. Walker...well so much to say...went to see our favorite pediatrician-Dr. Cabrera-who kept saying he's a character., I'm loving him, don't cut his hair=it's great. Constantly, asking Dr. Cabrera questions...what are you doing doctor?, are you going to hurt me?, no it's not my turn. We had to go back today b/c Walker woke up crying from his nap saying his ear was hurting....kept saying cut off my ear I want a new one...so we are on steroids for croup and antibiotics for ear infection. Always hold our hands in the parking lot....and reminds us if we don't. Coleman got the special plate tonight and we all said what we liked about Coleman....he's been so helpful, making good decisions, helping his sister, makes us laugh...he was excited to to have the plate. Olivia had it 2 nights ago...we appreciated she is a good listener at school and church, good friend, good at arts and crafts.. They feel so special when they get to use the plate. We are working on flashcards for both of them....I've been lax in doing them so we are behind. Tulips are out....very beautiful..i'll try to post some pics.

Walker's 3rd birthday party was today. He loved his construction truck cake. He looked at it all last night, first thing this morning, and showed everyone who came to the house. He was excited about every aspect of his birthday experience--his joy was great even though I didn't do as much as I did for the older kids. He loved his garbage truck, boat, and airplane and played with them all afternoon. We had a nice afternoon visiting on the deck until Coleman's baseball game. It was his first game and he had a good game..an out, some good throws, double, run...and he had a good time although it is getting more competitive so that of course makes me nervous. Nice that Nana, Poppa, April, Uncy, Zoey could make it. I worked at my old clinic Friday and liked it...of course it wasn't a stressful day so I may not have like it as much if had been one of those days....thinking about working there part-time if I can figure out child care of the kiddos. Enjoying the great weather...cool but been sitting on the deck doing homework with the kids. Paul took Olivia out on a date tonight...they went to the Artrageous Potter and painted a teddy bear and then went to her favorite Chinese restaurant and she ended up the night with me. Didn't do much for St. Patrick's Day...green pancakes (questionable ? but turned out OK) and St. Patrick's tattoos before school and of course green on....

March stuff

My mom took Walker for 2 days and I hate to admit that although I did sorta miss him....it was a glorious break! No one to say...you make my coffee now mommy and the general Napoleon-dictator tendencies that most 2/3 yrs. old have combined with Caleb's sense of mischief criminal behaviour lately...have made for some interesting moments. Although I complain, I am thankful to be able to stay at home with them. As I speak Caleb is throwing a fit ....he's smart now, he previously would throw himself backwards hitting his head on the floor but now he throws his head back half way and then leans forward until forehead hits the ground. If I "get on" to Walker he'll yell "Walker's in twouble" and throws himself on the timeout chair. Walker noticed my dad painted their front door "where's your white door Nana...it's black" He wants to live with Nana/Poppa...eats whatever he request even if he changes his mind she doesn't make him eat his 1st requesst, took an hour bath in the middle of the day just b/c he wanted to...I'm happy he has people who make him feel loved and special although did feel bad for him when i picked him up..he cried most of the way home.."me no want you...mommmy. Me want nana" over and over.....glad my self esteem doesn't rest with him :)

I'm glad Coleman and Olivia have each other..of course they fight but in general remind me of my brother and I growing up and playing together. Olivia just asked when is Coleman coming home from a sleepover?...not for an hr...what can i do without him for annnn hhrrr. Walker has been walking up to them and wacking them..Coleman does hit back...but said the other day "don't return evil for evil..." They each picked out a laundry basket...and i've started putting their clothes in it and they put them up...not quite like i would but it's a help...hopefully i'll be consistent with it. Caleb loves them both and they are able to make him happy while i'm cooking most days.

April is a baking wonder...it's a great trade...she uses the mixer I haven't used in 6-7 yrs. and she sends me baked goods...I think I got the better deal. Ok, Zoey is cracking me up....pic of pink/Dr. Seuss hair, and pregnant octomom picture...........priceless

Everything is starting to bloom. The cherry tree outside my kitchen window...is starting to have buds...looks like snow, my jane magnolia, I love it. Still enjoying Andy's sermon on hope....and the discussions that follow. Still praying for patience and wisdom

Fun run fundraiser was this week at the kids school. It's so cute to see them get so excited to run...they take their job very seriously.

Caleb has finally started to drink out of a sippy cup everyday...April sent a BAG of sippy cups so we have tried several.

Liv's Quiz-Age 6

Ask your child(ren) to answer the questions and type their answers in.
1. What is something mom always says to you? clean your room and i love you
2. What makes mom happy? when i kiss her and make her laugh
3. What makes mom sad? when I do something bad
4 How does your mom make you laugh? she dances a crazy dance
5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child? she played games with her brother and disturbed him
6. How old is your mom? 30-something...36, 33 ?
7. How tall is your mom? shrugged shoulders-don't know
8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV? Dave Ramsey show
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? clean
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? only one who cleaned up
11. What is your mom really good at? feeding and taking care of me
12. What is your mom not very good at? not losing her temperature
13. What does your mom do for her job? takes care of us
14. What is your mom's favorite food? Mexican
15. What makes you proud of your mom? takes care of me
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, sister on lilo/stitch
17. What do you and your mom do together? crafts
18. How are you and your mom the same? curly hair
19. How are you and your mom different? taller/smaller
20. How do you know your mom loves you? b/c I love her
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? he's goes shopping alot for stuff so she can stay home
22. . Where is your mom's favorite place to go?stores

March-Walker's week

Walker started Creative Play this week which he/we called school and he was disappointed he didn't get to ride the bus. He walked right in and said hi to Ms. Marilyn and told her he was going to be 3 on his birthday in March. He said "dis is my school, mommy?" yes, "bye, mommy"..ok, so I teared up a tad on the way out. Of course , he had a fantastic time and Ms. Marilyn said he did great. We saw a fire truck on the way out and they were testing the firemen. Walker looked at the tires, ladders , hoses and loved it...the tire was a tad taller than him. We went to a party last Fri. and on the way home he said " Walker had a fun time mommy...i play w/toys" So briefly, he is doing God's work and testing my patience...throwing his shoe into the pond, coming into my bed this week numerous times b/c he is scared, peeing on the bean bag, getting a wet diaper all over the house, not coming when called and then asking "you happy, mommy?" which i told him no, he wasn't making good choices and he starts to sing "if you're happy and you know it" His teachers at sunday school are very sweet and W talks about them during the week.. One of his favorites is Mr. Alex..Mr. Alex always got him to stop crying when it was the 1st couple of wks and he was scared. They tell us he is a great addtion to the class, participate, sings and cracks them up in general. Mr. Alex sent an email last yr. about how much they enjoy Walker in the class and he just sent another...

I wanted to drop you a note to say hi. We've talked several times at church, and I just wanted to reiterate how much we all have enjoyed Walker in our class. He's a special little man, that always makes us smile.

Hope all is well with you and your family!

Warm Regards,Alex Knight

Just some notes I wanted to remember from this week:

Along with Andy's sermon....when things are bad we lean more on God...so don't focus on the bad but focus on God's grace, mercy, and love for us --so that we can say "rejoice in the lord always..again i say rejoice "....spoke about Paul's trials...awaiting execution...Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by (I)prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And (J)the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will (K)guard your hearts and your (L)minds in (M)Christ Jesus. So when the trials come, pray for peace.

-from a friend...Romans 8:28 Andy's Lesson---And we know - This in general; though we do not always know particularly what to pray for. That all things - Ease or pain, poverty or riches, and the ten thousand changes of life. Work together for good - Strongly and sweetly for spiritual and eternal good. To them that are called according to his purpose-I am not sure why you have to go through what you going through or why .I guess no where did he say it was always going to be easy or that we wouldn't have problems....Goodness look what Paul went through but he did say it would work out for the best... Really Good Stuff...

-sent by a friend.....Rick Warren (REMEMBER HE WROTE 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE') You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.Life is a series of p roblems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into an other one.The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.We discovered quickly that in spite of the pra yers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease .So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72First, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.Painful moments, TRUST GOD.Every moment, THANK GOD. God's Blessings on you today.

Fun past couple of days.....all 3 jumping on the bed after a bath . They were excited b/c I've been making them split up. They've built a homeless shelter in our backyard..of course they have an awesome fort but seem to enjoy the trash fort better...so far we haven't gotten in trouble from the HOA-killjoys

End of Feb. Activites

A friend asked about the blog which has prompted me to write (thanks J) ....apparently it's been 2 weeks....so much for weekly. Kids were out of school for President's Day on Mon. 16th. Zoey spent the night which involved 2 trips to the park. They had fun. I was getting dinner on the table ....felt like a waiter at Waffle House...and Zoey looked at me and said "REE =becca you are skating on thin ice" out of the blue...she cracks me up. They all listened well and went to sleep in the same room with no commotion. Coleman started baseball again...my dad played catch with him and was amazed at the difference in his skill in just a yr. Paul thought the same when he played catch on Sunday. Coleman has had more school work this week and has demonstrated a GREAT attitude (which he let me know "I"ve been having a good attitude lately, haven't I mommy?") He has had less play...which I wish they could get off the bus and play all afternoon but has been very mature about it. Also, he is back downstairs in his room...talking to us on the walkie-talkie. Coleman has a very tender heart. Walker was having a 2 yr. old moment and I had decided this was a battle I needed to address and win with him..(i'll get to that later) Walker was in trouble from both Paul and I and had been in time out 2x , sent to his room, and a swat on the bottom. Walker is in his room and we are all in the kitchen and Coleman is doing his homework and I notice he starts to cry. After repeatedly asking, he finally said "I feel sorry for Walker..I don't like for him to get in trouble.." He cried on/off....course we felt bad and told him that we didn't like getting on to Walker. Anyway, he's a sweet child.
Olivia....nothing major. She got to go to Morgan's and Bruester's ice cream last week which was a super treat for her. Had a b-day party at Ava's- saw a kangaroo, alligator, monkey...she had a great time, and had a playdate today with Ansley and Isabella. They did arts and crafts , imag. play Star Wars. She loves to to anything with arts/crafts...paint, jewels, making books. She really has wanted some Polly Pockets and she said I'll wait for my b-day (which is in August). For the past yr. , I've been encouraging the older 2 to save their $ for toys/things they want when it's not their b-day/christmas..which has worked out well for me at the store and begging for stuff. And, started with the 3 containers...10% giving, 10%savings, 80%keep/spend/live and tell them if you can get this down now you prob. won't have $ problems. Been trying to teach/exp lain that everything belongs to God, comes from God, so we need to make good choices with not only our $ , but our possessions, and time. Doing everything we do to honor God. The virtue for this month is wisdom...."knowing what is best when you are put to the test" so many things to teach and model..I hope I do a little of it well.....live it not just teach it. Ok, back to the story...all that to say I don't buy them extra stuff much. So I got her some Polly Pockets...her expression of pure excitement and unbelief was so worth it! I told her I wanted to surprise her and that I loved she was a part of our family and I appreciated her sweet spirit, helpfulness, and she doesn't ask for stuff constantly but most of all just b/c I love her. Well, the rest of the day..she told everyone and she glowed!
Walker.........is going thru a phase..have some "2 yr. old moments-" "Hush , Mommy" (in his deep voice-trying to be funny), "Shush dear". Visiting his boat at Target each week...we have to go by where it is and he remembers..."Dat's my boat..no one get it" He understands he has to wait until his b-day to get it. Little more sassy....telling me no, or I tell him he can do something he has asked for and he then says no or throws himself on the floor. He is repeating ANYTHING you say which has me trying not to slip up..even saying "crap"
Caleb is thinking he's rockin' the walking now. He "runs" now when I crawl after him "going to getcha". Several encounters with the toilet-enough said. Very into imitating..high squeal, we squeal, growling, lays his head on your shoulder so you'll blow on his neck, put his forehead/cheek on your lips so you'll kiss him.
Church last week was "he's got the whole world in his hands"....my summary was "america thinking"that God is only in the good and God must be not be involved when things go bad, but in the Bible God was definitely working in terrible situations...so as God followers can we believe that God is in it when He's not tangible or moving in a way we can see. Gave the ex. of the preacher -Otis Moss who grew up as an orphan, black in middle GA in the 1950's and experienced great prejudice but kept his faith.., worked with MLK Jr., and spoke with Andy standing in line at the National Prayer Service for Pres. Obama...said that ALL things work together for good to them that love God....but sometimes Rev.Stanley He takes longer than we'd like and Andy said a few min. later Pres. Obama came around the corner and embraced Otis Moss who had experiences the worse of American behav. to the 1st African American Pres. Andy said " I was a mess" so that helped me....that even though I feel that God cannot possible be in this b/c things seems bad...He is.

"

Valentine and Caleb's B-day

Theses are some of the things that I want to remember from Walker this week. At Barnes and Noble for story time sitting on that little bench paying so close attention to the story, singing and using hand motions with the songs, going up on stage when the woman asked for volunteers..looking at me for permission. Looking at the bucket of crayons spilled on the stage...saying "Dat's a BIG mess". Getting books off the shelf and saying "this is a GREAT book". He didn't understand why were leaving B&N without any books. Decided to go the library where he wanted to get his "big green tractor book" of course it was checked out and a very nice librarian man asked how we were and Walker told him "my tractor book gone..it's bye bye" so he helped us find some new tractor books and Walker held the books to his chest and very sincerely said "Tank you" He reminded me I didn't buckle him in. "Am I next" when I was changing Caleb's diaper . "my jammies are so soft in my hand" Putting his laundry up in his drawers happily and volunteering. Leaving playgroup at Maress' and saying "Walker had a great time" I love it he refers to himself in the 3rd person. " my hurt me" " Wivy (or Coleman ) bein' ugee to me or mean to me" Looking around the corner with Paul in the bathroom and telling him "good job, daddy" Saying "i'm mommy, you walker...get out of my bed " as I"m lying in bed and I told him to go wash my clothes and fix me something to eat and he switched back quickly.
Caleb turned 1 on the 13th....had nana, poppa, april , uncy, zoey, elyse, and kiddos over for pizza and cake....did some light decorations more for the older kids..my rule..you must know it's your b-day in order to get the full decoration treatment. Caleb dived into the cake after almost burning his hand. He's toddling around and babbling and loves to spit out his food all over..that's his latest trick
Went to the kid's valentine's parties...they are still so excited when I go to their class. Typical stuff..decorating cookies, making crafts.
I was having a stressful Mon. night....doing 2 homework activites in 2 different rooms, cooking dinner, tracking down a renegade 2 yr. old with a water bottle..I was wondering why everything was wet, cooking dinner (I'm using cook and dinner terms very loosely) , and dealing with a very grouchy, tired, hungry baby. I think Paul was working late. The baby was holding onto my pant leg screaming and and I placed him once again in the family room with toys and tried to get him interested and walked away...here he crawled after me until Olivia got his attention..and I looked in there b/c it was quiet and she was entertaining him and making him laugh...meanwhile Coleman had Walker in the other room playing with him...my stress level started going down. So, I went and got our special plate and put it on the table for Olivia and told her what a big help she was and I hadn't even asked her ..she had a helper's heart that night ...she was delighted and wanted to know when the plate would come down again..I prob. don't use it enough. Now there are plenty more times when I lose it, yell, or don't have patience and humble going to them and saying Sorry mommy wasn't patient and lost her "temperature" (liv's term) but it was a nice night. Played charades this week...kid's loved it. Olivia's was spider and everyone was guessing all around it when Walker jumped up and said "SPIDER"..we all started laughing....very funny to see me trying to act the Battle of Jericho.
Coleman telling us that he know what courage, leadership, and wisdom were in class...the teacher asked him how he knew these terms and he said my daddy "teached" me
Olivia still praying for G-ma Gallugher (who is dead) that she'll be good in heaven and not throw things at people.
I told myself in the hospital w/Caleb it was going to go quick ..but the newborn stage, feeding, sleepless night stretched out endlessly before me but here we are....a year later....I'm looking forward to much more sleep.

End of Jan. Activites

We survived Coleman's 8th b-day although he got in trouble the night before for "not listening" ( for the upteenth time that night )I was decorating the house that night while grumbling about ungrateful kids but when he got up the next morning and said "wow" all was forgiven. He loved his 500 facts about animals book and the bag of Dove chocolates. I told him he could have as many chocolates as he wanted that day. Of course, he asked "Can I have one after I finish my sausage biscuit?" To which I replied, " of course it's your birthday". His smile was brilliant. I must describe his favorite breakfast which is 2 biscuits, 2 sausage patties, cheese slice and honey. He compiles all this into a double decker sandwich which is very messy We decorate the house esp. the kitchen with streamers, balloons, and decorations. The tackier the more the kids love it and we put banners outside with balloons...they love to look at it when they come back by on the bus. (we always wait about 4-5min. for the bus to turn around and head back to the school and we stand on the porch and wave.....I'll be so sad when they don't want us to wait and wave to them....and most days I get teary eyed watching Coleman waving both hands as fast as he can and Olivia waving and as far as I can see them as I walk down the front walk...I keep waving until the bus is out of site in case they can still see me....I've gone off on a tangent :D...AND they are both still not embarassed to kiss and hug us at the bus stop before they head off...it's absolute sweetness) OK , back to the day. Paul ran up a cookie cake for his class and Walker and I went up at lunch and smuggled in Chick-fil-A (i take it out of the bag and put in ziploc baggies in his lunch bag ...while I have my large Chick-fil-A coke walking in...so far...we haven't been "caught". It's ridiculous they serve pizza, chicken nuggets, fries , and ice cream in the cafeteria but you are not "allowed" to bring in fast food. All right , there is my rant. Rest of the day was preparing for his rib dinner and making his cake ( my 2nd attempt...my last attempt was his 2nd birthday and it looked AWFUL) so I've always bought cakes so in the spirit of Dave Ramsey I made a sheet cake and after consultation with my sister-in-law and Jennifer (the great cake decorating queens in my life) made a jersey cake with M&M detail ....it turned out great (I will have to say Paul help me ice it and gave me a great start ). Dinner was great with Nanna, Poppa, Uncy, Aunt April, Zoey(the ever popular cousin), and our family. It's nice to have family close to celebrate. Coleman loved all his gifts.. $ from Meme and Aunt Sherri, outing with Nana Poppa, volcano and space shuttle kit and the surprise whittling set from uncy, april , and zoey, and the Wii star wars lego set from us. Walker was obsessed with presents and kept asking where his presents were. I also received a birthday gift as Walker went home with Nana...at one point when we were getting things ready for them to leave I couldn't find Walker and my dad said he's already in our van ready to go...he loves to go to their house and my very generous sister-in-law took Caleb home. It was lovely to get the 2 older kids in bed and Friday by myself was GLORIOUS to run errands and meet a friend for lunch.
Stone/Snow Mountain..........3 friends came over at 3:30 to go play in the snow and tube. While we were packing they were playing Wii and they decided to skip Snow Mtn. and stay at home and play Wii....IF I had only known that would have been great but rustled them into the van b/c I had paid for the tickets with a promise to return early and play more Wii. It was a fun time b/c the boys had fun..but I thought about how many parties my mom had planned -paybacks ;D. I was exhausted by 9:00 and in bed while Paul took the boys home and so relieved it wasn't a sleepover. Birthday week-end continued with Coleman having unlimited t.v., Wii time, and no chores and freedom over food choices (within the house)

Things I want to remember about Coleman:
1) He'll come up behind me and rub my back and say "How are you doing mom?"
2) He'll come up to just get a kiss
3) He'll spend hours working on small clay creations...birthday cake, grapes, pizza
4) He is very generous with the younger kids...making them laugh, helping when they are crying, helps buckle/unbuckle, helps hold Walker's hand in stores and keeps Walker from having a melt down.
5) I think he tends to get frustrated like his mom with new activites if he doesn't right off understand it.
6) I love lying in bed, snuggled up watching t.v.
7) He tries to cheat for me in Sorry so I won't lose
8)Watching him interact with Olivia-they seem close and love playing with each other (for the most part)
9) Comparing our hand sizes
10)Talking about getting older...and he'll move away someday..." no I won't mommy..I want to live with you"
11) Telling me how he took up for his friend on the playground who was getting ganged up on.
12) says crashcan, lose instead of use, injury instead of energy

Success with potty training....Walker has been out and asked to go to the potty ..no accidents while out but does have some accidents at the house....he is totally trained it seems with the poop...celebrate the small victories. This morning he was negotiating it seemed to go to Monkey Joes if he went to the potty. He listens very well (alot of the time) and asks or brings me a fruit bar /fruit snack and asks permission to eat it. Says please/thank you without prompting alot. I really enjoy running errands with him by ourselves (caleb at home napping with dad working at home). Walker enjoys getting out, seeing the world, asking questions, talking to everyone he sees...he delights me and makes me laugh. He likes to snuggle after nap time..."hold you too, or hold me too" Although when tired, he is known to throw himself on the floor with drama.

Olivia is very tuned in to my moods...which is a sad thing sometimes. When I am stressed or getting on to them..she very quickly apologized and gets to whatever I've asked her to do and she usually fits in a quick.."thank you for this delicious food" "or thanks for being a great mommy" ( and not in a manipulative way) all of which make me look at my attitude and tone....meanwhile Coleman is usually in full melt down trying to explain why he did what he did instead of saying "sorry " "yes m'am" She still prays for Grandmas G. in heaven that she'll be nice and not throw things at people and pray for Po that he'll be OK in heaven and not lonely. She seems to take in the life lessons I occasionally try to teach...we are working on inward beauty...it saddens me she already doesn't like things about herself..that have seemed to come from her peers on how she is different. She wants straight hair and desparately dislikes her curly, frizzy hair and unfort. she has the Ussery hairy arm gene which all the women.....aunts, cousins have. I try to explain that she is in good company and if it wasn't her hairy arms it would be something else. I guess she said "I was the hairy-est in K and now in 1st grade" and made some comments that her friends had made. She was trying to describe something that you could put on her arms to take her "fur" (that's what she calls it) off. I explained she was too young for that but someday she could do that. I said well at least it's blonde hair. We did the whole it's not what's on the outside deal but inside.

And lastly, Mr. Caleb started officially walking Jan 27th. Even after the 1st 3 kiddos it's still just a thrill to see them learn to walk and maintain balance and then swagger around bowlegged. He has been taking 1 step but went b/t Paul and I with 2-4 steps several times. He is developing a temper of sorts. He will crawl over and get on 1 knee and reach up for you to pick him up. Takes it all in..esp. when the older kids are home. He loves to go in their rooms and play...esp. when they are there. Switched him to a forward facing car seat about 10 days early and he seem mesmorized by his new view. He is eating mostly table food with some Stage 3 thrown in for convenience for me but his fave right now is just a piece of bread broken up in pieces.

Whew...that was a long one but got some good memories down.

I'm setting this up to be my memory since I tend to forget the stories or lose the scraps of paper I doodle my kids experiences on..........so this for them and for me

I tend to forget the things that made me smile, laugh, or make me mad which then later will make me laugh.

Week of January 16th-Coleman giving Walker a bath and dressing him. Walker putting underwear on his head and running around. Olivia crying about Grandma Gallaugher dying. Caleb turning the car over until on it's wheels and then crawling while moving the car, squatting while holding coffee table and picking up stuff, lying cheek on floor and looking under coffee table. Caleb squealing over Poppa...adores him. Walker telling me..mommy do this for me .."now" (we are working on that). Mother /son bingo with Coleman...coleman dancing around so excited to win. Walker praying...holding hands together and mumbling. "nana coming..." over and over. Victory with potty training...." I poo poo" gets tic tacs. "pease mommy" Crying in driveway b/c Poppa left him to go to the grocery story and Poppa came back to get him. Telling Nana to take her shoes off and spend the night. Olivia listening and obeying....."Why am I the only one listening mommy?" "B/c you are only girl" Walker obsessed with pinching and boodies.